Asa Aldis (April 14, 1770 – October 16, 1847) was a Vermont attorney, politician, and judge. He served as chief 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 ...

in 1815.

Biography

Asa Aldis was born in Franklin, Massachusetts on April 14, 1770. His mother died in 1773, and his father in 1775, after which Aldis was raised by an aunt. Aldis received his early education from private tutors, and in 1792 he began attendance at Rhode Island College (now known as Brown University), from which he graduated in 1796. He was descended from John Aldis and

Nathan Aldis Nathan Aldis was an early settler of Dedham, Massachusetts who served on that town's Board of Selectmen in 1641, 1642, and 1644. He served in a variety of other positions in the town and served as a deacon at First Church and Parish in Dedham. He s ...

. After graduating from college, Aldis studied law with Judge David Howell of

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

, and attained admission to the bar. He practiced for three years in Chepachet, and then traveled to the western portion of the United States seeking better professional opportunities. On his return trip to Rhode Island, Aldis passed through St. Albans, Vermont, which he decided to make his home. After settling in Vermont in 1802, Aldis established a thriving law practice, initially in partnership with Bates Turner, who also served on the

. Among the prospective attorneys who studied under Aldis was Orlando Stevens, who served in the legislatures of both

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

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. Aldis served as state's attorney of Franklin County from 1804 to 1806. In 1815 he was appointed Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. That year, the Democratic-Republicans who assumed control of the state government replaced all three of the court's Federalist justices; Aldis served with Richard Skinner and James Fisk. Aldis had not sought the appointment, and agreed to serve as chief justice on the condition that a successor would be quickly appointed. After resigning once Skinner was confirmed as Chief Justice, Aldis resumed practicing law in St. Albans. In 1820, Aldis served on the Council of Censors, which met every seven years to review actions of the governor and executive council and the Vermont House of Representatives to ensure their constitutionality. In 1824 and 1828, Aldis was one of Vermont's presidential electors. In 1824,

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States ...

won Vermont's popular vote, and Aldis cast his electoral votes for Adams for president and John C. Calhoun for vice president. In 1828, Adams again carried Vermont in the popular vote, and Aldis cast his electoral votes for Adams and his vice presidential running mate, Richard Rush. In 1832, Aldis was an Anti-Masonic Party candidate for Congress in Vermont's

4th District Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

. Going back to the 1830 general election, several special elections were required because no candidate won a majority; Aldis appeared on the ballot in February, April, and June 1832. In the June election, incumbent National Republican Heman Allen (of Milton) received over 50% of the vote and retained his seat.

Death and burial

Aldis died in

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

on October 16, 1847. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in St. Albans.

Family

Asa Aldis was the husband of Amey Owen (1770-1867), the daughter of

Daniel Owen Daniel Owen (20 October 1836 – 22 October 1895) was a Welsh novelist. He is generally regarded as the foremost Welsh-language novelist of the 19th century, and as the first significant novelist to write in Welsh. Early life Daniel Owen was bor ...

, who served as Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island. Amey Owen was the widow of William Gadcomb; her children with Gadcomb included Fidelia Burnett Gadcomb. Fidelia Gadcomb was the wife of Lawrence Brainerd, and Fidelia Gadcomb and Lawrence Barinerd were the parents of several children, including Ann Eliza Smith. Amey Owen and Asa Aldis were the parents of a son, Asa Owen Aldis, who practiced law in partnership with his father and was also a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. They were also the parents of a daughter, Miranda Metcalf Aldis, who was the wife of Vermont Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kellogg.

References

Sources

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Internet

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Magazines

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldis, Asa 1770 births 1847 deaths People from Franklin, Massachusetts People from Glocester, Rhode Island People from St. Albans, Vermont Brown University alumni Rhode Island lawyers Vermont lawyers Vermont Democratic-Republicans Vermont National Republicans Anti-Masonic Party politicians from Vermont State's attorneys in Vermont Chief Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court Burials in Vermont 19th-century American lawyers