David Fay (December 13, 1761 – June 5, 1827) was a Vermont judge and militia officer who served on the Vermont Supreme Court and as Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia.
Early life[edit]
David Fay was born in Hardwick, Massachusetts on December 13, 1761.[1] His father Stephen Fay, owner of Bennington's Catamount Tavern and one of the founders of Vermont, relocated the family to Bennington in 1766.[2] David Fay served in the Vermont Militia as a fifer during the American Revolution, and took part in the Battle of Bennington as a member of Captain Samuel Robinson's Company.[3][4] His brother Joseph Fay also served in the Green Mountain Boys and took part in the Battle of Bennington, and later served as Secretary of State of Vermont.[5] His brother Jonas Fay was also a member of the Green Mountain Boys, and served in several government positions during Vermont's early years, including Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.[6]
Career[edit]
Fay was a farmer and surveyor.[7] He later studied law, and attained admission to the bar in 1794.[8]
A Democratic-Republican, he served as Bennington County State's attorney from 1797 to 1801,[9] and was a member of the state Council of Censors from 1799 to 1806.[10] From 1801 to 1809 Fay served as United States Attorney for Vermont.[11]
In 1809 Fay was appointed to the Vermont Supreme Court, and he served until 1813.[12]
From 1817 to 1821 he was a member of the Vermont Governor's Council,[13] and he served as Bennington County's Judge of Probate from 1819 to 1820.[14]
Military service[edit]
Following the Revolution, Fay continued his service in the militia. He attained the rank of major in the early 1790s[15] and was a colonel by the late 1790s.[16] In 1795 he was appointed Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia with the rank of major general. He held this position until 1822.[17]
During the War of 1812 Fay coordinated the activities of the Vermont Militia, including units dispatched to provide security on the Vermont-Canada border and units which took part in the defense of Plattsburgh.[18][19]
Death and burial[edit]
Fay died in Bennington on June 5, 1827 and was buried in the Old Bennington Cemetery.[20][21]
References[edit]
- ^ Freemasons of the Grand Lodge of Vermont, Records of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Vermont, 1879, page 42
- ^ Zadock Thompson, History Of Vermont, Part III, 1842, pages 17–18
- ^ James Davie Butler, George Frederick Houghton, editors, Addresses on the Battle of Bennington: And the Life and Services of Colonel Seth Warner, 1849, page 39
- ^ University of the State of New York Board of Regents, New York in the Revolution, 1887, page 536
- ^ Duffy, John J.; Hand, Samuel B.; Orth, Ralph H. (2003). The Vermont Encyclopedia. Lebanon, NH: University Press of New England. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-58465-086-7.
- ^ Hemenway, Abby Maria (1867). The Vermont Historical Gazetteer. 1. Burlington, VT: A. M. Hemenway.
- ^ Almer J. Elliot, The Berkshire, Vermont, Chaffees, and Their Descendants, 1801–1911, 1911, page 16
- ^ Vermont General Assembly, Records of the Council of Safety and Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, Volume 6, 1878, page 174
- ^ Alexander Hamilton, author, Harold C. Syrett, editor, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Volume 22, 1975, page 117
- ^ Lee Stephen Tillotson, Ancient Craft Masonry in Vermont, 1920, page 32
- ^ Leonard Deming, Catalogue of the Principal Officers of Vermont, 1851, page 112
- ^ Daniel Roberts, A Digest of All the Reported Decisions of the Supreme Court of the State of Vermont, Volume 1, 1907, page v
- ^ Jacob G. Ullery, Men of Vermont Illustrated, 1894, page 178
- ^ Vermont General Assembly, Journals of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, 1820, page 32
- ^ Vermont General Assembly, Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, 1875, page 215
- ^ Vermont Historical Society, News and Notes: A Monthly Newsletter, Volumes 11–15, 1959, page 83
- ^ Vermont Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1966, page 4
- ^ Vermont General Assembly, Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, Volume 6, 1878, pages 466–467
- ^ Henry Swan Dana, History of Woodstock, Vermont, 1889, page 292
- ^ Abby Maria Hemenway, The Vermont Historical Gazetteer, Volume 1, 1867, page 174
- ^ Vermont, U.S., Vital Records, 1720-1908
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None | Vermont Adjutant General 1799–1822 | Succeeded by Daniel Kellogg |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Charles Marsh | United States Attorney for the District of Vermont 1801-1809 | Succeeded by Cornelius P. Van Ness |
