Dictionary.net

An American jurist and author; born in Boston, 1757; died in Brattleboro, Vt., Aug. 16, 1826. In 1794 he was judge of the Supreme Court of Vermont, and in 1800 Chief Justice. He wrote the first American play to be acted by regular comedians: "The Contrast", produced in 1786 at New York. He also wrote: "May-Day: A Comedy" (1787); "The Georgia Spec.; or, Land in the Moon" (1797); "The Algerine Captive" (1799); "Moral Tales for American Youths"; "The Yankee in London"; and contributed many sketches, verses, and essays to various journals and magazines.