Abel Underwood
{{short description|American judge and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Abel Underwood
| image =
| caption =
| office1 = Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Newbury
| term_start1 = 1861
| term_end1 = 1862
| predecessor1 = Henry W. Bailey
| successor1 = William R. Shedd
| office2 = Judge of the Vermont Circuit Court
| term_start2 = 1854
| term_end2 = 1857
| predecessor2 = Jacob Collamer
| successor2 = None (position eliminated)
| office3 = United States Attorney for the District of Vermont
| term_start3 = 1849
| term_end3 = 1853
| predecessor3 = Charles Linsley
| successor3 = Lucius B. Peck
| office4 = State's Attorney of Orange County, Vermont
| term_start4 = 1838
| term_end4 = 1839
| preceded4 = Edmond Weston
| succeeded4 = Elijah Farr
| term_start5 = 1840
| term_end5 = 1841
| preceded5 = Elijah Farr
| succeeded5 = Elijah Farr
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1799|04|08}}
| birth_place = Bradford, Vermont
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1879|04|22|1799|04|08}}
| death_place = Wells River, Vermont
| resting_place =
| party = Whig (before 1855)
Republican (from 1855)
| spouse = Emily Rix
| relations = Levi Underwood (nephew)
| children = 5
| profession = Attorney
}}
Abel Underwood (April 8, 1799 – April 22, 1879) was a Vermont lawyer, judge, and politician. A Whig and later a Republican, he was most notable for his service as United States Attorney for the District of Vermont (1849-1853) and a judge of the Vermont Circuit Court (1854-1857).
A native of Bradford, Vermont, Underwood attended the academy in Royalton, Vermont to prepare for a university education, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1824. He read law with Isaac Fletcher, attained admission to the bar in 1827, and practiced in Wells River, Vermont. A Whig, he served as State's Attorney of Orange County (1838-1839, 1840-1841), U.S. Attorney during the presidencies of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore (1849-1853), and a judge of the Vermont Circuit Court from 1854 until the court was abolished in 1857. He became a Republican when the party was founded in the 1850s, and served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1861 to 1862. Underwood died in Wells River in 1879.
Biography
Abel Underwood was born in Bradford, Vermont on April 8, 1799, the son of John Underwood and Mary (Fassett) Underwood.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=91}} Having decided early on a legal career, Underwood attended the academy in Royalton to prepare for a university education, and taught school to help pay his expenses.{{sfn|Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888|page=113}} Underwood then enrolled at Dartmouth College, from which he graduated in 1824.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}}
After receiving his degree, Underwood studied law with Isaac Fletcher in Danville, and attained admission to the bar in 1827.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}} Underwood practiced in partnership with Fletcher for a year, then moved to Wells River to establish his own office.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}} Initially unsuccessful, Underwood relocated to Dexter, Maine, but returned to Wells River a year later.{{sfn|Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888|page=113}} His practice became successful after his return to Wells River, and Underwood became one of Vermont's most prominent corporation attorneys, with his specialty being railroad rights of way and construction.{{sfn|Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888|page=113}} Underwood was also involved in business and finance, and was president of the Bank of Newbury.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|pages=92-93}}
Active in politics as a Whig,{{sfn|"Election of Senators -- Official"|page=2}} Underwood served as State's Attorney of Orange County from 1838 to 1839, and again from 1840 to 1841.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}} In 1843, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Vermont Senate.{{sfn|"Election of Senators -- Official"|page=2}} In 1849 he was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, and he served until 1853.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}} In 1854 he was appointed a judge of the Vermont Circuit Court, succeeding Jacob Collamer following Collamer's election to the United States Senate.{{sfn|Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888|page=113}}{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}} He served on the bench until 1857, when Vermont abolished its circuit courts and Underwood's position was eliminated.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}} By now a Republican,{{sfn|"Death of Judge Underwood"|page=2}} from 1861 to 1862, Underwood served as Newbury's member of the Vermont House of Representatives.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}} In 1867, Underwood was appointed federal Register in Bankruptcy for Vermont's 2nd congressional district, and he served until his death.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=92}}
Death
Underwood died in Wells River on April 22, 1879.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=93}}
Family
In 1827, Underwood married Emily Rix of Royalton.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|page=91}} Their children included Elizabeth, George, Emily, Mary Ellen, and Susan.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|pages=91-92}}
Abel Underwood was the uncle of Levi Underwood, the son of Abel Underwood's brother Silas.{{sfn|The Underwood Families of America|pages=75-76}}
References
{{reflist}}
Sources
=Books=
- {{cite book |last=Child |first=Hamilton |date=1888 |title=Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888 |volume=Part 1 |url=https://archive.org/stream/gazetteeroforang00chil#page/n7/mode/2up/ |location=Syracuse, NY |publisher=Syracuse Journal Company |ref={{sfnRef|Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888}}}}
- {{cite book |last=Underwood |first=Lucien Marcus |date=1913 |title=The Underwood Families of America |volume=1 |url=https://archive.org/stream/underwoodfamilie01unde#page/184/mode/2up/ |location=Lancaster, PA |publisher=New Era Printing Company |ref={{sfnRef|The Underwood Families of America}}}}
=Newspapers=
- {{cite news |date=September 22, 1843 |title=Election of Senators -- Official |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/73667937/ |work=Vermont Watchman and State Journal |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Election of Senators -- Official"}}}}
- {{cite news |date=April 30, 1879 |title=Death of Judge Underwood |work=Argus and Patriot |ref={{sfnRef|"Death of Judge Underwood"}}}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Underwood, Abel}}
Category:People from Bradford, Vermont
Category:State's attorneys in Vermont
Category:United States attorneys for the District of Vermont
Category:Vermont state court judges
Category:19th-century American judges
Category:19th-century American lawyers
Category:Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives
Category:19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly