John Charles Churchill was an American lawyer and politician from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

.

Life

Churchill attended the Burr Seminary, Manchester, Vermont, and graduated from 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,...

 in 1843. He was a teacher of languages in the Castleton

Castleton, Vermont

Castleton is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. Castleton is about to the west of Rutland, and about east of the New York/Vermont state border. The town had a population of 4,717 at the 2010 census. Castleton State College is located there, with roots dating to 1787...

 Seminary, and a tutor in Middlebury College. He attended the Dane Law School of Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

. He 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...

 in 1847 and commenced practice in Oswego, New York

Oswego, New York

Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...

, in 1848.

He was a member of the Oswego Board of Education from 1853 to 1856, a Supervisor of Oswego County in 1854 and 1855, District Attorney from 1857 to 1860, and judge of the Oswego County Court from 1861 to 1864. He was appointed by Governor Morgan commissioner to superintend the draft for Oswego County in 1862 and 1863.

Churchill was elected as 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...

 to the 40th

40th United States Congress

The Fortieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1867 to March 4, 1869, during the third and fourth...

 and 41st United States Congress

41st United States Congress

-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President : Schuyler Colfax* President pro tempore: Henry B. Anthony - House of Representatives :* Speaker: James G. Blaine -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...

es, and served from March 4, 1867 to March 3, 1871. He was Chairman of the Committee on Expenditures on Public Buildings (41st Congress).

He was a delegate to the 1876 Republican National Convention. In 1877

New York state election, 1877

The 1877 New York state election was held on November 6, 1877, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer and the State Engineer, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.-History:The Republican state...

, he ran for Secretary of State of New York

Secretary of State of New York

The Secretary of State of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York.The current Secretary of State of New York is Cesar A...

, but was defeated by Democrat Allen C. Beach

Allen C. Beach

Allen Carpenter Beach was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:...

. He was President of the Oswego Board of Education in 1879 and 1880.

On January 17, 1881, he was appointed a justice of the New York Supreme Court

New York Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...

 to fill a vacancy. He was subsequently elected to a full fourteen-year term, and remained in office until the end of 1891 when he reached the constitutional age limit of 70 years.

He was buried at the Riverside Cemetery

Riverside Cemetery (Oswego, New York)

Riverside Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery and national historic district located at Oswego in Oswego County, New York. It was established in 1855 and designed by landscape srchitect Burton Arnold Thomas . Within the boundaries of this contributing site are six contributing buildings, 12...

in Oswego, NY.