Thaddeus Betts

{{distinguish|text=Thaddeus Betts, his grandfather who also served in the Connecticut Assembly}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name=Thaddeus Laddins Betts

|jr/sr= United States Senator

|state= Connecticut

|term_start= March 4, 1839

|term_end=April 7, 1840

|predecessor=John M. Niles

|successor=Jabez W. Huntington

|office2=Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut

|order2=32nd and 34th

|term_start2=May 4, 1832

|term_end2=May 1, 1833

|governor2=John Samuel Peters

|predecessor2=Vacant{{cite web|title=CT Lieutenant Governors|url=http://www.cslib.org/agencies/lieutenantgovernor.htm|publisher=Connecticut State Library|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026194408/http://www.cslib.org/agencies/lieutenantgovernor.htm|accessdate=September 21, 2020|archive-date=2007-10-26}}

|successor2=Ebenezer Stoddard

|term_start3=May 7, 1834

|term_end3=May 6, 1835

|governor3=Samuel A. Foot

|predecessor3=Ebenezer Stoddard

|successor3=Ebenezer Stoddard

|office4=Member of the Connecticut Senate
from the 12th District

|term_start4=1831

|term_end4=1832

|predecessor4=Charles Hawley

|successor4=Charles Hawley

|office5=At-large member of the Connecticut Senate

|term_start5=1828

|term_end5=1830

|office6=Member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk

|term_start6=May 1815

|term_end6=October 1815

|alongside6=Benjamin Isaacs

|predecessor6=Jacob Osborne,
Lewis Mallory

|successor6=Benjamin Isaacs,
John Eversley

|term_start7=1830

|term_end7=1831

|alongside7=Eli Bennett

|predecessor7=Clark Bissell, Charles W. Taylor

|successor7=Eli Bennett, David Roberts

|birth_date={{birth date|1789|2|4}}

|birth_place=Norwalk, Connecticut

|death_date={{death date and age|1840|4|7|1789|2|4}}

|death_place=Washington, D.C.

|restingplace=Union Cemetery, Norwalk

|spouse=Antoinette Cannon Betts

|alma_mater=Yale College

|occupation=lawyer

|party=Whig

}}

Thaddeus Laddins Betts (February 4, 1789 – April 7, 1840) was the 32nd and 34th lieutenant governor of the state of Connecticut from 1832 to 1833 and from 1834 to 1835, and a United States Senator from Connecticut from 1839 to 1840. He had previously served in the Connecticut Senate representing the 12th District and Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk, Connecticut.

Biography

Betts was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. He was the son of William Maltby Betts (1759-1832) and Lucretia (Gregory) Betts (1763-1830). He completed preparatory studies, then attended and was graduated from Yale College in 1807. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1810. He began his law practice in Norwalk. He married Antoinette Cannon who was born on April 20, 1789, and died on February 26, 1864.{{cite web|title=Thaddeus Betts|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000428|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|accessdate=13 January 2013}}

Career

Betts was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1815. He was a member of the Connecticut Senate in 1828 as a senator at-large, and was again a member of the state house of representatives in 1830. Betts was then a member of the Connecticut Senate in 1831 representing the 12th District.{{cite web|title=Thaddeus Betts|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/berryhill-betz.html#318.75.04|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=13 January 2013}}

In 1832 and 1834, Betts was elected the 32nd and 34th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut and served two terms, under Governors John Samuel Peters from 1832 to 1833 and under Samuel A. Foot from 1834 to 1835.{{cite web|title=CT Lieutenant Governors|url=http://www.cslib.org/agencies/lieutenantgovernor.htm|publisher=Connecticut State Library|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026194408/http://www.cslib.org/agencies/lieutenantgovernor.htm|accessdate=September 21, 2020|archive-date=2007-10-26}}

Elected as a Whig to the U.S. Senate, Betts served from March 4, 1839 until his death in 1840.{{cite web|title=Thaddeus Betts|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/thaddeus_betts/401414|publisher=Govtrack US Congress|accessdate=13 January 2013}}

Death

Betts died in Washington, D.C., on April 7, 1840 (age 51 years, 63 days). The funeral took place at the Capitol with the Chaplains to Congress officiating and the President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, attending.{{cite web|title=Thaddeus Betts|url=http://69.167.134.197/obituary-betts-thaddeus-laddins|publisher=Historic Congressional Cemetery|accessdate=13 January 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130219095829/http://69.167.134.197/obituary-betts-thaddeus-laddins|archivedate=19 February 2013}} He is interred at Union Cemetery, Norwalk, Connecticut. There is a cenotaph for him at the Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.