Norman Williams (October 6, 1791 – January 12, 1868) was a Vermont attorney and politician. He served as Vermont's Auditor of Accounts and Secretary of State.
Early life Williams was born October 6, 1791, in Woodstock, Vermont, son of Jesse Willams (1761-1842) and Hannah Palmer (1769-1837) and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1810. He then studied law, attained admission to the bar in 1814 and established a practice in Woodstock.History of Woodstock, Vermont, by Henry Swan Dana, 1889, page 475 Williams served in the War of 1812 and afterwards continued his military service as a member of the militia.The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, published by J.T. White and Company, New York, 1967, page 22 Following his military service Williams resumed practicing law.
Politics Williams served as Register of Probate for the Hartford district in 1814 and from 1820 to 1822 and 1834 to 1835.University of Vermont Obituary Record, published by University of Vermont Alumni Association, Volume 1, 1895, page 25 In 1819 Williams was elected Auditor of Accounts, serving until 1823.Early History of Vermont, by Lafayette Wilbur, Volume 3, 1902, page 381 Williams was elected Secretary of State in 1823 and served until 1831.Vermont Legislative Directory, published by Vermont Secretary of State, 1892 From 1836 to 1840 Williams was Secretary of the Vermont Senate.Vermont Legislative Directory, published by Vermont Secretary of State, 1953, page 320 Originally a National Republican, and later a Whig, Williams was an editor of the Vermont Mercury, a newspaper that advocated Whig policies.Gazetteer and Business Directory of Windsor County, Vt., for 1883-84, Volume 1, 1881, page 50 Williams succeeded Benjamin Swan as Clerk of the Windsor County Court, and served from 1839 until his death in Woodstock.The Wentworth Genealogy, by John Wentworth, Volume 1, 1878, page 512Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography, compiled and edited by Prentiss Cutler Dodge, 1912, page 359 In October of 1866 he was included on the "Expedition to the 100th Meridian" of the First Transcontinental Railroad. His son Edward H. Williams was unable to participate having been recently selected to Superintend the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Business career From 1831 to 1834 Williams lived in Montreal and pursued a business career with his brother in law. In 1834 Williams returned to Woodstock and resumed practicing law.History of Woodstock, Vermont, by Henry Swan Dana, 1889, page 475
College administrator Williams was an incorporator of the Vermont Medical College and served for many years as dean of the faculty. In addition, he served as a member of the University of Vermont's Board of Trustees from 1849 to 1853.Field Genealogy: Being the Record of all the Field Family in America, by Frederick Clifton Pierce, 1901, pages 201 to 202
Personal life In 1817, Williams married Mary Ann Wentworth Brown, a member of the Appleton and Wentworth families. They had seven children, Henry Brown Williams, Mary Ann Wentworth Williams, Edward H. Williams, Charles Storrow Williams, Louisa Jane Williams, Norman Williams Jr., and Susan Arnold Williams.
In 1883, Edward H. Williams led an effort to remove from the Williams homestead the main house and surrounding outbuildings, which had fallen into disuse, and erect a library. The facility, named the Norman Williams Public Library, is still in existence and continues to serve the citizens of Woodstock.Biennial Report of the Board of Library Commissioners of Vermont, by Vermont Board of Library Commissioners, Volumes 1-6, 1896, page 63Home page, Norman Williams Public Library web site, accessed November 19, 2011
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