William H. Taylor (July 18, 1863 – March 27, 1926) was a Vermont attorney, politician, and judge. He was notable for his service as an associate justice 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 ...

from 1913 to 1926.

Early life

William Henry Taylor was born in

Wheelock, Vermont Wheelock is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 759 at the 2020 census. History The town was named after Eleazar Wheelock, the founder of Dartmouth College. Through a provision of the college dating to , any f ...

on July 18, 1863, the son of Benjamin Franklin Taylor and Amanda M. (Stetson) Taylor. He was raised in Wheelock and Hardwick, and graduated from Hardwick Academy in 1882. He then attended

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 A ...

, from which he graduated in 1886.

Start of career

Taylor worked as a school teacher and administrator; he was principal of Hardwick Academy from 1886 to 1889, and school supervisor of Caledonia County from 1889 to 1891. From 1891 to 1906, Taylor was Caledonia County's examiner of teachers. He studied law with

Henry Clay Ide Henry Clay Ide (September 18, 1844 – June 13, 1921) was a U.S. judge, colonial commissioner, ambassador, and Governor-General of the Philippines. Biography Early life, States Attorney, Senator, and Presidential Commissioner to Samoa Ide ...

and

Wendell Phillips Stafford Wendell Phillips Stafford (May 1, 1861 – April 21, 1953) was an American attorney and jurist. He was most notable for his service as an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Distr ...

while working as an educator, and attained

admission 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 1892. He practiced in Hardwick as the partner of Walter A. Dutton, who served as a judge of the Vermont Superior Court and a member of the Vermont Public Service Commission.

Continued career

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 ...

, Taylor served in local offices including president of Hardwick's village trustees. He was Caledonia County

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

from 1894 to 1898. From 1900 to 1901 he was 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 ...

. From 1906 to 1907 he was a member of the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

Career as judge

In 1906, Taylor was appointed a judge of the Vermont Superior Court. He served until 1913, when he was appointed an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. Associate Justice

George M. Powers George M. Powers (December 19, 1861 – June 24, 1938) was a Vermont attorney, politician, and judge. He was most notable for his service as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1904 to 1906, and again from 1909 to 1913, and chi ...

had been appointed Chief Justice, and Taylor was named to the position vacated by Powers. Taylor remained on the state Supreme Court until his death, and was succeeded by

Frank L. Fish Frank Leslie Fish (September 17, 1863 – September 7, 1927) was a Vermont attorney and judge. He was most notable for his service as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1926 to 1927. Early life Frank L. Fish was born in Newf ...

Death and burial

Taylor died at his son's home in

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

on March 27, 1926. He was buried at Hardwick Center Cemetery in Hardwick.

Family

In 1887, Taylor married Nettie I. Clark (1862-1930) of Hardwick. They were the parents of four children—Harold F. (1890-1941), Florence Mary (1894-1985), Mildred I. (b. 1897), and Cecyle A. (1901-1981).

References

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* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, William H. 1863 births 1926 deaths People from Caledonia County, Vermont Dartmouth College alumni U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Vermont lawyers State's attorneys in Vermont Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party Vermont state senators Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court Burials in Vermont 19th-century American lawyers