US Congressman, Judge, Author. A native of Massachusetts, his family moved to Connecticut when he was a child. He graduated from the Law School at Yale in 1778 and became a lawyer in Connecticut. He was a member of the Connecticut legislature from 1787 to 1793 and served as the speaker in 1792. Elected as a Pro-Administration Party candidate to represent Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives, he served from 1793 to 1797. He was reelected in 1794 as a Federalist Party candidate. In 1795, he authored the first legal treatise published in America, "A System of the Law of the State of Connecticut". He became secretary of the French mission in 1800 and was appointed as a judge of the Superior Court of Connecticut in 1801. He served as the Superior Court's Chief Justice from 1806 to 1819. In 1814, he was a member of the Hartford Convention and supported secession in opposition to the War of 1812. He fell out of favor with his colleagues because of his secessionist view point and eventually lost his position on the bench when the Connecticut Constitution was adopted. He then became a member of the Connecticut legislature and served from 1820 to 1822. He was best remembered for writing "A Digest of the Laws of the State of Connecticut" which was published in 1820. He died while visiting Ohio in 1823.
US Congressman, Judge, Author. A native of Massachusetts, his family moved to Connecticut when he was a child. He graduated from the Law School at Yale in 1778 and became a lawyer in Connecticut. He was a member of the Connecticut legislature from 1787 to 1793 and served as the speaker in 1792. Elected as a Pro-Administration Party candidate to represent Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives, he served from 1793 to 1797. He was reelected in 1794 as a Federalist Party candidate. In 1795, he authored the first legal treatise published in America, "A System of the Law of the State of Connecticut". He became secretary of the French mission in 1800 and was appointed as a judge of the Superior Court of Connecticut in 1801. He served as the Superior Court's Chief Justice from 1806 to 1819. In 1814, he was a member of the Hartford Convention and supported secession in opposition to the War of 1812. He fell out of favor with his colleagues because of his secessionist view point and eventually lost his position on the bench when the Connecticut Constitution was adopted. He then became a member of the Connecticut legislature and served from 1820 to 1822. He was best remembered for writing "A Digest of the Laws of the State of Connecticut" which was published in 1820. He died while visiting Ohio in 1823.
Bio by: K Guy
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