William Wirt Virgin (September 18, 1823 – January 23, 1893) was an American politician and jurist from

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 ...

Early life and education

Virgin was born in 1823 in

Rumford, Maine Rumford is a New England town, town in Oxford County, Maine, Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,858 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Rumford is home to both ND Paper Inc's Rumford Mill and the Black Mountain ...

and 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 1844. He was admitted to the Maine bar in 1847 and moved to

Norway, Maine Norway is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,077 at the 2020 census. It is home to Lake Pennesseewassee, a recreation area. History Fertile soil and abundant fauna surrounding the Pennessewasse Lake supported ...

, where practiced law until 1871.

Career

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Virgin raised the

23rd Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 23rd Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 23rd Maine Infantry was organized in Portland, Maine and mustered on September 29, 1862, for nine months' service. ...

, which consisted of five companies from Oxford County and Androscoggin Counties. The Regiment did not see combat, instead acting as a guard of Washington D.C. Virgin, a Republican, served two one-year terms in the Maine Senate (1865, 1866). In his 2nd and final term, Virgin served as the

Senate President President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for ex ...

. In 1872, Virgin was appointed to the

Maine Supreme Judicial Court The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the state of Maine's judicial system. It is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate. From 1820 until 1839, justices served lifetime a ...

as an associate justice. He served in that position until his death on January 23, 1893.

References

1823 births 1893 deaths Bowdoin College alumni Maine lawyers People from Rumford, Maine People from Norway, Maine People of Maine in the American Civil War Presidents of the Maine Senate Republican Party Maine state senators Justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers {{Maine-state-judge-stub