Asahel Peck (September 1803May 18, 1879) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He is most 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 ...

(1859–1874) and the 35th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

from 1874 to 1876. A native of

Royalston, Massachusetts Royalston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2020 census. History Royalston is a small town in the North Quabbin area of northwestern-central Massachusetts. It was named after Isaac ...

, Peck was raised and educated 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 attended the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

, studied law, and attained admission to the bar in 1832. Peck practiced in Burlington, Montpelier, and

Jericho Jericho ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and the capital of the Jericho Governorate. Jericho is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It had a population of 20,907 in 2017. F ...

, and gained a reputation as a skilled trial attorney. Initially a Democrat, and later a Republican, Peck served as a Judge of the Vermont Circuit Court from 1851 to 1857. In 1860 he was elected to the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator repre ...

, where he served from October 1860 to January 1861. He resigned to accept appointment an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, and he served until 1874. In 1874, Peck was the successful Republican candidate for governor, and he served two years, 1874 to 1876. After leaving the governorship, Peck retired to a home in Hinesburg, where he had moved to live closer to members of his family. He died in Jericho in 1879, and was buried at Hinesburg Village Cemetery in Hinesburg.

Biography

Peck was born in

, in September 1803, the son of Squire Peck and Elizabeth (Goddard) Peck. He moved to

, with his family at the age of three, and was raised on his family's farm. Peck was educated at Hinesburg Academy and Washington County Grammar School, and attended the

. He left college in his senior year so he could study in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, and became fluent in

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

. Afterwards, Peck studied law in Hinesburg with his brother Nahum and at a Montpelier law firm, 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 1832. (In 1876 the University of Vermont declared Peck a regular graduate and awarded him his

Bachelor of Arts degree A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

Career

A lifelong bachelor, Peck lived in Burlington, Montpelier, and on a farm in

while practicing law. He served as a Circuit Judge from 1851 until 1857, when the Circuit Court system was abolished. He served in the

from 1860 to 1861, and was chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Peck resigned from the state senate to accept appointment as an associate justice of the

, filling the vacancy created when Chief Justice Isaac F. Redfield retired, and Associate Justice Luke P. Poland succeeded him. The other Associate Justices each advanced one step in seniority, with Peck chosen to fill the resulting vacancy. Originally a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, Peck switched to the Republican Party when it was organized in the mid-1850s as the major anti-slavery party. He resigned from the Supreme Court when he was selected as the Republican nominee for governor in 1874. He was elected, and he served until 1876. As governor, he sought to improve conditions in the state's prisons and supported the establishment of workhouses for minor offenders. During his administration, the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction was created and a joint resolution was passed favoring the formation of a waterway to connect the St. Lawrence River with the Great Lakes. After leaving office he returned to his farm and law practice in

Jericho, Vermont Jericho is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,104. The town was named after the ancient city of Jericho. History Ira Allen and Remember Baker began surveying the town of Jericho ...

. He worked until he retired to a home in Hinesburg, where he had moved to be near family members.

Death and legacy

Peck died in

on May 18, 1879. He is interred at Hinesburg Village Cemetery, Hinesburg,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. Governor Peck Road in the towns of

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

and

is named for him. In 1872

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...

awarded Peck an

honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

degree, and in 1874 the

awarded Peck an honorary

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

degree.Catalogue of Officers and Students of Middlebury College
published by the college, 1917, pages 488 to 489

References

External links

*
Memorial biographies of New England historic genealogical society ..., Volume 7Encyclopedia, Vermont Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peck, Asahel 1803 births 1879 deaths People from Royalston, Massachusetts Politicians from Montpelier, Vermont Politicians from Burlington, Vermont People from Chittenden County, Vermont University of Vermont alumni Republican Party Vermont state senators Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court Vermont lawyers Republican Party governors of Vermont 19th-century Vermont state court judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly