Asa Aldis

Asa Aldis was born in Franklin, Massachusetts on April 14, 1770.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} His mother died in 1773, and his father in 1775, after which Aldis was raised by an aunt.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}}{{sfn|Men of Vermont Illustrated|page=179}} Aldis received his early education from private tutors, and in 1792 he began attendance at Rhode Island College (now known as Brown University), from which he graduated in 1796.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} He was descended from John Aldis and Nathan Aldis.{{cite book|last=Whitin|first=F.H. |title=The Aldis family of Dedham, Wrentham, Roxbury and Franklin, Massachusetts, 1640-1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R5wIAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA4|accessdate=15 November 2019|year=1905|publisher=Рипол Классик|isbn=978-5-87124-001-4|page=6}}

After graduating from college, Aldis studied law with Judge David Howell of Providence, Rhode Island, and attained admission to the bar.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} He practiced for three years in Chepachet, and then traveled to the western portion of the United States seeking better professional opportunities.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} On his return trip to Rhode Island, Aldis passed through St. Albans, Vermont, which he decided to make his home.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}}

After settling in Vermont in 1802, Aldis established a thriving law practice, initially in partnership with Bates Turner, who also served on the Vermont Supreme Court.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}}{{sfn|Men of Vermont Illustrated|page=179}} Among the prospective attorneys who studied under Aldis was Orlando Stevens, who served in the legislatures of both Vermont and Minnesota.{{sfn|"Sketch of Orlando Stevens"|page=100}} Aldis served as state's attorney of Franklin County from 1804 to 1806.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} In 1815 he was appointed Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} That year, the Democratic-Republicans who assumed control of the state government replaced all three of the court's Federalist justices; Aldis served with Richard Skinner and James Fisk.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}}{{sfn|Men of Vermont Illustrated|page=179}} Aldis had not sought the appointment, and agreed to serve as chief justice on the condition that a successor would be quickly appointed.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}}{{sfn|Men of Vermont Illustrated|page=179}} After resigning once Skinner was confirmed as Chief Justice, Aldis resumed practicing law in St. Albans.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}}{{sfn|Men of Vermont Illustrated|page=179}}

In 1820, Aldis served on the Council of Censors, which met every seven years to review actions of the governor and executive council and the Vermont House of Representatives to ensure their constitutionality.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} In 1824 and 1828, Aldis was one of Vermont's presidential electors.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} In 1824, John Quincy Adams won Vermont's popular vote, and Aldis cast his electoral votes for Adams for president and John C. Calhoun for vice president.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} In 1828, Adams again carried Vermont in the popular vote, and Aldis cast his electoral votes for Adams and his vice presidential running mate, Richard Rush.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}}

In 1832, Aldis was an Anti-Masonic Party candidate for Congress in Vermont's 4th District.{{sfn|"General Election Results, U.S. Representatives, 1822–1830"|pages=13–14}} Going back to the 1830 general election, several special elections were required because no candidate won a majority; Aldis appeared on the ballot in February, April, and June 1832.{{sfn|"General Election Results, U.S. Representatives, 1822–1830"|pages=13–14}} In the June election, incumbent National Republican Heman Allen (of Milton) received over 50% of the vote and retained his seat.{{sfn|"General Election Results, U.S. Representatives, 1822–1830"|pages=13–14}}

Aldis died in St. Albans on October 16, 1847.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}} He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in St. Albans.{{sfn|A Descriptive and Historical Guide to the Valley of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks|page=70}}

Asa Aldis was the husband of Amey Owen (1770-1867), the daughter of Daniel Owen, who served as Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island.{{sfn|Men of Vermont Illustrated|page=179}} Amey Owen was the widow of William Gadcomb; her children with Gadcomb included Fidelia Burnett Gadcomb.{{sfn|American Ancestry|page=155}} Fidelia Gadcomb was the wife of Lawrence Brainerd, and Fidelia Gadcomb and Lawrence Barinerd were the parents of several children, including Ann Eliza Smith.{{sfn|American Ancestry|page=155}}

Amey Owen and Asa Aldis were the parents of a son, Asa Owen Aldis, who practiced law in partnership with his father and was also a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.{{sfn|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont|pages=222–223}}{{sfn|Men of Vermont Illustrated|page=179}} They were also the parents of a daughter, Miranda Metcalf Aldis, who was the wife of Vermont Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kellogg.{{sfn|Men of Vermont Illustrated|page=179}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |last=Aldrich |first=Lewis Cass |date=1891 |title=History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont |url=https://archive.org/details/historyfranklin00aldrgoog |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyfranklin00aldrgoog/page/n233 223] |location=Syracuse, NY |publisher=D. Mason & Co. |ref={{sfnRef|History of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont}}}}
• {{cite book |last1=Hughes |first1=Thomas Patrick |last2=Munsell |first2= Frank |date=1899 |title=American Ancestry: Giving Name and Descent, in the Male Line, of Americans Whose Ancestors Settled in the United States Previous to the Declaration of Independence |volume=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VE07AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA155 |location=Albany, NY |publisher=Joel Munsell's Sons |ref={{sfnRef|American Ancestry}}}}
• {{cite book |last=Ullery |first=Jacob G. |date=1894 |title=Men of Vermont Illustrated |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Nvg_AAAAYAAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Nvg_AAAAYAAJ/page/n176 179] |location=Brattleboro, VT |publisher=Transcript Publishing Company |ref={{sfnRef|Men of Vermont Illustrated}}}}
• {{cite book |date=1871 |title=A Descriptive and Historical Guide to the Valley of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qcSfEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA70 |location=Burlington, VT |publisher=R. S. Styles |ref={{sfnRef|A Descriptive and Historical Guide to the Valley of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks}} |via=Google Books}}

• {{cite web |url=https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/58877/Rep5.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025184650/https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/58877/Rep5.pdf |title=General Election Results, U.S. Representatives, 1822–1830 (Five Districts) |last=Vermont State Archives |date=June 12, 2006 |archive-date=2017-10-25 |website=www.sec.state.vt.us |publisher=Vermont Secretary of State |location=Montpelier, VT |ref={{sfnRef|"General Election Results, U.S. Representatives, 1822–1830"}}}}

{{cite magazine |last=Mimms |first=John H. |date=1892 |title=Sketch of Orlando Stevens |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99o8AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA100 |magazine=Report of Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Vermont Bar Association |volume=III |number=1 |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=Argus & Patriot Book and Job Print |ref={{sfnRef|"Sketch of Orlando Stevens"}}}}

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{{succession box

|title=Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court

|before=Nathaniel Chipman

|after=Richard Skinner

|years=1815–1815}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldis, Asa}}

Category:1770 births

Category:1847 deaths

Category:People from Franklin, Massachusetts

Category:People from Glocester, Rhode Island

Category:People from St. Albans, Vermont

Category:Brown University alumni

Category:Rhode Island lawyers

Category:Vermont lawyers

Category:Vermont Democratic-Republicans

Category:Vermont National Republicans

Category:Anti-Masonic Party politicians from Vermont

Category:State's attorneys in Vermont

Category:Chief justices of the Vermont Supreme Court

Category:Burials at Greenwood Cemetery (St. Albans, Vermont)

Category:19th-century American lawyers