William Chamberlain (April 27, 1755September 27, 1828) was an American politician 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 ...

. He served as a

United States 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 ...

and as the fourth

lieutenant governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

Biography

Chamberlain was born in Hopkinton in the

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the Thirteen Colonies, thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III of England, William III and Mary II ...

to Samuel and Martha Mellen Chamberlain. He attended the common schools and worked as a school teacher in Hopkinton until he moved with his father to Loudon in the

Province of New Hampshire The Province of New Hampshire was a colony of England and later a British province in North America. The name was first given in 1629 to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America, and was nam ...

in 1774. He served as a sergeant during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and took part in the

Battles of Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord ...

and the invasion of Canada. He later engaged in land surveying and farming. He moved to

Peacham, Vermont Peacham is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 715 at the 2020 census. History In 1763, Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire gave a charter for the region to a group of proprietors, and the town was gi ...

in 1780. Engaging in politics, he was the clerk of the proprietors of the town the same year. He was town clerk from 1785 to 1797. Chamberlain served as a member 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 ...

in 1785, from 1787 to 1796, in 1805 and in 1808. He also served as a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

from 1786 to 1796 and as a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1791. He was a member of the Vermont's Governor's Council from 1796 until 1803. He was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of the Vermont

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 ...

in 1794 and was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in 1799. He was the assistant judge of

orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

in 1795 and chief judge of Caledonia County from 1796 until 1803. He served as secretary of the board of trustees of the Caledonia County Grammar School from 1795 until 1812, and as president of the board of trustees from 1813 until 1828. Chamberlain was elected as a Federalist candidate to the Eighth Congress, serving from March 4, 1803 until March 3, 1805. He was elected to the Eleventh Congress, serving from March 4, 1809 until March 3, 1811. After serving in Congress, he served as the

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

from 1813 until 1815. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1814.

Personal life

Chamberlain married Jane E. "Jenny" Eastman on March 15, 1781. They had seven children together. Chamberlain died on September 27, 1828 in Peacham, Caledonia County, Vermont. He is interred at Peacham Village Cemetery in Peacham.

Spelling of name

He signed his name "Chamberlin" and his name appears that way in some official records and other documents.

References

External links

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: CHAMBERLAIN, William, (1755 - 1828)
*
govtrack.us: Rep. William Chamberlain

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlain, William 1755 births 1828 deaths People from Hopkinton, Massachusetts People of colonial Massachusetts American people of English descent Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont People from Caledonia County, Vermont Lieutenant Governors of Vermont Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Vermont state court judges

Biography

Personal life

Spelling of name

References

Further reading

External links