Franklin

DEAVITT, John James

Men of Vermont: Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters & Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro: Transcript Publishing Company, 1894, pp 100-101 
(portrait p 100)

John James DEAVITT, of St. Albans [Franklin County, Vermont], was born 03 May 
1808 in Brunswick [Bruynswick, Ulster County], New York, son of John and Anna 
(MANLEY) DEAVITT. During the winter of 1819 he was a student of the 
Lancastrian School of Troy [Rensselaer County], New York, and seven years 
subsequently entered the St. Albans Academy after which having made choice of 
his profession, he read law in the offices of Royce & Hunt and Hon. David 
READ. Mr. DEAVITT was a cadet at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point in 
1828, and stood high in his class. In 1831 he was employed in the office of 
Judge CUSHMAN at Troy, New York, and soon after became a partner of Henry 
WILSON, Esq., city attorney. He then removed, first to St. Albans, and 
afterwards to Johnson [Lamoille County, Vermont], where he was assistant of 
Cornelius LYNDE, the postmaster. After an interval of district school 
teaching, in 1833, he located in St. Albans and formed a law partnership with 
Hon. Orlando STEPHENS, at the expiration of which he was appointed deputy 
collector and inspector of U. S. Customs for Franklin, where he became a 
resident and practiced his profession for sixteen years in conjunction with 
his duties as a United States official. In 1853 he returned to St. Albans, 
having an office in connection with Judge William BRIDGES until 1870.

Mr. DEAVITT has been a staunch and lifelong Democrat, yet he was elected from 
Franklin in November 1842 as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention held 
in Montpelier during the following year. Was appointed postmaster of St. 
Albans under the administration of President BUCHANAN, and held the office 
under President LINCOLN until 1862. Was admitted to practice in the U. S. 
District Court at Windsor in May 1848, and seventeen years after he received 
a similar privilege at Washington with respect to the Supreme Court of the U. 
S. In April 1874 he was elected municipal judge by a large majority, 
three-fourths of the voters being Republican, and unanimously chosen at a 
second election, after which he declined to serve. He was a delegate to the 
national Democratic convention held in New York in 1868. Has acted as 
chairman of jail commissioners of Franklin County.

On 25 November 1830 at St. Albans [Franklin County, Vermont], Judge [John 
James] DEAVITT was united in wedlock to Patience, daughter of Willard and 
Sarah (JEWELL) WING. This venerable old man was present at the laying of the 
cornerstone of the present college edifice at Burlington in July 1825, and 
distinctly remembers witnessing the reception of LaFayette and his son 
George, as they were escorted into Burlington by Governor VanNESS. Judge 
DEAVITT has given largely to charitable objects, and has ever been liberally 
munificent to friends and relatives. He is a firm believer in the Christian 
religion, and has been both director and president of the First 
Congregational Society at St. Albans. He still takes a great interest in 
courts and judicial proceedings, and is an indefatigable reader of history, 
keeping himself well informed with regard to all subjects of current 
interest. Judge DEAVITT is reported to be an able lawyer, and an eloquent 
and persuasive jury advocate.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly