Orsamus Cook Merrill
Encyclopedia
Orsamus Cook Merrill was a U.S. Representative
from Vermont
.
Born in Farmington, Connecticut
, Merrill completed preparatory studies and moved to Bennington, Vermont, in 1791. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar
. He served in the War of 1812
as a major of the Eleventh Regiment, United States Infantry and a lieutenant colonel in the Twenty-sixth Infantry and the Eleventh Infantry. After his armed forces service ended, he became Register of probate in 1815 and served as clerk of the courts in 1816.
Merrill was elected as a Democratic-Republican
to the Fifteenth
Congress (March 4, 1817-March 3, 1819). He presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Sixteenth
Congress and served from March 4, 1819, until January 12, 1820, when he was succeeded by Rollin C. Mallary, who contested his election.
He then served as delegate to the State constitutional convention, served in the Vermont House of Representatives
as judge of the probate court, as State's attorney in 1823, and as member of the State executive council 1824-1827. He served as member of the Vermont State Senate, and as Postmaster of Bennington for several years. He resumed the practice of law there, where he died April 12, 1865. He was interred in the Old Cemetery on Bennington Hill.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Born in Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
, Merrill completed preparatory studies and moved to Bennington, Vermont, in 1791. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
. He served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
as a major of the Eleventh Regiment, United States Infantry and a lieutenant colonel in the Twenty-sixth Infantry and the Eleventh Infantry. After his armed forces service ended, he became Register of probate in 1815 and served as clerk of the courts in 1816.
Merrill was elected as a Democratic-Republican
Democratic-Republican Party (United States)
The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along...
to the Fifteenth
15th United States Congress
-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Daniel D. Tompkins * President pro tempore:** John Gaillard , elected March 4, 1817** James Barbour , elected February 15, 1819- House of Representatives :*Speaker: Henry Clay -Members:...
Congress (March 4, 1817-March 3, 1819). He presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Sixteenth
16th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to...
Congress and served from March 4, 1819, until January 12, 1820, when he was succeeded by Rollin C. Mallary, who contested his election.
He then served as delegate to the State constitutional convention, served in the Vermont House of Representatives
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. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...
as judge of the probate court, as State's attorney in 1823, and as member of the State executive council 1824-1827. He served as member of the Vermont State Senate, and as Postmaster of Bennington for several years. He resumed the practice of law there, where he died April 12, 1865. He was interred in the Old Cemetery on Bennington Hill.