Thomas Belden Butler (August 22, 1806 – June 8, 1873) was a Whig politician from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. He was Chief Justice of the

Connecticut Supreme Court The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, ac ...

from 1870 to 1873. He was a member of the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

from

Connecticut's 4th congressional district Connecticut's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the southwestern part of the state, the district is largely suburban and extends from Bridgeport, the largest city in the state, to ...

from 1849 to 1851. He had previously served as a member of the

Connecticut Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sen ...

representing the 12th District from 1847 to 1848. In 1848, he was President pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate. He also had served as a member of the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with ...

from 1832 to 1834, from 1837 to 1838, from 1843 to 1844, and from 1846 to 1847.Connecticut State Library
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Early life

Butler was born in

Wethersfield, Connecticut Wethersfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut. It is located immediately south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. Its population was 27,298 at the time of the 2020 census. Many records from colonial times spell the name ...

, the son of Frederick Butler and Mary Belden. He attended the common schools. He was graduated from the medical department of

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in 1828 and commenced practice in Norwalk, Connecticut. Later, he studied law. He 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 ...

in 1837 and commenced practice in Norwalk.

Political career

He served as member of the

from 1832 to 1846. He served in the

in 1847 and 1848. Butler was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-first Congress (March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1850 to the Thirty-second Congress. He served as judge of the superior court in 1855.He was appointed associate justice of the State supreme court in 1861 and became chief justice of the same court in 1870. He died in Norwalk, Connecticut, June 8, 1873. He was interred in Union Cemetery in Norwalk.

Writing

Butler was the author of ''The Philosophy of the Weather'' (1856) and ''The Atmospheric System Developed : a Weather Book for Practical Men'' (1870).''Yale Obituary Record''
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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Thomas Belden 1806 births 1873 deaths Chief Justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court Connecticut state senators Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Politicians from Norwalk, Connecticut People from Wethersfield, Connecticut Presidents pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate Yale School of Medicine alumni Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut 19th-century American legislators Justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court 19th-century American judges 19th-century Connecticut politicians