James Kendrick Batchelder (1842-1925) was a Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

 lawyer and politician.

Batchelder was born on November 10, 1842, in Peru, Vermont

Peru, Vermont

Peru is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 416 at the 2000 census. Originally known as Bromley, the town name was changed to Peru by the land grantees as a way of attracting land buyers to an area that had been described as of "trees and...

, the son of Ira K. and Nancy (Barnard) Batchelder.

Batchelder attended Burr and Burton Seminary

Burr & Burton Academy

Burr and Burton Academy is an independent, coeducational secondary school located in Manchester, Vermont, founded in 1829.Burr and Burton serves as the high school of choice for students from Manchester and several surrounding communities in southern Vermont including Dorset, Danby, Londonderry,...

 and attended Middlebury College

Middlebury College

Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...

, where he became a member of Chi Psi

Chi Psi

Chi Psi Fraternity is a fraternity and secret society consisting of 29 active chapters at American colleges and universities. It was founded on Thursday May 20, 1841, by 10 students at Union College with the idea of emphasizing the fraternal and social principles of a brotherhood...

, graduating in 1864 with an A.B.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 He attended Albany Law School

Albany Law School

Albany Law School is an ABA accredited law school based in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 by Amos Dean , Amasa Parker, Ira Harris and others....

 and was admitted to the bar

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

 at Bennington in 1866.

He married Alta Parsons on October 27, 1868, in Arlington, Vermont.

Batchelder served as state attorney for Bennington County from 1874-1884. He was a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 presidential elector in 1880 and served as vice president of the Vermont Bar Association in 1888. He practiced in Arlington until 1884 and from 1884 in Bennington. He was a member of the firm

Law firm

A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...

 Batchelder & Bates with his partner

Partner (business rank)

A partner in a law firm, accounting firm, consulting firm, or financial firm is a highly ranked position. Originally, these businesses were set up as legal partnerships in which the partners were entitled to a share of the profits of the enterprise. The name has remained even though many of these...

 Edward Louis Bates.

Batchelder served five terms in the Vermont House of Representatives

Vermont House of Representatives

The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...

, including a term as Speaker

Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives

The Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives is the Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, the lower house of the Vermont Legislature....

 from 1884-1886. http://vermont-archives.org/govhistory/leg/pdf/speakers.pdf

Batchelder lost bids for governor of Vermont

Governor of Vermont

The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...

 in 1886 and 1910.

He died on November 29, 1925, in Manchester, Vermont.