- James Witherell
James Witherell (
June 16 ,1759 -January 9 ,1838 ) was aUnited States Representative fromVermont . He was born inMansfield, Massachusetts . After completing preparatory studies, he served in theContinental Army 1775-1783 during theAmerican Revolutionary War . He entered service as a private and rose to the rank of Adjutant in theEleventh Massachusetts Regiment . He was severely wounded in theBattle of White Plains in 1776.After the war, Witherell studied medicine and was licensed to practice in 1788. He moved to
Hampton, Vermont in 1788 and to Fair Haven in 1789 and continued the practice of his profession.Witherell was a member of the
Vermont House of Representatives 1798-1802. He was associate county judge 1801-1803; judge of Rutland County 1803-1806; and an executive councilor 1802-1806. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Tenth Congress, serving fromMarch 4 ,1807 toMay 1 ,1808 when he resigned to accept an appointment by PresidentThomas Jefferson as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court for theTerritory of Michigan . During theWar of 1812 , he was in command of the troops atDetroit in the absence of GeneralWilliam Hull , and was taken prisoner when the latter surrendered. He lived in Fair Haven, Vermont while onparole from the British and later was exchanged and returned to his duties in Detroit.After serving as a Supreme Court justice for 20 years, Witherell resigned in 1828 to accept an appointment by President
John Quincy Adams to become Secretary of the Territory. He held the position until May 1830.Witherell was married on
November 11 ,1790 to Amy Hawkins and the couple had six children. His son,Benjamin F. H. Witherell , was also a Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court, and his grandson wasUnited States Senator from Michigan,Thomas W. Palmer .He died in his Detroit home in 1838 and was buried in the Russell Street Cemetery. Later, he was reburied in Elmwood Cemetery.
References
*CongBio|W000657
* [http://www.micourthistory.org/resources/jwitherell.php JAMES WITHERELL, 3rd Territorial Justice]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/wisner-witherow.html#R9M0JHYQQ The Political Graveyard]
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