Increase Moseley (May 18, 1712 – May 2, 1795) was a

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

and

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

government official who served as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

Biography

Increase Moseley was born in

Norwich, Connecticut Norwich ( ) (also called "The Rose of New England") is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River flows south to Long ...

on May 18, 1712. He studied medicine and became a

doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

Woodbury Woodbury may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory Australia * Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia England * Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset *Woodbury, East Devo ...

. Moseley served in the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an ...

almost continuously from 1751 until he moved to Vermont, although the exact length of his service cannot be determined because his son Increase Moseley Jr. (1740 – 1811) also served in the legislature and the rolls do not differentiate between the two. At the start of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

Moseley was active on several committees formed to coordinate the activities of the colonists, including the Connecticut committee formed to aid Boston, Massachusetts during the British occupation at the start of the war. In 1779 Moseley moved to

Clarendon, Vermont Clarendon is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,412 at the 2020 census. Clarendon spans U.S. Route 7 and is split by the highway, the Cold River and Mill River, Otter Creek, and the Green Mountains into the ...

. In 1780 he was named a Judge of the

Rutland County Rutland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,572, making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and most populous municipality is the city of Rutland. H ...

Court, serving until 1781. In 1780, Moseley also served as an

Associate Justice Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some state ...

of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

. In 1782 he was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, serving until 1783 and holding the position of House Speaker. Moseley returned to the judgeship of the Rutland County Court in 1782 and served until 1787. In 1785 Moseley served as President of Vermont's first Council of Censors, the body charged with reviewing the actions of the executive and legislative branches every seven years to ensure compliance with the

Vermont Constitution The Constitution of the State of Vermont is the fundamental body of law of the U.S. state of Vermont, describing and framing its government. It was adopted in 1793 following Vermont's admission to the Union in 1791 and is largely based upon the ...

. Moseley died in Clarendon on May 12, 1795.History of Norwich, Connecticut
by

Frances Manwaring Caulkins Frances Manwaring Caulkins (April 26, 1795 – 1869) was a 19th-century American historian and genealogist, the author of histories of New London, Connecticut and Norwich, Connecticut. Through her father, she was descendant of Hugh Caulkins, who ...

, 1866, pages 236 to 237

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moseley, Increase 1712 births 1795 deaths Politicians from Norwich, Connecticut People from Woodbury, Connecticut People from Clarendon, Vermont People of Connecticut in the American Revolution People of colonial Connecticut Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives People of pre-statehood Vermont Physicians from Connecticut 18th-century American politicians