The Supreme Court of Vermont. Chase. He graduated with honors at Dart mouth College in 1791; read law with Lot Hall of Westminster, Vermont, and soon after began practice in Randolph, and be came very eminent in his profession. He was appointed State's attorney of Orange County in 1803, was elected representative from Randolph in 1805, and held both offices until the fall of 1812; the last five years he was speaker of the House. In 1 8 1 2 he was elected United States senator and served until the fall of 18 17, when he resigned the position to accept the Chief Judgeship of the Supreme Court. He held that position four years, when he declined further service. In 1824 he was again elected United States senator, his competitor being Samuel Prentiss of Montpelier. They were both members of the General Assembly, and sat side by side, in one of the desks for two members, during the election. In 1830 Mr. Prentiss was elected as his successor. His wife was Olivia Brown, seventeen years of age at her marriage. They had no children of their own, but brought up and educated not less than twelve or fifteen nephews, nieces and indentured children. During the latter part of his life he was subject to epilepsy, and an injury sustained by a fall resulted in paralysis of his right leg, which terminated in his death. He was extensively engaged in the practice of his profession, and after his election as judge, what is unusual in such cases, continued as counsel in his causes until they were ended. Soon after his election he presided at a term of the court at Montpelier, and hav ing a case, in which he was counsel, to be tried by jury, one of the other judges was called to Montpelier to preside during the trial while Judge Chase acted as counsel. An old gentleman residing in Montpelier, who habitually frequented the court, hap pened in during the trial when Judge Chase was making the closing argument, and as he supposed, was giving instructions to the jury. He remained a while and then passed out,
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and meeting on the steps a crony of his, who inquired if the case then on trial was fin ished, he replied it was not, but nearly so, for, said he, " the Judge is charging the jury, and he is going it like h— 1 for the defend ant." JOEL Doolittle, of Massachusetts origin, graduated at Yale in 1799. He came to Middlebury as the first tutor of the college at that place, in the fall of 1800, and in the succeeding year was admitted to the Bar. He obtained an extensive law practice, and in 181 7 was elected judge of the Supreme Court. He was elected successively for the five following years, and again upon the dec lination of Charles K. Williams in 1824. In the latter year, he represented Middlebury in the General Assembly; he was a member of the Governor's Council for three years prior to his judgeship. In 1834 he was a member of the Council of Censors, and was chosen and officiated as president of it. For a score of years he was a member of the corporation of Middlebury College, was quite active in its behalf, as well as of other educational institutions. He was studious in his profession, accu rate and faithful in the preparation of his cases, and discharged his duties to clients and trusts committed to him by the public with fidelity. After his judgeship, he con tinued the practice of his profession as his health permitted until his death in 1841. His descendants are chiefly in Ohio, and quite prominent in the communities in which they live. William Brayton. — His name indicates Rhode Island origin. I have been unable to trace his ancestry. He was born at Lansingburg, N. Y., was a student at Wil liams College in his thirteenth year, but did not graduate. He came to Franklin County, was admitted to the Bar in February, 1807, and soon after began practice in Swanton. He married Hortentia, daughter of Jabez
