Thomas Drummond (October 16, 1809 – May 15, 1890) was a

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

of the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit and previously was a United States District Judge of the

United States District Court for the District of Illinois The following are former United States district courts, which ceased to exist because they were subdivided into smaller units. With the exception of California, each of these courts initially covered an entire U.S. state, and was subdivided as the ...

and the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (in case citations, N.D. Ill.) is the federal trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois. Appeals from the Northern District of Illinois ar ...

Education and career

Born on October 16, 1809, in Bristol Mills,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, Drummond graduated from

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

in 1830 and

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1833. He entered private practice in

Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

from 1835 to 1850. He was a member of the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

from 1840 to 1841. He was a Judge of the

Illinois Circuit Court The Illinois circuit courts are state courts of the U.S. state of Illinois. They are trial courts of original jurisdiction. There are 24 judicial circuits in the state, each comprising one or more of Illinois' 102 counties. The jurisdiction of s ...

from circa 1841 to circa 1850.

Federal judicial service

Drummond was nominated by President

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

on January 31, 1850, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Nathaniel Pope Nathaniel W. Pope (January 5, 1784 – January 23, 1850) was an American government leader in the early history of the State of Illinois. He served as the Secretary of the Illinois Territory, then as a Delegate to the United States House of Repr ...

. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on February 19, 1850, and received his commission the same day. Drummond was reassigned by

operation of law The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...

to the

on February 13, 1855, to a new seat authorized by 10 Stat. 606. His service terminated on December 22, 1869, due to his elevation to the Seventh Circuit. Drummond was nominated by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

on December 8, 1869, to a new seat on the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit authorized by 16 Stat. 44. He was confirmed by the Senate on December 22, 1869, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on July 18, 1884, due to his retirement.

Death

Drummond died on May 15, 1890, in Wheaton, Illinois.

References

Sources

* * Richard Cahan, ''A Court That Shaped America: Chicago's Federal District Court from Abe Lincoln to Abbie Hoffman'', Ch. 1 (Northwestern University Press, 2002) {{DEFAULTSORT:Drummond, Thomas 1809 births 1890 deaths 19th-century American judges Illinois state court judges Judges of the United States circuit courts Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Illinois Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Members of the Illinois House of Representatives People from Galena, Illinois United States federal judges appointed by Ulysses S. Grant United States federal judges appointed by Zachary Taylor United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law People from Bristol, Maine 19th-century American politicians