Isaac Fletcher (November 22, 1784 – October 19, 1842) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

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 ...

and as

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the Vermont Militia.

Biography

Fletcher was born in

Dunstable, Massachusetts Dunstable ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,358 at the 2020 census. Etymology Dunstable was named after its sister town Dunstable, England. There are several theories concerning its modern name ...

to Joseph Fletcher and Molly Cummings Fletcher. He pursued classical studies, and graduated with honors from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of En ...

in 1808. He taught at the academy at

Chesterfield, New Hampshire Chesterfield is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,552 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Spofford and West Chesterfield. Chesterfield is home to Spofford Lake, Chesterfield Gorge Natu ...

while in college, and after graduating he studied law with the firm of Prescott & Dunbar in

Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in, and the seat of Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,047 at the 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 census. Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England. I ...

. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in Keene and in

Newfane, Vermont Newfane is the shire town (county seat) of Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,645 at the 2020 census. The town includes the villages of Newfane, Williamsville, and South Newfane. History One of the New Hampshire gran ...

in December 1811, and moved to

Lyndon, Vermont Lyndon is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,491. Lyndon is the home of Lyndon State College. The town contains one incorporated village, Lyndonville, and four unincorporated villages ...

to start a practice. Among the prospective attorneys who studied under Fletcher were Thomas J. D. Fuller and Thomas Bartlett Jr. He was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives for several terms between 1819 and 1825, and 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 ...

from 1824 to 1825. Fletcher was Caledonia County State's Attorney from 1820 until 1828, and a member of the state constitutional convention in 1822. Fletcher received a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...

in 1823. He was military aide to Governor Richard Skinner, and served as

of the

State Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

from 1824 until 1833. He was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1837 until March 3, 1841. While in Congress, he was the Chairman of the Committee on Patents. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1840 to the Twenty-seventh Congress.

Personal life

Fletcher married Abigail Stone on February 4, 1812. They had one son, Charles B. Fletcher.

Death

Fletcher's health declined rapidly during his final term in Congress, which was attributed by doctors to overwork. He died in Lyndon on October 19, 1842 and is interred at the Lyndon Town Cemetery in Lyndon.Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
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References

External links

Govtrack.us

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Isaac 1784 births 1842 deaths Dartmouth College alumni University of Vermont alumni Democratic Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives People from Dunstable, Massachusetts People from Caledonia County, Vermont Vermont lawyers American militia generals Burials in Vermont Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont 19th-century American politicians State's attorneys in Vermont 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Massachusetts

Biography

Personal life

Death

References

Further reading

External links