William N. H. Smith
{{Short description|American judge}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = William N. H. Smith
| image = File:William Nathan Harrell Smith (cropped with signature).jpg
| caption =
| office = Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
| term_start = 1878
| term_end = 1889
| predecessor = Richmond Mumford Pearson
| successor = Augustus Summerfield Merrimon
| office1 = Member of the C.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 1st district
| term_start1 = 1862
| term_end1 = 1865
| state2 = North Carolina
| district2 = {{ushr|NC|1|1st}}
| term_start2 = March 4, 1859
| term_end2 = March 3, 1861
| predecessor2 = Henry M. Shaw
| successor2 = John R. French
| office3 = Member of the North Carolina Senate
| term_start3 = 1848
| term_end3 = 1848
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1812|09|24}}
| birth_place = Murfreesboro, North Carolina
| death_date = {{death date and age|1889|11|14|1812|09|24}}
| death_place = Raleigh, North Carolina
| death_cause =
| resting_place = Historic Oakwood Cemetery
| education = Yale College
Yale Law School
| party = Democratic
Opposition (1859–1861)
}}
William Nathan Harrell Smith (September 24, 1812 – November 14, 1889) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Representative from North Carolina, and as the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Biography
William N. H. Smith was born in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, September 24, 1812, and attended the common schools in Murfreesboro, N.C., Kingston, Rhode Island, and Colchester, Connecticut and East Lyme, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale College in 1834 and from Yale Law School in 1836, and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Murfreesboro, N.C., in 1839.
Smith held several local offices, including being a member of the State House of Commons in 1840, 1858, 1865, and 1866. He also served in the State Senate in 1848; was solicitor (prosecutor) of the first judicial district of North Carolina for eight years, and was elected as an Opposition Party candidate to the Thirty-sixth Congress (March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861). He was unsuccessful candidate (backed by the American Party and many Democrats) for Speaker.[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=384154 OurCampaigns.com] He served in the Confederate Congress in 1862–1865, and was delegate to the Democratic National Convention at New York City in 1868. He served as counsel for Governor W. W. Holden in his 1871 impeachment trial, and was chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1878 to 1889.
Smith died in Raleigh, North Carolina, November 14, 1889, and his remains were interred in Historic Oakwood Cemetery.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Bioguide}}
External links
- [http://www.ncmarkers.com/Markers.aspx?sp=Markers&sv=H-81 North Carolina Historical Marker]
- {{CongBio|S000634}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Robert T. Paine}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 1st congressional district|years=1859–1861}}
{{s-aft|after=John R. French}}
{{s-legal}}
{{succession box | before = Richmond Mumford Pearson | title = Chief Justice of North Carolina Supreme Court | years = 1878–1889 | after = Augustus S. Merrimon}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, William Nathan Harrell}}
Category:People from Murfreesboro, North Carolina
Category:Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
Category:Deputies and delegates to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
Category:Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from North Carolina
Category:North Carolina Oppositionists
Category:Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
Category:Democratic Party North Carolina state senators
Category:Chief justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court
Category:North Carolina lawyers
Category:Yale Law School alumni
Category:19th-century American judges
Category:19th-century American lawyers
Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
Category:19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
Category:19th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly
{{NorthCarolina-politician-stub}}