Burnham Martin (August 10, 1811 – November 17, 1882) was a Vermont

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

, farmer and politician who served as the 22nd lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1858 to 1860.

Early life

Burnham Martin was born in Williamstown, Vermont on August 10, 1811. He was trained as a saddler and worked in Saratoga Springs, New York and

Fayette County, Ohio Fayette County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 28,951. Its county seat is Washington Court House, Ohio, Washington Court House. The coun ...

in the 1830s and 1840s, also teaching school and studying law. After attaining admission to the bar, Martin joined the Whigs and served as Fayette 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 1841 to 1843. He was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1843 to 1845, and he served in the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

from 1845 to 1847. Martin subsequently returned to Vermont. He settled in Chelsea, where he practiced law and farmed, also serving in local offices for most of his life, including Chelsea

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 ...

, Orange County

from 1849 to 1850 and 1853, and

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from 1857 to 1858.

Political career

In 1857 Martin represented Chelsea in 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 ...

. He was elected Lieutenant Governor as a Republican and served from 1858 to 1860. Martin served in the Vermont Senate from 1866 to 1867. From 1872 until his death he served as Chelsea's Town Clerk. In 1876 Martin served again in the Vermont House of Representatives.

Later life

Martin was a member of the Bennington Battle Monument Commission and was active in the Orange County Agricultural Society, serving as its Secretary.

Death and burial

Burnham Martin died in Chelsea on November 17, 1882. He was buried in Williamstown's West Hill Cemetery.

Other

In 1867 at a speech at the agricultural fair in

Tunbridge, Vermont Tunbridge is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the town population was 1,337. The town consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch o ...

, Martin described the event as a "little World's Fair". This name was soon adopted as the official name of the annual fair that is still held to this day. This event is recorded on a historical marker on the edge of the fairgrounds in Tunbridge.The Tunbridge World's Fair
by Euclid Farnham, 2008, page 7 Martin's first name appears variously as "Burnham" or "Burnam." It is spelled "Burnham" on his gravestone.

Photo gallery

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Burnham 1811 births 1882 deaths Ohio Whigs Members of the Ohio House of Representatives Ohio state senators Vermont Whigs Vermont Republicans Vermont lawyers State's attorneys in Vermont Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Vermont state senators Lieutenant Governors of Vermont People from Chelsea, Vermont Burials in Vermont 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers