George Edward Wales

{{Short description|American politician (1792-1860)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2012}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = George Edward Wales | image = George E. Wales.jpg | caption = George E. Wales, Member of Congress from Vermont | jr/sr = | term_start = | term_end = | preceded = | succeeded = | order1 = Member of the <br/>United States House of Representatives <br/>from Vermont's 3rd district | term_start1 = March 4, 1825 | term_end1 = March 3, 1829 | predecessor1 = Henry Olin | successor1 = Horace Everett | office2 = Member of the Vermont House of Representatives | term2 = 1822–1824 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1792|5|13|mf=y}} | birth_place = Westminster, Vermont, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1860|1|8|1792|5|13|mf=y}} | death_place = Hartford, Vermont, U.S. | state = Vermont | spouse = Amanda Lathrop Wales | children = | profession = Politician, Lawyer | alma_mater = Dartmouth College, University of Vermont | party = Whig Party (United States) }} '''George Edward Wales''' (May 13, 1792 – January 8, 1860) was an American politician from Vermont who served as a U.S. Representative.

==Biography== Wales was born in Westminster, Vermont, and attended the common schools in Westminster.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dodge|first=Prentiss Cutler|title=Encyclopedia, Vermont Biography: A Series of Authentic Biographical Sketches of the Representative Men of Vermont and Sons of Vermont in Other States. 1912|year=1912|publisher=Ullery Publishing Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tt2_3hTQxFMC/page/n71 70]|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tt2_3hTQxFMC }}</ref> He studied law with Stephen R. Bradley in Westminster and with Titus Hutchinson (who later served as chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court) in Woodstock and was admitted to the bar in 1812.<ref>{{cite book|last=United States Government Printing Office|title=Congressional serial set|year=1918|publisher=United States Government Printing Office|pages=1083|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aMlTAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1083 }}</ref> He moved to Hartford, Vermont, in 1813 and began the practice of law.

He served as clerk and treasurer of the White River Bridge Company from 1818 until 1825.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ellis|first=William Arba|title=Norwich University, 1819-1911; Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll of Honor|year=1911|publisher=Capital City Press|pages=[https://archive.org/details/norwichuniversi00unkngoog/page/n47 19]|url=https://archive.org/details/norwichuniversi00unkngoog }}</ref> He was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1822 until 1824, and served as Speaker in 1822, 1823 and 1824.<ref>{{cite book|title=Vermont History|year=1921|pages=154|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ACw7AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA153 }}</ref> Wales earned honorary degrees from Dartmouth College in 1823 and the University of Vermont in 1825.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tucker|first=William Howard|title=History of Hartford, Vermont, July 4, 1761-April 4, 1889: The First Town on the New Hampshire Grants Chartered After the Close of the French War|year=1889|publisher=Free Press Association|pages=384|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qTklAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA384 }}</ref>

Wales was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a National Republican and served in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Congresses, March 4, 1825, to March 3, 1829.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/george_wales/411222/ |title=Rep. George Wales |publisher=Govtrack.us |accessdate=November 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003044055/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/george_wales/411222 |archivedate=October 3, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref> He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1828 to the Twenty-First Congress.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000042|title=WALES, George Edward, (1792 - 1860) |publisher= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|accessdate= November 21, 2012}}</ref> After leaving Congress he resumed the practice of law.

He later joined the Whig Party. Wales was elected town clerk in Hartford in 1840, and served in that position until his death.<ref>{{cite book|last=Vermont Historical Society|title=Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society|year=1921|publisher=Vermont Historical Society|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_UFgSAAAAYAAJ/page/n146 154]|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_UFgSAAAAYAAJ }}</ref> From 1847 to 1850 he was Judge of the Probate Court for the district which included Windsor County.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/waldrop-waling.html |title= Wales, George Edward (1792-1860)|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate= November 21, 2012}}</ref>

Wales was a trustee of Norwich University from 1845 until 1857.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ellis|first=William Arba|title=Norwich University, 1819-1911; Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll of Honor|year=1911|publisher=Capital City Press|pages=[https://archive.org/details/norwichuniversi00unkngoog/page/n47 19]|url=https://archive.org/details/norwichuniversi00unkngoog }}</ref>

==Personal life== Wales married Amanda Lathrop Wales in 1813, and they had seven children.

Wales joined the Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Vermont in 1812, and was the state Grand Master from 1825 to 1827.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tucker|first=William Howard|title=History of Hartford, Vermont, July 4, 1761-April 4, 1889: The First Town on the New Hampshire Grants Chartered After the Close of the French War|year=1889|publisher=Free Press Association|pages=384|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qTklAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA384 }}</ref>

==Death== Wales died on January 8, 1860, in Hartford.

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * ''History of Hartford, Vermont, July 4, 1761-April 4, 1889: The First Town on the New Hampshire Grants Chartered After the Close of the French War'' by William Howard Tucker, published by the Free Press Association in 1889.

==External links==  * [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000042 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress] * [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/waldrop-waling.html The Political Graveyard: Wales, George Edward (1792-1860)] * [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/george_wales/411222 govtrack.us: Rep. George Wales] * {{Find a Grave|19734381}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | before=D. Azro A. Buck |title=Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives | years=1822–1824 | after=Isaac Fletcher}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=Vermont | district=3 | before=Henry Olin | after=Horace Everett | years=1825-1829}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wales, George Edward}} Category:1792 births Category:1860 deaths Category:United States representatives from Vermont Category:Vermont National Republicans Category:Vermont Whigs Category:Vermont lawyers Category:People from Hartford, Vermont Category:Politicians from Windsor County, Vermont Category:Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Category:Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives Category:National Republican Party United States representatives Category:19th-century Vermont state court judges Category:19th-century American lawyers Category:19th-century United States representatives Category:19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly