John Henry Senter | Cabot Historical Society

John Henry Senter was born in Cabot, VT, November 11. 1848. His parents were Dearborn Bean Senter and Susan Chase (Lyford) Hatch Senter. Both parents had married before. Dearborn had eight children in his first marriage; Susan had four children in hers. There were two children in the second marriage. John's older brother, William Henry Harrison Senter, died at the Civil War Battle of Rappahannock Station, VA, in 1863. William is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. John was too young to be a soldier, but three of his Hatch half-brothers also served in the war.

John went to common schools and high school at Concord, NH.

He then taught school to support himself and his aged mother. Senter taught 43 school terms. His lifelong interest in education reform greatly benefited the school system of Vermont. He studied law, largely while a teacher. He finished law studies in the office of Clarence H. Pitkin, of Montpelier. John was admitted to the bar in 1879, at age 31.

He was admitted to practice in the United States District Court and United States Circuit Court of Appeals. John was a Democrat, when Republicans dominated Vermont politics. . He was, for more than 20

years, Assistant Secretary or Secretary of the Democratic State Committee. Then he became Chairman of the State Committee and Vermont member of the National Democratic Committee. He was a delegate several times to the Democratic National Convention. John was Democratic candidate for Governor in 1900. He received just over 25% of the votes.

Although John's party was in the minority, he held many public offices. He was Superintendent of Schools in the Town of Warren for many years, and in the City of Montpelier for several years. He held many other municipal offices. He was United States Circuit Court Commissioner for many years, resigning when appointed United States Attorney.

In 1898, he was unanimously elected Mayor of the City of Montpelier, reelected in 1899. For many years, he was Secretary of the Union Mutual Fire Insurance Company and a company director. He was appointed National Bank Examiner in President Grover Cleveland’s first administration. In Cleveland's last administration, he was United States Attorney for the District of Vermont. His advocacy of the Town School System for the State of Vermont was long and earnest. He was very influential in bringing about the passage of that act in 1892.

He had one of the largest and most complete law libraries in New England, with over ten thousand volumes. He studied law, literature, and municipal and educational reform.

John was a member of several Masonic groups. He married Addie G. Martin in 1876. They had five children—two sons and three daughters, and one granddaughter.

John Henry Senter Letters

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Mrs. Susan C. Leyford Senter, a Real Daughter and a member of the Ann Story Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution at Rutland, Vermont, was born in Cabot, Vermont, on September 22, 1808. She died at the home of her son, State's Attorney John H. Senter, in Montpelier, Vermont, on Friday, January 21, 1904. Mrs. Senter was first married to Mr. Estes Hatch, October 1, 1827.

He died on January 19, 1838. On December 5, 1839, she married Mr. Dearborn Bean Fitch. Mrs. Senter's paternal and maternal grandfathers were officers in the Revolutionary War. Her father was a private. She remembered distinctly the cannonading at the battle of Plattsburgh, New York. Her paternal grandfather, Lieutenant Thomas Leyford, entered the Revolutionary service in Colonel Enoch Poor's regiment, May 24, 1775. Colonel Poor's regiment was engaged at Bunker Hill and bore a conspicuous part in several subsequent military campaigns. Lieutenant Thomas Leyford was at the battle of Bunker Hill. Lieutenant Thomas Leyford served next in Lieutenant Whitcomb's Independent Rangers, which later became Colonel Reed's second regiment of the Continental Army.

Lieutenant Leyford continued in that regiment to the end of war. Mrs. Senter's maternal grandfather, Joseph Morse, was engaged in the Revolutionary War and enlisted from Massachusetts. Her father, John Leyford, served in Reed's second regiment, as Lieutenant. Thomas Leyford's aide and next as a private. John Leyford was a private in Captain Benjamin Sias Company, in Colonel Moses Nichols regiment, which marched on the expedition to Rhode Island August 1778. NB: This obituary has errors. Her maiden name was

Lyford; her second husband's surname was Senter, not Fitch. More genealogy details below. Col. Nichols' regiment was the 5th New Hampshire Militia.

