Jonathan Ross (April 30, 1826 – February 23, 1905) was an American politician, lawyer and judge from Vermont. He served as chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court (1890–1899) and briefly as a United States Senator from Vermont (1899–1900).
Jonathan Ross | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator from Vermont | |
| In office January 11, 1899 – October 18, 1900 | |
| Appointed by | Edward Curtis Smith |
| Preceded by | Justin S. Morrill |
| Succeeded by | William P. Dillingham |
| Chairman of the Vermont Board of Railroad Commissioners | |
| In office 1900–1902 | |
| Preceded by | David J. Foster |
| Succeeded by | Fuller C. Smith |
| President of the Vermont Bar Association | |
| In office 1900–1901 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Hial Darling |
| Succeeded by | John Young |
| Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court | |
| In office 1890–1899 | |
| Preceded by | Homer E. Royce |
| Succeeded by | Russell S. Taft |
| Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court | |
| In office 1870–1890 | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin H. Steele |
| Succeeded by | Laforrest H. Thompson |
| Member of the Vermont Senate from Caledonia County | |
| In office 1870–1870 Serving with John M. Martin | |
| Preceded by | Harley M. Hall Horace Fairbanks |
| Succeeded by | Calvin Morrill Charles Rogers Jr. |
| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from St. Johnsbury | |
| In office 1865–1867 | |
| Preceded by | Gates B. Bullard |
| Succeeded by | Emerson Hall |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 30, 1826 Waterford, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 1905 (aged 78) St. Johnsbury, Vermont, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Eliza Ann Carpenter Ross Helen Daggert Ross |
| Children |
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| Alma mater | Dartmouth College |
| Profession | Politician, lawyer, judge, principal |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Early life
editRoss was born in Waterford, Vermont, on April 30, 1826, the son of Royal Ross and Eliza (Mason) Ross.[1] Ross attended the public schools and St. Johnsbury Academy.[1] He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1851 and was principal of the Chelsea and Craftsbury Academies from 1851 to 1856.[2] He studied law in the Chelsea office of former Congressman William Hebard, and later with Charles Davis of Danville and William A. Fletcher of Michigan; he was admitted to the bar in 1856.[3]
Career
editRoss was Treasurer of Passumpsic Savings Bank from 1858 to 1868.[1] He practiced law in St. Johnsbury until 1870.[1] After being State's attorney for Caledonia County from 1862 to 1863, he was appointed a member of the State board of education, holding that office from 1866 to 1870.[1]
From 1865 to 1867, Ross was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives and he was a state senator in 1870.[1] He served on the Vermont Council of Censors in 1869.[1] He was judge of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1870 to 1890 and chief justice of Vermont from 1890 to 1899.[4][5]
In December 1898, U.S. Senator Justin S. Morrill died.[6] Governor Edward Curtis Smith offered to appoint Benjamin F. Fifield to the vacancy, and Fifield tentatively accepted.[7] Several days later, Fifield declined, and Smith then offered the appointment to Ross, who accepted.[7] He served from January 11, 1899, to October 18, 1900, when a successor was elected.[8] While in the Senate, he was chairman of the United States Senate Committee to Examine Branches of the Civil Service (Fifty-sixth Congress).[9] He was not an active candidate for reelection in 1900.[1] In October 1900, Ross was elected president of the Vermont Bar Association, and he served a one-year term.[10] In November 1900, he succeeded David J. Foster as chairman of the state board of railroad commissioners, and he served until being succeeded by Fuller C. Smith in November 1902.[11]
Death and burial
editRoss retired to his home in St. Johnsbury, where he resided until his death.[1] He died on February 23, 1905, from injuries sustained when his sleigh was struck by a train a few days earlier.[1] According to published accounts, Ross and his wife were stopped at a crossing while a train passed by.[1] Their horse became frightened and dashed between two train cars, demolishing the sleigh and killing Mrs. Ross.[1] The train crew transported Ross to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a broken hip and other injuries, and remained until his death.[12] Ross is interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.[1]
Family
editRoss married Eliza Ann Carpenter (1826–1886) on November 22, 1852.[1] They were the parents of eight children, including Caroline C., Eliza M., Helen M., Julia, Martha E., Edith Helen, Edward H., and Jonathan C.[13] In 1887, he married Helen Daggert, and they remained married until her death.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Last Week's Accident". The St. Johnsbury Caledonian. St. Johnsbury, VT. March 1, 1905. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jonathan ROSS". Ancestry.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
- ^ "Ross, Jonathan, (1826 - 1905)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
- ^ Forbes, Charles S. (1898). The Vermonter, Volumes 4-5. p. 108.
- ^ "Jonathan Ross (Senator)". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ "Judge Ross Appointed by Gov. Smith as Successor to the Late Senator Morrill". Burlington Free Press. St. Albans, Vermont. January 12, 1899. p. 1. Retrieved May 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Judge Ross Appointed by Gov. Smith as Successor to the Late Senator Morrill", p. 1.
- ^ "Jonathan Ross (senator)". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- ^ "Jonathan Ross (Senator)". Govtrack US Congress. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- ^ "Annual Meeting of the Vermont Bar Association". Vermont Phoenix. Brattleboro, VT. October 26, 1900. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jonathan Ross (Senator)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- ^ "Ex-Senator Jonathan Ross" (PDF). The New York Times. St. Johnsbury, Vermont. p. 7. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Cutter, William Richard (1914). New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 2. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. pp. 9 621.
External links
edit- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Johnathan Ross entry at The Political Graveyard
- Jonathan Ross at Find a Grave
- Govtrack US Congress
- Ancestry.com
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress