John H. Merrifield (June 12, 1847 – December 29, 1906) was a

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 ...

politician who served as

Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives The Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives is the Speaker or presiding officer of the Vermont House of Representatives, the lower house of the Vermont Legislature. The Speaker presides over sessions of the Houses, recognizes members so t ...

. Merrifield was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Biography

John Hastings Merrifield was born 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 ...

on June 12, 1847. He was educated at the

common school A common school was a public school in the United States during the 19th century. Horace Mann (1796–1859) was a strong advocate for public education and the common school. In 1837, the state of Massachusetts appointed Mann as the first secretary o ...

s of Newfane and Springfield Wesleyan Seminary and became a farmer. He also operated a general merchandise store for several years, and later worked as Station Agent for the Vermont line of the B & W Railroad. Merrifield was associated with 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 ...

for over 30 years, serving as engrossing clerk (1874–78), a member (1878–82, 1896), second assistant clerk (1882–88), first assistant clerk (1890), and clerk (1892–96). Merrifield served again as a member from 1902 to 1906 and was

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

. He also held several town offices and was appointed

county clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

for Windham County in 1897, serving until his death in

Brattleboro Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about nor ...

on December 29, 1906.The Christian Advocate magazine
Personal News
February 7, 1907, page 222 He was buried at Williamsville Cemetery in Williamsville.

References

External links

Biographical sketch
from the ''Vermont Legislative Directory'', Biennial Session, 1902 {{DEFAULTSORT:Merrifield, John H. 1847 births 1906 deaths People from Newfane, Vermont Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives 19th-century American legislators