Samuel Rossiter Betts (June 8, 1786 – November 3, 1868) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a
United States representative from
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and a
United States district judge of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Early life and education
Born on June 8, 1786, in
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
,
Berkshire County
Berkshire County (pronounced ) is a county on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded in ...
,
Massachusetts,
Betts graduated from
Lenox Academy
Lenox Academy is a historic school building at 65 Main Street in Lenox, Massachusetts. Built in 1802-03 as a private academy, it was the first secondary school to open in Berkshire County. It was subsequently used as the town's high school, and ...
in 1803, and was the first from that institution to attended college.
History of the Bench and Bar of New York
' (Vol. 2), David McAdam, Henry Bischoff, Jr., Jackson O. Dykeman, Joshua M. Van Cott, George G. Reynolds, Richard Henry Clarke (eds.), New York History Company (1897), pps. 43–44 He graduated from
Williams College from 1806 and
studied law with
Thomas P. Grosvenor
Thomas Peabody Grosvenor (December 20, 1778 – April 24, 1817) was a United States representative from New York (state), New York.
Early life
Thomas Peabody Grosvenor was born on December 20, 1778 in Pomfret, Connecticut. He was the son o ...
in
Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
Career
Betts was
admitted to the bar in 1809 and entered private practice in
Monticello, where he practiced until 1812.
He served in the
United States Army from 1812 to 1814
appointed as a
judge advocate of volunteers during the
War of 1812.
He was a division judge advocate, General Court Martial, for the New York State Detached Militia starting in 1814.
U.S. House of Representatives
Betts was elected as a
Democratic-Republican from
New York's 7th congressional district to the
United States House of Representatives of the
14th United States Congress
The 14th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in the Old Brick Capitol in Washingto ...
, serving from March 4, 1815, to March 3, 1817.
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1816.
Later career
Following his departure from Congress, Betts resumed private practice in
Newburgh, New York, from 1817 to 1823.
He was district attorney for
Orange County, New York from 1818 to 1820 and again from 1821 to 1823.
He was a judge of the Supreme Court of Judicature of New York (now 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 ...
) from 1823 to 1826.
Federal judicial service
Betts was nominated by President
John Quincy Adams on December 19, 1826, to a seat on the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated by Judge
William P. Van Ness.
He was confirmed by the
United States Senate on December 21, 1826, and received his commission the same day.
His service terminated on April 30, 1867, due to his resignation.
Together with
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
Justice
Joseph Story and Judge
Peleg Sprague on the
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Betts oversaw, untangled and interpreted the British legacy of
admiralty and maritime law in adherence to the
American Constitution. He decided numerous
prize court cases during the
American Civil War.
Betts was the sitting judge for the piracy trial of
Charles Gibbs
Charles Gibbs (November 5, 1798 – April 25, 1831) was the pseudonym of an American pirate, born James D. Jeffers. Jeffers was one of the last active pirates in the Caribbean during the early 19th century, and was among the last persons to be e ...
in 1831.
Personal life
Betts married Caroline Abigail Dewey (1798–1882), daughter of
Daniel Dewey
Daniel Dewey (January 29, 1766 – May 26, 1815) was a U.S. Representative from Sheffield, Massachusetts.
Career
Born in Sheffield in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, Dewey attended Yale College. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar ...
(1766–1815) and Maria Noble (1770–1813). They had five children.
According to the 1820 U.S. Census, Betts was the owner of two slaves, a female under 14, and a female between 26 and 44. In keeping with New York's gradual emancipation law, under which all slaves were freed by 1827, by the time of the 1830 census, Betts held no slaves.
Betts died on November 3, 1868, in
New Haven,
Connecticut.
He was interred in
Woodlawn Cemetery in
The Bronx,
New York City, New York.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Betts, Samuel
1786 births
1868 deaths
Williams College alumni
Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States federal judges appointed by John Quincy Adams
19th-century American judges
People from Richmond, Massachusetts
People from Hudson, New York
Politicians from Newburgh, New York
County district attorneys in New York (state)
New York (state) state court judges
Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)
People from Monticello, New York
United States Army personnel
Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
19th-century American politicians
United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law