Merritt W. Seely (August 22, 1813August 25, 1889) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Green Lake and Marquette counties during the

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final u ...

and

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

sessions. His name was often abbreviated and his last name was sometimes spelled Seeley.

Biography

M. W. Seely was born in Bainbridge, New York. He was raised and educated in that area, and in 1839 served as village clerk of Bainbridge. Sometime before 1843, he moved west to Peru, Indiana, where he was a prominent lawyer in the community. After a fire destroyed many of the court records in Miami County, Seely was appointed by an act of the Indiana General Assembly as commissioner to try to collect any remaining evidence and testimony to attempt to restore the records as much as possible, but he was mostly unsuccessful. In the mid-1840s, he moved west to the Wisconsin Territory and settled in what is now the town of

Brooklyn, Green Lake County, Wisconsin Brooklyn is a town in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,904 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Pleasant Point and Sherwood Forest are located in the town. History At its settlement, the town wa ...

. At the time, this was part of Marquette County. His home was located between the villages of Green Lake and Ripon, but he was mostly associated with Ripon. He was one of the founding members of the St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ripon, and was one of the first officers of the church. In 1858, Seely was elected to the Wisconsin Senate, running on the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

ticket. He represented the 29th State Senate district during the

and

legislative sessions. At the time, his district comprised Marquette and Green Lake counties. After his term in the legislature, Seely served as a county commissioner for the Union Army draft in Fond du Lac County. He was assigned to examine the evidence of people who claimed exemption from military service. He also served three years as municipal judge of the city and town of

Ripon, Wisconsin Ripon is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,733 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Ripon. Ripon is home to the Little White Schoolhouse, the commonly recognized birthplace of ...

, holding office from July 1862 to May 1865. He subsequently moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he resumed his legal career. Later in life, he went to live with his son, Charles, in

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

, Dakota Territory, where he died of a stroke in August 1889.

Personal life and family

Seely was the second of at least six children born to Henry "Harry" and Clarissa "Clara" (' Lyon) Seely, of Bainbridge, New York. His paternal grandfather, Eli Seely, served in the American Revolutionary War. The Seely family were descendants of

Robert Seeley Robert Seeley, also Seely, Seelye, or Ciely, (1602-1668) was an early Puritan settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony who helped establish Watertown, Wethersfield, and New Haven. He also served as second-in-command to John Mason in the Pequ ...

, an early Puritan settler at

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...

. Merritt Seely's younger brother, Josiah, also came to Wisconsin and settled in Waupun. M. W. Seely married twice, his first wife was Charlotte Byington, of Cairo, New York. She died while they were living in Peru, Indiana. Seely subsequently married Susan Helen Akin, of Ontario County, New York, in 1851. With his second wife, he had at least two children. Their son Charles Merritt Seely was a successful businessman in Canton, South Dakota, served two terms as mayor, and was appointed financial clerk of the federally-administered Hiawatha Asylum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seely, M. W. 1813 births 1889 deaths People from Wisconsin Territory People from Dakota Territory People from Bainbridge, New York People from Peru, Indiana People from Green Lake County, Wisconsin People from Ripon, Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Wisconsin lawyers