Charles H. Ruggles
Encyclopedia
Charles Herman Ruggles was an American lawyer and politician who was a U.S. Representative
from New York
and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
.
and began practice in Kingston, New York
.
He was a member from Sullivan
and Ulster
Counties of the New York State Assembly
in 1820.
Ruggles was elected as a Federalist
to the 17th United States Congress
, and served from December 3, 1821, to March 3, 1823.
He was Judge of the Second Circuit Court
of New York from 1831 to 1846, and was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1846.
On June 7, 1847, he was elected
one of the first judges of the New York Court of Appeals
.. On June 22, he drew a term of six years and a half, and took office on July 5. He became Chief Judge after the resignation of Greene C. Bronson
in April 1851 and remained on this post until the end of 1853.. In November 1853
, Ruggles was re-elected to an eight-year term as an associate judge.. In June 1855, he fell ill and was absent from the Court's June and September terms. On August 20, 1855, he announced his resignation to take effect on October 20, 1855. George F. Comstock
was elected in November 1855
to fill the vacancy. Ruggles died on June 16, 1865 and interred at Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery. In 1888, all remains at this burying ground were removed to Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery.
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 New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
.
Life
He studied law, was admitted to the barAdmission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
and began practice in Kingston, New York
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
.
He was a member from Sullivan
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
and Ulster
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
Counties of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
in 1820.
Ruggles was elected as a Federalist
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
to the 17th United States Congress
17th United States Congress
The Seventeenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823, during the fifth and sixth...
, and served from December 3, 1821, to March 3, 1823.
He was Judge of the Second Circuit Court
New York State Circuit Courts
The New York State Circuit Courts were circuit courts created by the New York State Constitution of 1821, and abolished by the Constitution of 1846.-History:...
of New York from 1831 to 1846, and was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1846.
On June 7, 1847, he was elected
New York special judicial election, 1847
At a special judicial election on June 7, 1847, four judges of the New York Court of Appeals, the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, 32 justices of the new New York Supreme Court district benches, county judges, surrogates, districty attorneys and all other judicial officers in the state of New York...
one of the first judges of the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
.. On June 22, he drew a term of six years and a half, and took office on July 5. He became Chief Judge after the resignation of Greene C. Bronson
Greene C. Bronson
Greene Carrier Bronson was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:...
in April 1851 and remained on this post until the end of 1853.. In November 1853
New York state election, 1853
The 1853 New York state election was held on November 8, 1853, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, two Judges of the New York Court of Appeals, a Canal Commissioner, an Inspector of State Prisons and the Clerk of the...
, Ruggles was re-elected to an eight-year term as an associate judge.. In June 1855, he fell ill and was absent from the Court's June and September terms. On August 20, 1855, he announced his resignation to take effect on October 20, 1855. George F. Comstock
George F. Comstock
George Franklin Comstock was an American lawyer and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1860 to 1861.-Life:He graduated from Union College in 1834...
was elected in November 1855
New York state election, 1855
The 1855 New York state election was held on November 6, 1855, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, two judges of the New York Court of Appeals, a Canal Commissioner and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as...
to fill the vacancy. Ruggles died on June 16, 1865 and interred at Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery. In 1888, all remains at this burying ground were removed to Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery.
Portrait
Charles H. Ruggles Portrait, Historical Society of the Courts of New York State
Sources
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 301, 348 and 355; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)