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Augustus P. Hunton

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Augustus P. Hunton
From 1895's The Illustrated Historical Souvenir of Bethel, Vermont
President pro tempore of the Vermont State Senate
In office
1857–1857
Preceded byJames M. Hotchkiss
Succeeded byLucius E. Chittenden
Member of the Vermont Senate from Windsor County
In office
1856–1857
Serving with George Johnson, Shubael Converse, George F. Davis, Joseph D. Hatch
Preceded byCarlos Coolidge, Norman Williams, Shubael Converse, George Johnson
Succeeded byCharles S. Raymond, Warren C. French, Joseph D. Hatch, John Wilder
Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office
1860–1862
Preceded byGeorge F. Edmunds
Succeeded byJ. Gregory Smith
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Bethel
In office
1849, 1854, 1859-1862
Personal details
Born(1816-02-23)February 23, 1816
Groton, New Hampshire
DiedJune 20, 1911(1911-06-20) (aged 95)
Bethel, Vermont
Political partyWhig (before 1854)
Republican (after 1854)
ProfessionAttorney

Augustus Pingry Hunton (February 23, 1816 – June 20, 1911) was a Vermont lawyer and Senator. He served in the Vermont House of Representatives including three years as Speaker. In addition, he served as President pro tempore of the Vermont State Senate.

Early life

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Augustus Pingry Hunton was born in Groton, New Hampshire, on February 23, 1816.[1] He was raised in Hyde Park and Johnson, Vermont, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1837.[2][3]

Hunton practiced in Stockbridge, Bethel and Chelsea before settling permanently in Bethel in 1848. Hunton usually practiced in conjunction with one other attorney, and one of his early partners was Governor Julius Converse. In addition, Hunton was a relative of Lt. Col. Samuel Pingree, later Governor of Vermont, and Samuel's brother Stephen M. Pingree, both of whom studied law with Hunton before forming the Hartford firm of Pingree and Pingree.[4]

Political career

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Originally a Whig, he became a Republican when the party was organized in the mid-1850s. Hunton represented Bethel in the Vermont House of Representatives In 1849, 1854, and 1859 to 1862. From 1860 to 1862 Hunton served as Speaker.[5][6][7]

From 1856 to 1857 Hunton represented Windsor County in the Vermont Senate, and in 1857 he served as the Senate's President pro tem.[8][9]

During the Civil War Hunton was superintendent of Union Army recruiting for Windsor County.[10] In 1864 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln.[11][2] After the war Hunton was a U.S. Pension Notary, responsible for verifying the documents presented by claimants before they were delivered to Vermont's U.S. Pension Agents.[12]

Other activities

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Hunton was a trustee of Norwich University from 1862 to 1867.[13] He was the recipient of honorary master's degrees from the University of Vermont in 1847 and Dartmouth College in 1859.[14]

Death and burial

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Hunton died in Bethel on June 20, 1911.[15] He was buried in Bethel's Cherry Hill Cemetery, of which he was an original incorporator.[16][17] Hunton was married to Caroline Paige of Bethel, and had two children, Mary and Albert.[2] His granddaughter Mary Stickney married State attorney Robert Ashton Lawrence, family member of Capt. Elihu Yale of the Yale family.[18][19][20]

Notes

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  1. ^ New Hampshire, Births and Christenings Index, 1714-1904, entry for Augustus P. Hunton, accessed January 29, 2012
  2. ^ a b c Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography, edited by Prentiss Cutler Dodge, 1912, page 232
  3. ^ Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783-1889, edited by William Adams, 1889, page 92
  4. ^ Biographical sketch of Augustus P. Hunton, by Samuel Pingree, published in Annual Meeting Reports, Vermont Bar Association, Volume 10 Number 1 (1917), pages 72 to 76
  5. ^ Journal of the Vermont House of Representatives, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1849, page 4
  6. ^ Early History of Vermont, by LaFayette Wilbur, Volume 3, 1902, page 382
  7. ^ Newspaper article, The Vermont Election, New York Times, September 4, 1862
  8. ^ Journal of the Senate of the State of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1857, page 4
  9. ^ History of Windsor County, Vermont, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich and Frank R. Holmes, 1891, page 98
  10. ^ Annuel Report, by Vermont Adjutant General, 1864, page 149
  11. ^ Proceedings of the First Three Republican National Conventions of 1856, 1860 and 1864, compiled and published by Harrison & Smith, Minneapolis, 1893, page 248
  12. ^ Vermont Year Book, Formerly Walton's Register, published by E. P. Walton, Montpelier, 1875, page 50
  13. ^ Norwich University, 1819-1911; Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll of Honor, edited by William Arba Ellis, Volume 3, 1911, pages 28 to 29.
  14. ^ General Catalogue of Dartmouth College, published by the college, 1880, page 139
  15. ^ Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, record for Augustus P. Hunton, accessed January 29, 2012
  16. ^ Acts and Laws Passed by the Legislature of the State of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1902, page 421
  17. ^ Bethel Vermont Cemetery Records, 1792 - 1919, prepared and maintained by Bethel Town Clerk, 1952, page 45
  18. ^ Rodney Horace Yale (1908). "Yale Genealogy and History of Wales. The British Kings and Princes. Life of Owen Glyndwr. Biographies of Governor Elihu Yale". Archive.org. Milburn and Scott company. pp. 126–142–143–144–169–238–240–365.
  19. ^ Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography, edited by Prentiss Cutler Dodge, 1912, p. 232-323
  20. ^ The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont, Mon, Mar 11, 1912, Page 1
Political offices
Preceded by Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
1860 – 1862 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President pro tempore of the Vermont State Senate
1857 		Succeeded by

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