Ryland Fletcher

Biography

Ryland Fletcher, born in 1799, was both a farmer and a public servant whose leadership was shaped by a commitment to temperance and moral reform. As governor of Vermont in the mid-1850s, he worked carefully to guide the state through national tensions, always grounding policy in a steady sense of responsibility to neighbors and constituents.

After leaving office he returned to Cavendish, continuing to tend his land and counsel younger citizens on the virtues of hard work and civic involvement. He now rests in Cavendish Village Cemetery, remembered as a man of faith, principle, and quiet perseverance.