Abel Underwood | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Newbury | |
| In office 1861–1862 | |
| Preceded by | Henry W. Bailey |
| Succeeded by | William R. Shedd |
| Judge of the Vermont Circuit Court | |
| In office 1854–1857 | |
| Preceded by | Jacob Collamer |
| Succeeded by | None (position eliminated) |
| United States Attorney for the District of Vermont | |
| In office 1849–1853 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Linsley |
| Succeeded by | Lucius B. Peck |
| State's Attorney of Orange County, Vermont | |
| In office 1838–1839 | |
| Preceded by | Edmond Weston |
| Succeeded by | Elijah Farr |
| In office 1840–1841 | |
| Preceded by | Elijah Farr |
| Succeeded by | Elijah Farr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 8, 1799 Bradford, Vermont |
| Died | April 22, 1879 (aged 80) Wells River, Vermont |
| Political party | Whig (before 1855) Republican (from 1855) |
| Spouse | Emily Rix |
| Relations | Levi Underwood (nephew) |
| Children | 5 |
| Profession | Attorney |
Abel Underwood (April 8, 1799 – April 22, 1879) was a Vermont lawyer, judge, and politician. A Whig and later a Republican, he was most notable for his service as United States Attorney for the District of Vermont (1849-1853) and a judge of the Vermont Circuit Court (1854-1857).
A native of Bradford, Vermont, Underwood attended the academy in Royalton, Vermont to prepare for a university education, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1824. He read law with Isaac Fletcher, attained admission to the bar in 1827, and practiced in Wells River, Vermont. A Whig, he served as State's Attorney of Orange County (1838-1839, 1840-1841), U.S. Attorney during the presidencies of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore (1849-1853), and a judge of the Vermont Circuit Court from 1854 until the court was abolished in 1857. He became a Republican when the party was founded in the 1850s, and served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1861 to 1862. Underwood died in Wells River in 1879.