Chapman served as a probate judge from 1836 to 1840, and as a prosecuting attorney in 1838.[1] Chapman unsuccessfully ran for the Michigan House of Representatives in 1840.[2] Chapman was Jackson County Treasurer from 1842 to 1846.[1] In 1845, Chapman served as president of the Jackson County Bar.[3] In either 1846 or 1847, Chapman was appointed Commissioner of the Land Office in Detroit.[4] Chapman was sworn in as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the Jackson County district from 1849 to 1850, serving as Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives during his single term.[5] Chapman was appointed Surveyor General of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan by President Franklin Pierce.[6]
Chapman was married to Caroline, and together they had two children. Chapman was a Freemason and Episcopalian.[1]
Death
According to Chapman's obituary published by The Courier, a newspaper in Waterloo, Iowa, Chapman died in Cedar Falls on September 3, 1872.[6] According to a book entitled History of Jackson County, Michigan published in 1881, Chapman died in either 1863 or 1864.[4]