Augustus Pingry Hunton (February 23, 1816 – June 20, 1911) was a Vermont lawyer and Senator. He served in the Vermont House of Representatives including three years as Speaker. In addition, he served as President pro tempore of the Vermont State Senate.
Early life Augustus Pingry Hunton was born in Groton, New Hampshire, on February 23, 1816.New Hampshire, Births and Christenings Index, 1714–1904, entry for Augustus P. Hunton, accessed January 29, 2012 He was raised in Hyde Park and Johnson, Vermont, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1837.Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography, edited by Prentiss Cutler Dodge, 1912, page 232Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783–1889, edited by William Adams, 1889, page 92
Hunton practiced in Stockbridge, Bethel and Chelsea before settling permanently in Bethel in 1848. Hunton usually practiced in conjunction with one other attorney, and one of his early partners was Governor Julius Converse. In addition, Hunton was a relative of Lt. Col. Samuel Pingree, later Governor of Vermont, and Samuel's brother Stephen M. Pingree, both of whom studied law with Hunton before forming the Hartford firm of Pingree and Pingree.Biographical sketch of Augustus P. Hunton, by Samuel Pingree, published in Annual Meeting Reports, Vermont Bar Association, Volume 10 Number 1 (1917), pages 72 to 76
Political career Originally a Whig, he became a Republican when the party was organized in the mid-1850s. Hunton represented Bethel in the Vermont House of Representatives In 1849, 1854, and 1859 to 1862. From 1860 to 1862 Hunton served as Speaker.Journal of the Vermont House of Representatives, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1849, page 4Early History of Vermont, by LaFayette Wilbur, Volume 3, 1902, page 382Newspaper article, The Vermont Election, New York Times, September 4, 1862
From 1856 to 1857 Hunton represented Windsor County in the Vermont Senate, and in 1857 he served as the Senate's President pro tem.Journal of the Senate of the State of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1857, page 4History of Windsor County, Vermont, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich and Frank R. Holmes, 1891, page 98
During the Civil War Hunton was superintendent of Union Army recruiting for Windsor County.Annuel Report, by Vermont Adjutant General, 1864, page 149 In 1864 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln.Proceedings of the First Three Republican National Conventions of 1856, 1860 and 1864, compiled and published by Harrison & Smith, Minneapolis, 1893, page 248 After the war Hunton was a U.S. Pension Notary, responsible for verifying the documents presented by claimants before they were delivered to Vermont's U.S. Pension Agents.Vermont Year Book, Formerly Walton's Register, published by E. P. Walton, Montpelier, 1875, page 50
Other activities Hunton was a trustee of Norwich University from 1862 to 1867.Norwich University, 1819–1911; Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll of Honor, edited by William Arba Ellis, Volume 3, 1911, pages 28 to 29. He was the recipient of honorary master's degrees from the University of Vermont in 1847 and Dartmouth College in 1859.General Catalogue of Dartmouth College, published by the college, 1880, page 139
Death and burial Hunton died in Bethel on June 20, 1911.Vermont Death Records, 1909–2008, record for Augustus P. Hunton, accessed January 29, 2012 He was buried in Bethel's Cherry Hill Cemetery, of which he was an original incorporator.Acts and Laws Passed by the Legislature of the State of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1902, page 421Bethel Vermont Cemetery Records, 1792 – 1919, prepared and maintained by Bethel Town Clerk, 1952, page 45 Hunton was married to Caroline Paige of Bethel, and had two children, Mary and Albert. His granddaughter Mary Stickney married State attorney Robert Ashton Lawrence, family member of Capt. Elihu Yale of the Yale family.Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography, edited by Prentiss Cutler Dodge, 1912, p. 232–323The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont, Mon, Mar 11, 1912, Page 1
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