Samuel Chilton | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Born | September 7, 1804 |
| Died | January 14, 1867 (aged 62) |
| Occupation | Politician, lawyer |
| Spouse(s) | Isabella R. Brooke (1832 - 1867, his death) |
| Children | 5 |
Samuel Chilton (September 7, 1804 – January 14, 1867) was a 19th-century politician and lawyer from Virginia.
Biography
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Born in Warrenton, Virginia, Chilton moved to Missouri with his family as a child and attended private school there. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1826, commencing practice back in Warrenton. He got involved in politics and was elected a Whig to the United States House of Representatives in 1842 when he narrowly defeated William "Extra Billy" Smith following a redistricting. Chilton served one term from 1843 to 1845, during which he advocated abolishing imprisonment for debt. Afterward, he returned to practicing law and was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention from 1850 to 1851. At the convention he proposed a key compromise on legislative apportionment.
Chilton moved to Washington, D.C., by 1853 and became a member of American Party, or Know-Nothings. In 1859 he was appointed as a defense attorney for abolitionist John Brown after his previous defense attorneys advocated that the defendant advance a plea of insanity as his defense.
Chilton died in Warrenton on January 14, 1867 and was interred there at Warrenton Cemetery.
Sources
- John T. Kneebone et al., eds., Dictionary of Virginia Biography (Richmond: The Library of Virginia, 1998- ), 3:217-218. ISBN 0-88490-206-4.
- Death date in obituary, Warrenton True Index, 12, January 19, 1867.
- "John Brown Trial: 1859 - Brown's Lawyers Search For A Defense," Law Library - American Law and Legal Information, http://law.jrank.org/pages/2558/John-Brown-Trial-1859-Brown-s-Lawyers-Search-Defense.html (accessed December 14, 2009).
External links
- United States Congress. "Samuel Chilton (id: C000358)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Samuel Chilton at Encyclopedia Virginia
- Samuel Chilton at Find a Grave
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William "Extra Billy" Smith | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 9th congressional district March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 | Succeeded by John Pendleton |