Francis Gillette (December 14, 1807 – September 30, 1879) was a politician from

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, US. He was the father of actor and playwright

William Gillette William Hooker Gillette (July 24, 1853 – April 29, 1937) was an American actor-manager, playwright, and stage manager in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best remembered for portraying Sherlock Holmes on stage and in a 191 ...

and politician and editor Edward H. Gillette. Gillette was born in Old Windsor, Connecticut (today part of the town of Bloomfield), Gillette moved with his parents, Rev. Ashbel and Achsah Francis, to

Ashfield, Massachusetts Ashfield is a New England town, town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield metropolitan area, Massachuset ...

as a child. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1829 and commenced the study of law, but his health becoming impaired, he instead engaged in agricultural pursuits in Bloomfield. He was a member of the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each ...

in 1832, 1836 and 1838 and was an unsuccessful candidate for

Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

1842 Events January–March * January 6– 13 – First Anglo-Afghan War – Massacre of Elphinstone's army (Battle of Gandamak): British East India Company troops are destroyed by Afghan forces on the road from Kabul to Jalalabad, Afghan ...

, losing to Chauncey F. Cleveland, and nine times subsequently. Gillette served as chairman of the

Connecticut Board of Education The Connecticut State Board of Education is the governing body of the Connecticut State Department of Education, which oversees the public education in the state, distributes funds to the state's 166 school districts, and operates the Connecticut ...

from 1849 to 1865 and moved to

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

in 1852 and later developed the neighborhood, " Nook Farm" with his brother-in-law, John Hooker. He was elected a Free Soiler to the

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

in 1854 to fill a vacancy and served until the end of the term in 1855, not being a candidate for reelection. Afterwards, Gillette became a lecturer on agriculture and temperance and was a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...

of the Connecticut State Normal School, also serving as its president for many years. He aided in the formation of the Republican Party in

and for several years was a silent partner in the ''Evening Press'', the organ of the party. He engaged in the real estate business in

until his death there on September 30, 1879. He was interred in Riverside Cemetery in

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. The populati ...

. The Francis Gillette House in

Bloomfield, Connecticut Bloomfield is a suburb of Hartford in the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, United States. The town's population was 21,535 at the 2020 census, Bloomfield's highest decennial census count ever. Bloomfield is best known as the headquarters of ...

, his home in early years of his antislavery involvement, is listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Legacy

Gillette Ridge Golf Club is named after Francis Gillette.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gillette, Francis 1807 births 1879 deaths People from Bloomfield, Connecticut Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Yale College alumni Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut Connecticut Free Soilers Free Soil Party United States senators Republican Party United States senators from Connecticut Temperance activists from Connecticut People from Ashfield, Massachusetts 19th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly 19th-century United States senators