Bennington

FASSETT, John

Vermont Historical Magazine, No XI, October 1867, pp 170-171 (extracted from 
a section dealing with the history of Bennington)

Among the settlers in Bennington [Bennington County, Vermont] of 1761 was the 
family of John FASSETT [Sr.], at whose house the first town meeting was held 
in March 1762. He resided about half mile south of the meeting house near 
what has been lately known as the Doctor SWIFT place. He kept a tavern and 
the town meetings were at the house of "John FASSETT, Innholder" until 1767, 
when they were at the meeting house. In October 1764 Mr. [John] FASSETT 
[Sr.] was chosen Captain of the first military company formed in the town, by 
which title he was afterwards distinguished. He was one of the two 
representatives of the town chosen to the first state legislature which was 
in March 1778. He [John FASSETT, Sr.] died 12 August 1794 at Bennington 
[Bennington County, Vermont], , in the seventy-fifth year of his age. He 
[John FASSETT, Sr.] had a numerous family of children, among whom were John 
FASSETT, Jr. and Col. Benjamin FASSETT.

John FASSETT, Jr. was born 03 June 1743 at Hardwick [Worcester County, 
Massachusetts], came to Bennington with his father in 1761, [John FASSETT, 
Jr.] married Hannah, daughter of Dea. Joseph SAFFORD, and removed to 
Cambridge [Lamoille County], Vermont, in 1784, where he [John FASSETT, Jr.] 
died [no date is given]. He was one of the two representatives from 
Arlington [Bennington County] in 1778, and was elected one of the Council [of 
Safety] in 1779, which office he held with the exception of the years 1785 
and 1786, until 1795, and he was also a Judge of the Supreme Court for eight 
years from 1778 to 1786. He [John FASSETT, Jr.] was the father of Elias 
FASSETT, who was Colonel of the Thirtieth Regiment of United States Infantry 
in the War of 1812.

Col. Benjamin FASSETT [son of John FASSETT, Sr.] was born [no date is given] 
at Hardwick [Worcester County, Massachusetts], and came to Bennington with 
his father, Capt. John FASEETT, in 1761. He was a Commissary in the War of 
the Revolution, and served in other capacities in military and civil life, 
was an active business man, and [Benjamin FASSETT] died many years since 
[date not given] in Bennington [Bennington County, Vermont], leaving numerous 
descendants.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly