Colonel Alden Spooner

ALDEN SPOONER b. Aug 22, 1757 d. May 1, 1827 Alden Spooner was born in New London, Conn. where he received a good elementary education partly in the village school but chiefly in the printing office with his brother, Judah Paddock Spooner . When in 1781 his brother established himself at Westminster, Vermont. Alden accompanied him and assisted him in the publication of the newspaper. The Vermont Gazette or Green Mountain Post Boy issued from his press In 1783. Alden Spooner together with George Hough purchased Judah's office and removed with it to Windsor, Vermont, where they commenced the publication of the Vermont Journal and Universal Intelligencer under the firm name of Hough & Spooner. Soon after Mr. Hough sold his interest in the business to Alden who thus became sole proprietor. Hough removed to Concord, NH and established there the Concord Herald and New Hampshire Intelligencer. After the dissolution of partnership with Mr. Hough Alden Spooner continued to publish and edit the Journal This he did with much success and ability his paper being one of the most influential in that part of New England. Politically, Alden Spooner seems to have been a man of very liberal and independent connections.

It is worth mentioning that publisher Alden Spooner's wife Sarah Burton was a daughter of Jacob Burton, Jr. (1715-1798)
Jacob Burton, Jr. was one of the five framers of Vermont Declaration of Independence in January 1777 (Windsor VT), when Alden was but twenty years old.

During Jefferson's Presidency he was a warm Republican and a supporter of the Administration but after the election of Madison, his political views underwent a change and lie joined the Federalists. Though a true journalist and a man of little or no political pretensions he had a hand also in legislation being three times elected in 1793, 1800, and 1802 to represent his town Windsor in the Vermont Legislature.

Dr Paul Spooner , became a VT Lt. Governor with Gov. Tichenor. Alden Spooner was both Dr Paul Spooner's uncle's nephew and second cousin once removed. When writing about the Tichenor administration, he was , in effect writing about the work of a near relative.

Speaking of Alden Spooner's political and public services we should not forget to mention that he too was one of the patriot band who fought in the Revolution. He enlisted in the company of Capt. Lucien Pope in April 1775 being then only in his eighteenth year. He was on duty at Roxbury.

In religion, as in politics, Alden Spooner was an independent. He professed no creed and by his peculiarly heterodox religious views and practices was looked upon by his neighbors as quite an eccentric character. Still in spite of his eccentricities, he was by no means a man of little faith He was very devout in his way and so that he himself had a sense of his own rectitude he cared very little for the world's approval or censure.

As for the Native American question, his paper briefly covered negotiations with the Seven Nations and representatives who maintained that they had rights to area in Vermont.. with little of no editorial comment.

Alden married Sarah BURTON on 30 Apr 1781 in Windsor, Windsor, Vermont, USA. Sarah was born 8 Nov 1761 in Windsor, Windsor, Vermont, USA. Sarah Burton is the daughter of Jacob Burton

They had the following children:

i Sarah SPOONER was born 27 Feb 1785 and died 10 May 1853.

ii Frances SPOONER was born 4 Sep 1786 and died 4 May 1837.

iii Alden Burton SPOONER was born 5 Dec 1788 and died 27 Dec 1853.

iv Clarissa SPOONER was born 15 Sep 1791 and died 13 Apr 1875.

v Louis Capet SPOONER was born 13 Nov 1793 in Windsor, Windsor, Vermont, USA. He died 13 Sep 1797.

vi Eliza SPOONER was born 26 Jul 1795 in Windsor, Windsor, Vermont, USA. She died Jul 1881.

vii Mary SPOONER was born 15 Sep 1797 and died 30 Sep 1835.

viii Lucena SPOONER was born 12 Apr 1799 in Windsor, Windsor, Vermont, USA. She died 22 Oct 1817.

ix Rebecca SPOONER was born 26 Apr 1801 in Windsor, Windsor, Vermont, USA. She died 8 Jun 1802 in Windsor, Windsor, Vermont, USA.

Alden Spooner was aSergeant in Captain Luen Popes' company of militia which marched April 21, 1775, inresponse to the alarm of April 19, 1775, to Roxbury. Service was 5 days.