Charles Humphrey (February 14, 1792 – April 17, 1850) was an American lawyer and politician from

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. He served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

and as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the

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Life

He was born in

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Orange County, New York Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen. This county was first created in 1683 and reorganized with its present boundaries in 1798. Orange ...

, but moved to

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...

, at an early age and attended the Newburgh Academy. Then he studied law. He entered the

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at the beginning of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

as First Sergeant of Newburgh Company Number Five. He was commissioned a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the Forty-first Regiment, United States Infantry, on August 15, 1813. After the war he resumed the study of law, and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

on January 11, 1816. He moved to

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named a ...

in 1818, and engaged in the practice of law. Humphrey was elected as an Adams candidate to the Nineteenth Congress, and served from March 4, 1825 to March 3, 1827. He served as president of the village of Ithaca in 1828 and 1829. He was elected

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Tompkins County, New York Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,740. The county seat is Ithaca. The name is in honor of Daniel D. Tompkins, who served as Governor of New York and Vice President ...

, and served from March 4, 1831, to January 8, 1834. He was a member from Tompkins County of the

from 1834 to 1836, when he was active in studying prison reform as well as education, and in 1842, and was

in 1835 and 1836. He was appointed clerk of the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

in 1843 and held that position until 1847. Humphrey married Ann Eliza Belknap (1797–1861) in Newburgh, New York in 1816. The couple had seven children, three of whom survived to adulthood: William Ross Humphrey (1820–1901), Charles D. Humphrey (1832–1870), and Sarah B. Humphrey Judd (1835–1904). He died in Albany,

Albany County, New York Albany County ( ) is a county in the state of New York, United States. Its northern border is formed by the Mohawk River, at its confluence with the Hudson River, which is to the east. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 3 ...

, and was buried at the City Cemetery in Ithaca, N.Y. Charles Humphrey is the namesake of

Humphrey, New York Humphrey is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 701 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Charles Humphrey, who at the time of the town's founding was Speaker of the New York State Assembly. Humphrey i ...

References

Retrieved on 2009-5-16

Sources

Political Graveyard

Google Books = John Stilwell Jenkins: ''History of Political Parties in the State of New-York'' (Alden & Markham, Auburn NY, 1846) Selkreg, John H, Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York. Syracuse: D. Mason & Company, 1894. {{DEFAULTSORT:Humphrey, Charles 1792 births 1850 deaths 19th-century American politicians National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from New Windsor, New York Politicians from Ithaca, New York Speakers of the New York State Assembly Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly United States Army officers United States Army personnel of the War of 1812