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

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 ...

lawyer, 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 Williamstown is a New England town, town in Orange County, Vermont, Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,515 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the second largest municipality in the county. Geography ...

on August 10, 1811. He was trained as a

saddle A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not know ...

r and worked in

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

and

Fayette County, Ohio Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,951. Its county seat and largest city is Washington Court House. The county was named for the Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman who ...

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, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

from 1841 to 1843. He was a member of the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

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 t ...

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, Orange County

from 1849 to 1850 and 1853, and

County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keepin ...

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 a ...

. He was elected Lieutenant Governor as a Republican and served from 1858 to 1860. Martin served in 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 ...

from 1866 to 1868. From 1872 until his death he served as Chelsea's Town Clerk. From 1876 to 1878, 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 A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

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.

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 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly