Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-11-28
The Governors OF vermont-21.
STEPHEN ROYCE.

Msjor Stephen Royce came to Tin
mouth, in the county of Rutland, about
the year IVA, and Immediately became
a prominent and leading man among the
many able men Of that town, who were
distinguished in the early history of the
State. He was one of the deleg ates from
Tinmouth to the Convention which met
at Cephas Kent's in Dorset, in July, 1774,
to declare Vermont free and independ,
ent State. His son Stephen moved to
Berkshire, in the county of Franklin, and
for many years represented that town in
the General Assembly of Vermont. He
married 8 daughter of Hon. Ebenezer
Marvin. Judge Marvin occupied q lead
ing place in our early history. He was
member of the first Council Of Ceusors,
and respectively Chief Judge of the
County Courts for the counties of Rut.
land, Chittenden and Franklin.
Stephen Royce, the twenty. first Gov
ernor Of Vermont, was the oldest son of
Stephen Royce, the second above named,
and was born at Tinmouth, on the 10Th
day of August, 1887. He prepared for
College st the then widely known Add.
son County Grammar School, and gradu-
ated st Middlebury College in 1907, in the
same class with Governor Slade. OF this
class we have more particularly spoken
in another article.
He studied law with his maternal I'M
Gle, Ebenezer Marvin, Jr,, Esq, at Shell
don. After reading the usual length of
time he was admitted to the bar in
franklin county. He first commenced
the practice of his profession at East
Berkshire, in FRANKLIN county. After
remaining there short time, he removed
to Sheldon, in the same county, where he
con tinued in practice about six years.
After this he removed to st. Adams, and
continued in active practice till 1929, ex.
cept during the years 1926 and 1927,
when he was one of the Judges of the
Supreme Court. In 1929 ne again re-
moved to East Berkshire, where he still
resides.
He represented the town Of Sheldon in
the Legislature of Vermont, in 1916 and
1916. He was also Representative from
St. Adams in 1922, 1923 and 1924, and
was the delegate from that town to the
Constitutional Convention of 1922.
During the years 1916 and 1917, while
residing at Sheldon, he was States At.
torney for the county of Franklin.
In 1926 he was elected one of the AS
sociste Judges of the Supreme Court of
Vermont, and was re elected in 1926.
The next yesr he declined a re election,
and resumed the practice of his profess
sion. In 1929 he was again elected one
of the Judges of the Supreme Court, and
was continued on the bench till 1852,
thus receiving twenty. three successive
annual elections, which, together with
his former service, makes twenty-five
years as Judge Of the Supreme Court of
Vermont-a longer term of service than
any other person has ever held that office
in this State. On the retirement of
Judge Williams, in 1916, he was unani-
moasly elected Chief Justice, and was
reelected in 1s47, '4S, 40, so and 81.
In 1862 he declined reelection, and
retur ned to his farm in East Berkshire,
with the intention of passing the rest OF
his days in retirement.
During the same year Qs52) he was
appointed by Governor Fairbanks ChaiI-
man Of Board Of Commissioners, az