John Prout
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John Prout (November 21, 1815 – August 28, 1890) was a Vermont attorney, politician, and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1867 to 1869.
Biography[]
John Prout was born in Salisbury, Vermont on November 21, 1815,[1] the son of John C. Prout (1795–1877) and Phebe (or Phoebe) Holman (1793–1836).[2] He was educated in Salisbury, and then apprenticed as a printer.[1] After working in the printing business for several years, Prout studied law with Ebenezer N. Briggs.[1] He attained admission to the bar in 1837, and began to practice in partnership with Briggs.[1] originally a member of the Whig Party,[3] Prout served in the Vermont House of Representatives in 1847, 1848, and 1851.[1] From 1848 to 1851 Prout served as State's Attorney of Addison County.[1]
In 1854, Prout moved to Rutland, where he continued to practice law.[1] He had different partners at different times, and among them were Walter C. Dunton, Charles Linsley and Aldace F. Walker.[1] He represented Rutland in the Vermont House in 1865 and 1866, and Rutland County in the Vermont Senate in 1867.[1] In 1867, Prout succeeded Loyal C. Kellogg as an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court,[4] and he served until 1869, when he was replaced by Hoyt H. Wheeler.[5]
After leaving the court, Prout continued to practice law until he retired in 1886.[1]
Death and burial[]
Prout died in Rutland on August 28, 1890.[1][6] He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Rutland.[2]
Family[]
In 1840, Prout married Louisa M. Cook (1823–1848).[2] After his second wife's death, in 1849 Prout married Sarah P. Smith, who died in 1877.[2] His third wife, whom he married in 1878, was Ellen Sophia Ellsworth (1824–1897), the widow of George Washington Strong (1818–1858), and a descendant of Oliver Ellsworth.[2]
Prout was the father of three children.[2] With his first wife, he had a son Edward J. (1847–1888),[2] and a daughter Cornelia Seward (called Emelia) (1847–1920).[2] With his second wife, he had a daughter, Mary S. (1859–1934).[2] In 1883, Cornelia Prout married Samuel Howard Field (1842–1892).[2] In 1890, Mary married Charles H. West, who worked in the banking industry in Rutland, and later served as Rutland's postmaster.[7][8]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k A Memorial Sketch of John Prout, pp. 63–67.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ancestry and Descendants of Captain Timothy Prout of Boston, p. 130.
- ^ "The Election: Representatives; Addison County", p. 2.
- ^ "The Supreme Court of Vt.: Declination of Judge Kellogg, Election of His Successor", p. 2.
- ^ "Montpelier Correspondence", p. 3.
- ^ "Death record for John "Jack" Prout in Vermont, Vital Records, 1720-1908".
- ^ "Vermont News, Wedding of Mary Prout and Charles H. West", p. 4.
- ^ "Charles H. West, 73, Rutland Postmaster for 12 Years, Dies", p. 2.
Sources[]
Books[]
- Harman, Henry A. (October 25, 1892). A Memorial Sketch of John Prout: Published in the Annual Meeting Proceedings of the Vermont Bar Association. Montpelier, VT: Argus and Patriot Book and Job Printing.
- Prout, Dale Ellison (2002). Ancestry and Descendants of Captain Timothy Prout of Boston. Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press.
Newspapers[]
- "The Election: Representatives; Addison County". Middlebury Galaxy. Middlebury, VT. September 12, 1848.
- "The Supreme Court of Vt.: Declination of Judge Kellogg, Election of His Successor". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. November 15, 1867.
- Editors, Free Press & Times (November 11, 1869). "Montpelier Correspondence". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. p. 3.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- "Vermont News, Wedding of Mary Prout and Charles H. West". St. Johnsbury Caledonian. St. Johnsbury, VT. December 4, 1890.
- "Charles H. West, 73, Rutland Postmaster for 12 Years, Dies". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. April 12, 1934.
Internet[]
- Rutland (Vermont) Town (August 25, 1888). "Death record for John "Jack" Prout in Vermont, Vital Records, 1720-1908". Ancestry.com. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- 1815 births
- 1890 deaths
- People from Salisbury, Vermont
- People from Rutland (city), Vermont
- Vermont lawyers
- Vermont Whigs
- U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law
- State's attorneys in Vermont
- Members of the Vermont House of Representatives
- Vermont state senators
- Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court
- Burials in Vermont
- 19th-century American judges
- 19th-century American lawyers