Benjamin Thomas (congressman)
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Franklin Thomas (February 12, 1813 – September 27, 1878) was a member of the United States House of Representatives
from Massachusetts
.
and attended Lancaster Academy. He was the grandson of Isaiah Thomas
. He graduated from Rhode Island
's Brown University
in 1830. Thomas studied law in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, was admitted to the bar in 1833 and practiced in Worcester.
. He was commissioner of bankruptcy in 1842, judge of probate
1844-1848, and a presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1848. Thomas was a justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
from 1853 to 1859. Thomas continued the practice of law in Boston
. In 1861 he was elected as a Unionist to the 37th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Charles F. Adams
, and served from June 11, 1861 to March 3, 1863. Thomas died at his home in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts on September 27, 1878 and is interred at Forrest Hill Cemetery in Boston.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Early years
In 1819, Thomas moved with his parents to Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and attended Lancaster Academy. He was the grandson of Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas , was an American newspaper publisher and author. He performed the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Worcester, Massachusetts and reported the first account of the Battles of Lexington and Concord...
. He graduated from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
's Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1830. Thomas studied law in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, was admitted to the bar in 1833 and practiced in Worcester.
Political career
Throughout his life, Thomas held several local offices. In 1842, he was elected to the Massachusetts House of RepresentativesMassachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
. He was commissioner of bankruptcy in 1842, judge of probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
1844-1848, and a presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1848. Thomas was a justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.-History:...
from 1853 to 1859. Thomas continued the practice of law in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. In 1861 he was elected as a Unionist to the 37th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Charles F. Adams
Charles Francis Adams, Sr.
Charles Francis Adams, Sr. was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat and writer. He was the grandson of President John Adams and Abigail Adams and the son of President John Quincy Adams and Louisa Adams....
, and served from June 11, 1861 to March 3, 1863. Thomas died at his home in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts on September 27, 1878 and is interred at Forrest Hill Cemetery in Boston.