Jacob Kent Jr. | |
|---|---|
| United States Marshal for the District of Vermont | |
| In office 1845–1849 | |
| Preceded by | William Barron |
| Succeeded by | John Pettes |
| Sheriff of Orange County,Vermont | |
| In office 1842–1844 | |
| Preceded by | Asa Story |
| Succeeded by | Hoel Sayre |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 26,1800 Newbury,Vermont,U.S. |
| Died | March 13,1886 (aged 85) Newbury,Vermont,U.S. |
| Resting place | Oxbow Cemetery, Newbury,Vermont |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Nancy J. (Smith) Mattocks (m. 1870,div. 1881) |
| Occupation | Farmer Hotelier Government official |
Jacob Kent Jr. (April 26,1800 - March 13,1886) was a farmer,hotel operator,and government official in Vermont. A Democrat,he was most notable for his service as Sheriff of Orange County,Vermont (1842-1844) and United States Marshal for the District of Vermont.
Jacob Kent Jr. was born in Newbury,Vermont on April 26,1800,a son of Jacob Kent Sr. (1764-1852) and Martha (Noyes) Kent (1766-1851). [1] Kent was raised and educated in Newbury,and became a farmer. [1] In the 1830s and 1840s,he was the proprietor of the Coosuck House hotel in Wells River,Vermont. A noted horseman,Kent joined the militia as a young man,and advanced from private to commander of the Newbury-area regiment with the rank of colonel,a post his father had previously held. [1]
Kent was active in the Democratic Party,and served as Sheriff of Orange County from 1842 to 1844. [1] He was appointed as a Deputy United States Marshal in 1830,1840,and 1850,and was responsible for conducting the United States Census in Orange County. [1] For several years,Kent was a trustee of Norwich University. [1] In 1845,Kent was appointed United States Marshal for the District of Vermont and he served until 1849. [2]
In the early 1850s,he relocated to Chicago,where he was active in several business enterprises. [1] At the start of the American Civil War,Kent accompanied a relative,Loren Kent,who was an officer in the 29th Illinois Infantry Regiment,which he eventually commanded as a colonel. Kent traveled with the 29th Illinois,and was present at the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh. [1]
Kent returned to Vermont in 1866 after inheriting the Newbury property of his sister Anna. [1] He then took up residence on the family farm,where he lived with his brother Clark,who died in 1884. In 1879,Kent was injured when he was thrown from a carriage,but he recovered and continued to remain active on the farm. [3] He continued to remain active in politics and attended several local and county Democratic conventions as a delegate. [4] [5]
Beginning in 1826,Kent was involved in Freemasonry. [1] He was the master of the Newbury lodge when it closed in 1834 as a result of the Anti-Masonic movement that was active from the 1820s to the 1840s. [1] Kent maintained his interest in Masonry and was a recipient of the Royal Arch Masonry degrees. When in his 80s,Kent was known to walk from Newbury to Bradford (about 8 miles) in order to take part in meetings of Bradford's Royal Arch lodge. [1]
Kent remained a bachelor until 1870,when he married a widow,Nancy J. (Smith) Mattocks. [6] They began divorce proceedings in 1880, [7] when Kent was listed in the census as unmarried and living with his brother Clark. [8] The divorce was finalized in January 1881. [9] In 1884,Nancy Smith married Benjamin B. Darling of Lyndon,Vermont. [10]
In the last year of his life,Kent became increasingly ill. [11] He died at his Newbury home on March 13,1886. He had a Masonic funeral honors and was interred at Oxbow Cemetery in Newbury. [1]