Thomas Chandler Jr. (September 23, 1740 ( O.S.) – 1798) 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 ...

colonial leader who was a founder of

Chester, Vermont Chester is a New England town, town in Windsor County, Vermont, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,005 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History The town was originally chartered by New Hampshire Governor Be ...

and served as

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

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 ...

. In addition, he was Vermont's first Secretary of State.

Biography

The son of Elizabeth (Elliot) Chandler and Thomas Chandler, another of Chester's original proprietors, the younger Chandler was born in

Woodstock, Connecticut Woodstock is a New England town, town in Windham County, Connecticut, Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The populat ...

on September 23, 1740 (

Old Style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, they refer to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries betwe ...

). The younger Chandler was chosen Chester's

Town Clerk A clerk (pronounced "clark" /klɑːk/ in British and Australian English) is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in ma ...

at a 1763 meeting of the founders, which took place in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

. He continued in this office until 1765, and served as Town Clerk again from 1777 to 1779. From 1766 to 1775 Chandler served as a

Judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

of the Court of Common Pleas and a Justice of the Peace, holding office under the auspices of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

during the disputes between holders of land titles from

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

and New York's government over who had jurisdiction in Vermont. Chandler resigned his offices following the Westminster massacre, opting to side with those who opposed New York's claims. During the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

he served as a Judge of the Superior Court and as one of Vermont's Sequestration Commissioners, responsible for disposing of the estates of

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

and Yorkers and turning the proceeds over to Vermont's government. Chandler served in the militia, and attained the rank of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. In 1778 Chandler was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, serving until 1781.Aldrich, Lewis Cass and Holmes, Frank R.
''History of Windsor County, Vermont,'' 1891, page 672 In March, 1778 he was elected Clerk of the House and was also named Secretary of State, the first individual to hold this position. Chandler was elected Speaker of the House in October, 1778 and served until 1780. He also served as a member of the

Governor's Council The governments of the Thirteen Colonies of British America developed in the 17th and 18th centuries under the influence of the British constitution. The British monarch issued colonial charters that established either royal colonies, propriet ...

from 1779 to 1780. In 1778 and 1779 he served as a justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The court ...

. In 1787 Chandler returned to the Vermont House of Representatives and served one term. In the early 1790s extended illnesses among several Chandler family members caused Thomas Chandler Jr. financial difficulties and he successfully petitioned the state legislature for an Act of Insolvency. Chandler died in Chester in 1798.Crockett, Walter Hill
''Vermont: The Green Mountain State,'' Volume 5, 1923, page 50

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Thomas Jr. 1740 births 1798 deaths People from Woodstock, Connecticut People from Chester, Vermont Politicians from Windsor County, Vermont People of Vermont in the American Revolution Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives Secretaries of state of Vermont Founders of cities in the Thirteen Colonies People from pre-statehood Vermont 18th-century American politicians