Virgil D. Parris
Encyclopedia
Virgil Delphini Parris was a U.S. Representative
from Maine
, and cousin of Albion Keith Parris.
Born in Buckfield, Maine
, Parris attended the common schools, whereupon he entered Hebron Academy
in Hebron, Maine
, then Colby College
in Waterville, Maine
. He was graduated from Union College at Schenectady, New York
in 1827. He studied law
. Parris was admitted to the bar in 1830 and commenced practice in Buckfield, Maine
. He served as assistant secretary of the Maine Senate
in 1831, and as a member of the state House of Representatives between 1832-1837.
Parris was elected as a Democrat
to the Twenty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Timothy J. Carter
. He was reelected to the Twenty-sixth Congress and served from May 29, 1838, to March 3, 1841, but was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1840. He then served as a member of the State Senate in 1842 and 1843, part of the time serving as president pro tempore
and as acting governor of the state. From 1844-1848, Parris served as United States marshal for the district of Maine, then as special mail agent for New England
in 1853. He was appointed naval storekeeper
at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
in 1856. He served as delegate
to the Democratic National Convention
s in 1852 and 1872.
Parris died in Paris, Maine
, June 13, 1874. He was interred in the Rawson family knoll in the Old Cemetery.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, and cousin of Albion Keith Parris.
Born in Buckfield, Maine
Buckfield, Maine
Buckfield is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Buckfield is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. It is a member of Maine School Administrative District 39 along with nearby Hartford and Sumner...
, Parris attended the common schools, whereupon he entered Hebron Academy
Hebron Academy
Hebron Academy, founded in 1804, is a small, independent, college preparatory boarding and day school for boys and girls in grades six through postgraduate.-History:...
in Hebron, Maine
Hebron, Maine
Hebron is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Hebron is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The town's history has always been interconnected with Hebron Academy, a co-ed college preparatory boarding school which is located in the town's...
, then Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
in Waterville, Maine
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
. He was graduated from Union College at Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
in 1827. He studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. Parris was admitted to the bar in 1830 and commenced practice in Buckfield, Maine
Buckfield, Maine
Buckfield is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Buckfield is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. It is a member of Maine School Administrative District 39 along with nearby Hartford and Sumner...
. He served as assistant secretary of the Maine Senate
Maine Senate
The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution allows for "an odd number of Senators, not less than...
in 1831, and as a member of the state House of Representatives between 1832-1837.
Parris was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Twenty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Timothy J. Carter
Timothy J. Carter
Timothy Jarvis Carter was a United States Representative from Maine. He was born in Bethel in the Maine district of Massachusetts on August 18, 1800. He attended the town schools of Bethel, studied law in Northampton, Massachusetts, was admitted to the bar in 1826 and commenced practice in...
. He was reelected to the Twenty-sixth Congress and served from May 29, 1838, to March 3, 1841, but was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1840. He then served as a member of the State Senate in 1842 and 1843, part of the time serving as president pro tempore
Pro tempore
Pro tempore , abbreviated pro tem or p.t., is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative...
and as acting governor of the state. From 1844-1848, Parris served as United States marshal for the district of Maine, then as special mail agent for New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in 1853. He was appointed naval storekeeper
Storekeeper
Storekeeper is an enlisted rating in the United States Coast Guard; until 2009 it was also a United States Navy rating, the most common supply rate in US Navy vs. CS and SH and very much equivalent to the MOS 92 of the US Army...
at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
in 1856. He served as delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
s in 1852 and 1872.
Parris died in Paris, Maine
Paris, Maine
Paris is a town in and the county seat of Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,793 at the 2000 census. The census-designated place of South Paris is located within the town. Because the U.S. Post Office refers to the entire town as South Paris, the town as a whole is commonly...
, June 13, 1874. He was interred in the Rawson family knoll in the Old Cemetery.