Biography
Jessie Bigwood was born in Plattsburgh, NY and grew up on Loomis St. in Burlington. She attended secretarial school at Burlington Business College and worked as a government reporter at Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester/Essex, VT. She went on to study law through a special course at Boston University and at the office of V.A. Bullard in Burlington. She later had her own office in Burlington for several years.
Jessie Bigwood became the fist female attorney to pass the Vermont bar exam in 1902. No woman was admitted to the Vermont Bar for another 10 years, and it would be another 18 years after that before the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
When Bigwood won her first case at Chittenden County Superior Court, the local newspaper reported that she "was not in the business for fun".
In 1907, Bigwood was chosen as the "Worthy Grand Matron" of the Vermont Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, a fraternal charity organization.
Jessie Bigwood married Frederick H. Bigwood in 1898. In 1908, they moved to Toronto.Education
Burlington Business College
Boston University School of LawOccupation
Lawyer