Nathaniel Smith
{{Short description|American judge}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Nathaniel Smith
|image =
|state1 = Connecticut
|district1 = at-large
|term_start1 = March 4, 1795
|term_end1 = March 3, 1799
|predecessor1= Roger Griswold
|successor1 = James Davenport
|office2 = Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
|term2 = 1789-1795
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1762|1|6|mf=y}}
|birth_place = Woodbury, Connecticut Colony, British America
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1822|3|9|1762|1|6|mf=y}}
|death_place = Norwich, Connecticut, U.S.
|occupation = Lawyer, judge, politician
|spouse = Ruth Benedict Smith
|children = Harriet J. Smith and Nathaniel Benedict Smith
|parents = Richard Smith and Annis (Hurd) Smith
|relations = Nathan Smith and Truman Smith
|party = Federalist
|otherparty =
|alma_mater = Litchfield Law School
}}
Nathaniel Smith (January 6, 1762 – March 9, 1822) was a nineteenth-century lawyer, cattle dealer, judge and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Connecticut and as a judge of the Supreme Court of Connecticut.
Biography
Smith was born in Woodbury in the Connecticut Colony, the son of Richard Smith and Annis (Hurd) Smith. He attended the common schools and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was also a cattle dealer. Smith attended the Litchfield Law School.{{cite web|url= http://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/ledger/students/2383|title =Nathaniel Smith|publisher= Litchfield Historical Society |accessdate =January 1, 2013}} He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1787. Smith began the practice of law in Woodbury.{{cite web|url=http://www.cslib.org/memorials/smithnbio.htm|title =Nathaniel Smith
|publisher= Connecticut State Library |accessdate =January 1, 2013}}
In 1789 Smith became a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1793,{{Cite web |title=A New Nation Votes |url=https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/79407x60h |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=elections.lib.tufts.edu}} and served in the State House until 1795.{{cite web|url= http://www.cslib.org/memorials/smithnbio.htm|title =Nathaniel Smith|publisher= Connecticut State Library |accessdate =January 1, 2013}} He was elected as a Federalist candidate to the Fourth and Fifth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1795, to March 3, 1799.{{cite web|url= http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/nathaniel_smith/410075|title= Rep. Nathaniel Smith|publisher= Govtrack.us |accessdate= January 1, 2013}} He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1798.
Smith served as a member of the Connecticut council of assistants from 1799 to 1804.{{cite web|url= http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/11043.html|title= Nathaniel Smith (1762-1822)|publisher= The Political Graveyard |accessdate= January 1, 2013}} He served in the Connecticut Senate from 1800 to 1805.{{cite book|last=Kilbourn|first=Dwight Canfield|title=The Bench and Bar of Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1709-1909: Biographical Sketches of Members, History and Catalogue of the Litchfield Law School, Historical Notes |year=1909|publisher=Dwight Canfield Kilbourn|pages=291|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grs-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA292}} Smith was State's Attorney for Litchfield County in 1805.{{cite book|last=Church|first=Samuel and Litchfield County (Conn.)|title=Litchfield County centennial celebration held at Litchfield, Conn., 13th and 14th of August, 1851|year=1851|publisher=E. Hunt|pages=34|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZtRfHL9qVAcC&pg=PA34}}{{cite book|last=Adams|first=George|title=The Massachusetts Register, Issue 88|year=1854|publisher=George Adams|pages=237|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IXpQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA237}}
In 1806 he became judge of the Supreme Court of Connecticut. He kept this position for thirteen years. He was also a delegate to the Hartford Convention from 1814 to 1815.{{cite web|url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000595|title=SMITH, Nathaniel, (1762 - 1822) |publisher= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|accessdate= January 1, 2013}} Smith died in Woodbury on March 9, 1822. He is interred in the Episcopal Church Cemetery.
Personal life
Smith married Ruth Benedict Smith.{{cite web|url= http://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/ledger/students/2383|title = Nathaniel Smith|publisher= Litchfield Historical Society |accessdate =January 1, 2013}} They had two children, Harriet J. Smith and Nathaniel Benedict Smith.{{cite web|url= http://www.cslib.org/memorials/smithnbio.htm|title = Nathaniel Smith
|publisher= Connecticut State Library |accessdate =January 1, 2013}}
Smith was the brother of Nathan Smith, United States Senator from Connecticut, and the uncle of Truman Smith, United States Senator from Connecticut.{{cite web|url= http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/11043.html|title= Smith family of Connecticut|publisher= The Political Graveyard |accessdate= January 1, 2013}}{{cite book|last=Fay|first=John William and Herbert M Linen|title=The Cyclopædia of American biography, Volume 5|year=1915|publisher=Press Association Compilers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rYUZAQAAIAAJ&pg=PT1068}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave|6902286}}
- [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/nathaniel_smith/410075 Govtrack.us: Rep. Nathaniel Smith]
- [http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/11043.html The Political Graveyard: Smith family of Connecticut]
- [http://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/ledger/students/2383 Litchfield Historical Society: Nathaniel Smith]
- [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000595 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: SMITH, Nathaniel, (1762 - 1822)]
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{{US House succession box |state=Connecticut |district=AL |before=Jeremiah Wadsworth |after=Elizur Goodrich |years=March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1799 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Nathaniel}}
Category:Members of the Connecticut General Assembly Council of Assistants (1662–1818)
Category:Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Category:Justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court
Category:People from Woodbury, Connecticut
Category:Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut
Category:19th-century American Episcopalians
Category:18th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
Category:18th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly