Farrand F. Merrill (October 24, 1814 – May 2, 1859) 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 ...

attorney and Whig politician who served as

Secretary of State of Vermont The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The secretary of state is fourth (behind the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Repr ...

and in other offices.

Biography

Farrand Fassett Merrill was born 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 ...

on October 24, 1814. His mother was Clara Fassett Merrill, and his father Timothy Merrill served as Secretary of State from 1831 to 1836. Farrand Merrill studied law and worked as his father's deputy while Timothy Merrill was Clerk of 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 ...

and Secretary of State. He was admitted to the bar in 1836, and practiced in Montpelier. From 1838 to 1849 he served as Clerk of the Vermont House. From 1849 to 1853, he was Vermont's Secretary of State. In 1847, he received the

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

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 ...

from 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 ...

. From 1854 to 1856, Merrill was

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 ...

of Washington County. In 1856 and 1857 he served as a member of the Vermont House. Among the prospective attorneys who studied under Merrill was

Charles Herbert Joyce Charles Herbert Joyce (January 30, 1830November 22, 1916) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Vermont. Biography Joyce was born near Andover, Hampshire, England to Charles Joyce and Martha E. Grist Joy ...

, who attained admission to the bar in 1852, and succeeded Merrill as state's attorney. Merrill died at his office in Montpelier on May 2, 1859. He had been ill at home during the days leading up to his death, but decided on May 2 to keep an appointment to discuss forming a law partnership with Whitman G. Ferrin. He began to suffer chest pains at his office, and a doctor was summoned. Shortly afterwards, Merrill died, probably from the effects of a stroke. Merrill was buried at

Green Mount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as ma ...

in Montpelier. His name sometimes appears in records as "Ferrand".

Family

In 1844, Merrill married Eliza Maria Wright of Montpelier. They were the parents of three children: Chester W., Charlotte H., and Mary A. Merrill. Farrand F. Merrill was the nephew of Orsamus Cook Merrill, who served as a member of Congress from Vermont.

References

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, Farrand F. 1814 births 1859 deaths Politicians from Montpelier, Vermont Vermont lawyers Vermont Whigs Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Secretaries of state of Vermont State's attorneys in Vermont Burials at Green Mount Cemetery (Montpelier, Vermont) 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly