Isaac Fletcher (November 22, 1784 – October 19, 1842) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

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 ...

and as Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia.

Biography

Fletcher was born in

Dunstable, Massachusetts Dunstable ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,358 at the 2020 census. Etymology Dunstable was named after its sister town Dunstable, England. There are several theories concerning its modern n ...

to Joseph Fletcher and Molly Cummings Fletcher. He pursued classical studies, and graduated with honors from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a New England town, town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university ...

, in 1808. He taught at the academy at

Chesterfield, New Hampshire Chesterfield is a New England town, town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,552 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It includes the villages of Spofford, New Hampshir ...

, while in college, and after graduating he studied law with the firm of Prescott & Dunbar in

Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,047 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat and the only city in ...

. He was

admitted 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 Keene and in Newfane, Vermont, in December 1811, and moved to

Lyndon, Vermont Lyndon is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,491. Lyndon is the home of Lyndon State College. The town contains five unincorporated villages, Lyndonville just east of the geographic ...

, to start a practice. Among the prospective attorneys who studied under Fletcher were Thomas J. D. Fuller and Thomas Bartlett Jr. He was a member 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 ...

for several terms between 1819 and 1825, and served as Speaker from 1824 to 1825. Fletcher was Caledonia 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 1820 until 1828, and a member of the state constitutional convention in 1822. Fletcher received a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

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 ...

in 1823. He was military aide to Governor Richard Skinner, and served as Adjutant General of the State Militia from 1824 until 1833. He was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1837, until March 3, 1841. While in Congress, he was the Chairman of the Committee on Patents. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1840 to the Twenty-seventh Congress.

Personal life

Fletcher married Abigail Stone on February 4, 1812. They had one son, Charles B. Fletcher.

Death

Fletcher's health declined rapidly during his final term in Congress, which was attributed by doctors to overwork. He died in Lyndon on October 19, 1842, and is interred at the Lyndon Town Cemetery in Lyndon.Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
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References

External links

Govtrack.us

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Isaac 1784 births 1842 deaths Dartmouth College alumni University of Vermont alumni Democratic Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives People from Dunstable, Massachusetts Politicians from Caledonia County, Vermont Vermont lawyers American militia generals Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont State's attorneys in Vermont 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Massachusetts 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly

Biography

Personal life

Death

References

Further reading

External links