SENTER

David Senter son of Colonel Joseph was born at Dunstable in 1750 and to Moultonborough now Center Harbor with his parents From 1780 to 1792 he lived at Plymouth He settled at Danville Vermont where he was one of the pioneers and died there in November 1819 He married Susan Chamberlain who was at Rochester New Hampshire July 15 1753 daughter of Ebenezer Chamberlain who a lieutenant in Captain Edward Everett's company Colonel Bedel's regiment in 1776 in revolutionary war Children of David Susan Senter Dearborn Bean below David Darius Ebenezer Zaccheus Susan and Sally VI

Dearborn Bean Senter son of Senter was born at Plymouth New Hampshire April 12 1790 and died at Manchester July 18 1884 He came to Danville Vermont with his parents in 1792 In 1839 located at Cabot Vermont He was a farmer He was a captain in the state militia and sheriff of Caledonia county and for many was prominent in the public affairs of and county In politics he was for a time in the Know Nothing party then a Abolitionist and Republican He was a member of the Presbyterian church He first Abigail S Beede who was born April 1794 and died in 1836 He second December 3 1839 Susan C Hatch Lyford who was born at Cabot Vermont September 22 1808 and died in September 1902 daughter of John and Minna Morse Lyford Her father was a lineal of Francis Lyford who was in Boston in and died at Exeter New Hampshire 1723 Thomas Lyford father of John was born Epping New Hampshire 1738 and died 1804 married Mehitable Robinson was third settler of Cabot Vermont 1780 was officer in the revolution David Lyford of Thomas was born in Exeter and died Epping married Abigail Dudley David was son of the immigrant Francis Children Dearborn B Senter by his second wife William HH born 1840 soldier in the civil war killed at Rappahannock Station November 3 1863 John Henry mentioned below VII

John Henry Senter son of Bean Senter was born at Cabot Vermont November 11 1848 He attended the schools and high school of Concord Hampshire Afterward he taught school Dover Garland Maine and in Vermont Altogether he taught forty three terms began to study law in the office of H Pitkins of Montpelier and was to the bar in March 1879 For six years practiced law in Warren Vermont In he formed a partnership with Harlan W Kemp and practiced law in Montpelier 1891 He was also engaged in the insurance business Since 1885 he has been director and for eleven years secretary of the Union Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Montpelier He has been attorney for the village of Montpelier and was secretary of the board of trade there In 1888 he was admitted to practice law in the circuit court of the United States and in the district courts of Vermont In politics he is a Democrat and he has been assistant secretary and afterward secretary of the Democratic state committee For many years he has held a commission as justice of the peace He was superintendent of schools in Warren and Montpelier for a time and has held other town offices He was appointed national bank examiner by President Cleveland and on August 24 1886 was made commissioner of the United State circuit court for the district of Vermont by appointment of Judge HH Wheeler In January 1894 he was appointed by President Cleveland United States district attorney for Vermont He was a delegate to the Democratic national convention at St Louis at which Mr Cleveland was nominated He was chairman of the Democratic state committee of Vermont and from 1900 to 1904 member of the Democratic national committee In 1900 he was Democratic candidate for governor of Vermont He was state's attorney for Washington county 1903 04 member of the state tax commission in 1896 and member of the commission to build the jail at Montpelier In 1898 99 he was mayor of Montpelier He represented the city in the state legislature in 1906 and was chairman of the committee on corporations second member of the committee on the judiciary and member of the joint committee in the revision of the statutes Mr Senter is a member of Aurora Lodge No 22 Free Masons of King Solomon's Chapter No 7 Royal Arch Masons Montpelier Council No 4 Royal and Select Masters Mt Zion Commandery No 9 Knights Templar Mt Sinai Temple Mystic Shrine of the Elks of Montpelier He married November 30 1875 Addie S Martin of Warren Vermont daughter of Carlos and Mary Ainsworth Martin Children 1 Frank Ginevera died 1904 2 Clarence Hiram born August 1 1878 graduate of University of Vermont now in the law department of the Phoenix Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut 3 Mabel Addie born March 31 1884 married Perley I Rob bins of Keene New Hampshire and has Dorothy M and Phillip Senter Robbins 4 John Henry born February 14 1890 5 Clara May March 1893

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