Nicholas Baylies (April 9, 1768 – April 14, 1847) was a Vermont lawyer, politician, and judge. He served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1831 to 1833.

Biography

Nicholas Baylies was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts on April 9, 1768, ^[1] the son of Deacon Nicholas Baylies (1739–1831) and Abigail Wood Baylies (1742–1788), and the grandson of Thomas Baylies, a well known New England ironmaster. ^[2] He was educated in Uxbridge, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1794. ^[2]

Baylies moved to Woodstock, Vermont after finishing college, and studied law with Charles Marsh. ^[2] After attaining admission to the bar, Baylies practiced law in Woodstock as Marsh's partner until 1809, when he relocated to Montpelier. ^[2] In 1813, Baylies served on the state Council of Censors, which met every seven years to review actions of Vermont's government and ensure their constitutionality. ^[3] He served as state's attorney of Washington County from 1813 to 1815. ^{[2] [3]} From 1814 to 1815 he served on Vermont's executive council. ^[3] He was state's attorney again from 1825 to 1826. ^{[2] [3]} In 1831, Baylies was appointed an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, succeeding Ephraim Paddock. ^[4] He served until 1833, when he was succeeded by Jacob Collamer. ^[4]

As an attorney, Baylies was recognized for his legal acumen and technical expertise; among his written works was a three volume reference work on British and U.S. common law, 1814's A Digested Index to the Modern Reports of the Courts of Common Law in England and the United States. ^[2]

In 1835, Baylies moved to Lyndon, Vermont to live with his daughter Mary and son-in-law, George Cahoon. ^[2] He continued to practice law almost until his death, and argued a case to the Vermont Supreme Court a few months before he died. ^[2]

Death and burial

Baylies died in Lyndon on April 17, 1847. ^[2] He was buried at Elm Street Cemetery in Montpelier.

Family

In 1798, Baylies married Mary Ripley (1778–1830), ^[2] the daughter of Dartmouth College Professor Sylvanus Ripley, ^[2] and granddaughter of Dartmouth's founding president, Eleazar Wheelock. ^[2] Eleazer Wheelock Ripley was her brother. ^[2]

The children of Nicholas and Mary Baylies included:

• Horatio Nelson Baylies (1802–1849), a merchant who lived first in Montpelier, and later in Franklin, Louisiana ^[5]
• Mary Ripley Baylies (1804–1858), the wife of George C. Cahoon ^[6]
• Nicholas (1809–1893), an attorney who settled in Louisiana, where he served in the Louisiana House of Representatives and as a judge. He later moved to Des Moines, Iowa and served in the Iowa House of Representatives. ^[7]

References

Sources

Books

• Fleetwood, Frederick G. (1902). Vermont Legislative Directory. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Watchman Co.
• Hemenway, Abby M. (1882). The History of the Town of Montpelier, Including that of the Town of East Montpelier. Montpelier, VT: A. M. Hemenway.
• Jeffrey, William Hartley (1904). Successful Vermonters: A Modern Gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties. East Burke, VT: Historical Publishing Company.
• Pioneer Law-Makers Association of Iowa (1890). A Brief History of the Organization and Proceedings of the Reunions of 1886 and 1890.
• Thompson, Zadock (1842). History of Vermont, Natural, Civil and Statistical. I. Burlington, VT: Chauncey Goodrich.
• Ullery, Jacob G. (1894). Men of Vermont Illustrated. Brattleboro, VT: Transcript Publishing Company.

Magazines

• Moore, Charles Whitlock (March 1, 1850). "Death notice, Horatio N. Baylies". Freemason's Monthly Magazine. Vol. 9. Boston, MA: Tuttle and Bennett.

Works by

• Baylies, Nicholas (1814). A Digested Index to the Modern Reports of the Courts of Common Law in England and the United States. Vol. I. Montpelier, VT: Walton & Goss.
• Baylies, Nicholas (1814). A Digested Index to the Modern Reports of the Courts of Common Law in England and the United States. Vol. II. Montpelier, VT: Walton & Goss.
• Baylies, Nicholas (1814). A Digested Index to the Modern Reports of the Courts of Common Law in England and the United States. Vol. III. Montpelier, VT: Walton & Goss.