John C. Thompson

John C. Thompson (1790–June 27, 1831) was a Vermont lawyer, politician, and judge who served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1830 until his death.

Biography

John C. Thompson was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, probably in 1790.^[1][2] He studied law with an attorney in Hartford, Connecticut, and attained admission to the bar.^[2][3] He moved to Windsor, Vermont in 1813, where he established himself as an attorney^[3] and also became active in politics as a Democratic-Republican, including serving as editor of the Vermont Republican newspaper.^[4] He practiced law in Windsor until 1818, when he moved to Hartland.^[2][3] Thompson moved to Burlington in 1822.^[2][3]

In 1827, Thompson was elected to the Vermont Executive Council, and he served until 1830.^[2][3] In 1830, Chief Justice Samuel Prentiss of the Vermont Supreme Court resigned because he had been elected to the United States Senate, and Associate Justice Titus Hutchinson was elevated to chief justice.^[3][5] Thompson was appointed to succeed Hutchinson as an Associate Justice, and he served until his death.^[3][5]

Thompson was traveling from Burlington to Montpelier in June 1831 when he was suddenly taken ill.^[2][3] He returned to Burlington, where he died on June 27.^[2][3] He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Burlington,^[6] and was succeeded on the court by Samuel S. Phelps.^[5]

Family

In 1816, Thompson married Nancy Patrick (1796-1865) of Windsor.^[2][3][4][7] They were the parents of Sophia Patrick Thompson (1826-1833),^[8] and Charles Henry Thompson (1830-1846).^[9] Charles died when he drowned after a sailing accident on Lake Champlain.^[2]

In her later years, Nancy Patrick Thompson resided in Troy, New York with her sister Sophia and brother-in-law Gardner Stow. According to a November 1847 newspaper article, another daughter of John C. Thompson and Nancy Patrick, also named Nancy, married John D. Duggan in Troy in a ceremony performed by Reverend John H. Hopkins of Burlington.^[10][11] This article also indicated that at the time of the wedding, Duggan was a resident of Cuba, West Indies.^[10]