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From: "Pauline Manosh" <>
Subject: [VT-L] Tinmouth, Vermont Rutland County and Berkshire, Vermont Franklin County " Solomon Bingham early settler"
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2000 21:20:45 -0500

>From Hemenway's Vermont Historical Gazetteer
Berkshire, Vermont Franklin County

Lawyers:
The first of that profession who settled in Berkshire was Solomon Bingham,
Esq.; a man of towering height, of commanding presence, and great power of
voice. He has been mentioned as a mercantile partner of Dr. Willoughby, and
was at the same time a practicing lawyer, well grounded in all the more
familiar principles of law, and a man of decided strength as a reasoner and
debater. And with the further advantage of a good classical education, he
might doubtless have gained an enviable distinction at the bar, had he not
chose to practice his profession in back town, and comparatively obscure
locations. He was so generally regarded through the community as a man of
superior ability, that he was finally promoted to the office of chief judge
of Franklin Count Court. About 50 years ago he left the State, and settled
within the border of Canada. he did not, however, secure the standing and
influence in that country to which his talents and acquirements entitled
him. One of Judge Bingham's sons became an Episcopal clergyman, and has been
already noticed. His youngest son, Solomon Bingham, jr.; a native of
Berkshire, was in all respects a worthy and promising youth, and became an
accomplished printer in the office of Col. Jeduthan Spooner at St. Albans.
But like very many others at the time, he became most deeply interested in
the Greek cause, as that people awoke from their national slumber of 2000
years. And his enthusiasm for the immediate restoration of Greece to her
ancient splendor induced him to take a printing press and go out to that
country, about the time that Lord Byron sacrificed his life there to the
like enthusiasm. But though Greece was permitted to assume the attitude of
an independent nation, yet, with the Ottoman power on one side, and the
despotism's of Russia and Austria on the other, she could by no means be
allowed to set up and maintain a government with any large infusion of
popular rights and influence, such a government as would be calculated to
excite and cherish that rapid development of talent and genius which was so
fondly looked for by her champions and sympathizers. By cold and suspicious
foreign diplomacy she was manipulated into a small and obscure kingdom, and
of course required to move in the old and deep-worn ruts of monarchy as
existing in the adjacent portions of eastern Europe. Overwhelmed with
chagrin and disappointment, and finding the climate destructive to his
health, young Bingham managed to et back to this country, wrecked in fortune
and constitution, and after a few years died, a victim to ill-judged and
overstrained efforts to hasten the amelioration and advancement of society
among a distant race.
(Vol.3 pg. 1142)
Tinmouth, Vermont)
Rutland County

Solomon Bingham was a blacksmith, but he never worked much at his trade in
Tinmouth. He was an industrious, persevering man, with a large family. His
oldest son, Solomon, was educated at Dartmouth College, became a lawyer, and
practiced several years in Tinmouth. He afterward removed to Franklin County
where he lived and died. Three of the gentleman's children are still living.
One, a daughter, born in 1773, is the much respected wife of Dr. Williughby,
of East Berkshire. Mr. Bingham was the second representative from Tinmouth
to the Legislature.
Polly

This thread:

• [VT-L] Re:Tinmouth, Vermont Rutland County Families in town most from Salisbury, CT. "TRIM" by "Pauline Manosh" <>

  • [VT-L] Tinmouth, Vermont Rutland County and Berkshire, Vermont Franklin County " Solomon Bingham early settler" by "Pauline Manosh" <>