Jacob Benton (August 19, 1814 – September 29, 1892) was an American politician, and a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Early life

Born in

Waterford, Vermont Waterford is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,268 at the 2020 census. History The town was formed by the Vermont charter on November 8, 1780, and was originally called Littleton, but the name was change ...

, Benton attended the common schools,

Lyndon Academy Lyndon Academy is a private international college preparatory school located in the southeast portion of Cherokee County in the Woodstock, Georgia, area near Marietta and Atlanta, in the United States The United States of America (USA), ...

, and Randolph Academy. He graduated from Burr and Burton Seminary at

Manchester, Vermont Manchester is a New England town, town in, and one of two shire towns (county seats) of, Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,484 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Manchester (village), Vermont, Mancheste ...

, in 1839. In 1841, Benton began to study law with Heaton and Reed in

Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat of Washington County, Vermont, Washington County. The site of Government of Vermont, Vermont's state government, it is the Lis ...

. He became principal of the academy at Concord Corner, Vermont, while continuing to study law with Henry A. Bellows of

Littleton, New Hampshire Littleton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,005 at the 2020 census. Situated at the northern edge of the White Mountains, Littleton is bounded on the northwest by the Connecticut River. The main vil ...

. He moved to

Lancaster, New Hampshire Lancaster is a town located along the Connecticut River in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The town is named after the city of Lancaster in England. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,218, the second largest in the cou ...

, in 1843, was

admitted 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 ...

, and commenced practice in partnership with Ira Young.

Career

Benton was a member of the

New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral State legislature (United States), legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members com ...

1854–1856. He also served as a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

in 1860. Elected as a Republican to the Fortieth and Forty-first Congresses, Benton served as United States Representative for the third district of New Hampshire (March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1871) and declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1870. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law.

Death

Thrown from his carriage, Benton died in Lancaster, New Hampshire, on September 29, 1892 (age 78 years, 41 days). He is

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and object ...

at Summer Street Cemetery, Lancaster, New Hampshire.

Family life

Benton was the son of Samuel S. and Esther Prouty Benton and married Louisa Dwight in 1860.

References

External links

Retrieved on 2008-08-13 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benton, Jacob 1814 births 1892 deaths Politicians from Caledonia County, Vermont Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire Republican Party members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the New Hampshire General Court