Stephen Royce

Stephen Royce

Stephen Royce (born August 12, 1787 in Tinmouth , Rutland County , Vermont , † November 11, 1868 in Berkshire , Vermont) was an American lawyer and politician and governor of the state of Vermont from 1854 to 1856 .

Early years and political advancement

Stephen Royce attended Middlebury College until 1807 . After that he taught in Sheldon as a teacher. After studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1809, he practiced this profession in Sheldon and Berkshire. Between 1816 and 1818 he was a district attorney in Franklin County .

From 1815 to 1816 and again from 1822 to 1824 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Vermont . Between 1825 and 1852 he was a judge on the Vermont Supreme Court, with a break in 1828 and 1829 . From 1846 he was Chief Justice presiding judge of this court. Politically, he was a member of the Whig Party during those years . After its dissolution, he joined the newly formed Republican Party .

Vermont governor

In 1854 he was elected as a Whigs candidate for governor of his state. A year later he was confirmed as the first Republican in this office. He established a dominance of the Republican Party in the office of governor of Vermont until 1963. For over 100 years, only Republicans have been elected to this office in this state. As a Republican, Royce supported the northern position in the national conflict between the northern and southern states and was an opponent of slavery . He served as governor from October 13, 1854 to October 10, 1856.

Another résumé

After the end of his tenure, Stephen Royce retired from politics. He occupied himself with his private affairs and died in November 1868. He was the uncle of Homer Elihu Royce , who represented the State of Vermont in the US House of Representatives between 1857 and 1860 .

Web links

• Stephen Royce at the National Governors Association (English)
• Stephen Royce in the database of Find a Grave (English)