David Torrance (judge)
Encyclopedia
David Torrance was a soldier, lawyer, politician, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
in Connecticut.
Torrance's widowed mother emigrated to the United States in 1849 with her five children, settling in Norwich
, Connecticut. Torrance worked in cotton and paper mills to support his family, receiving little formal education. In 1862 he enlisted in the Union army as a private, but he rapidly rose in rank. He was captured at the Second Battle of Winchester and spent time in Libby Prison
, but was soon paroled. In January 1864 he was commissioned a captain in the 29th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops, commanded by William B. Wooster, a lawyer in New Haven
. By the end of the war Torrance was lieutenant colonel under Wooster.
Torrance began to study law under Wooster during the war, and moved to Derby after the war to study law with him. In 1868 they formed the lawfirm of Wooster & Torrance and remained in practice with each other until Torrance became a judge in 1885.
Torrance represented Derby in the General Assembly in 1871 and 1872. In 1879 he was elected Secretary of State, serving until 1881. In 1881 he was appointed Judge of Common Pleas in New Haven County; in 1885 he was appointed to the Superior Court, and in 1889 to the Supreme Court. He was appointed Chief Justice in 1901 and served until his death in 1906.
He was awarded an honorary M.A. by Yale
in 1883; he became a law school instructor there in 1893 and a professor in 1898.
Torrance married Annie France in 1864; they had three children.
Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
in Connecticut.
Torrance's widowed mother emigrated to the United States in 1849 with her five children, settling in Norwich
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
, Connecticut. Torrance worked in cotton and paper mills to support his family, receiving little formal education. In 1862 he enlisted in the Union army as a private, but he rapidly rose in rank. He was captured at the Second Battle of Winchester and spent time in Libby Prison
Libby Prison
Libby Prison was a Confederate Prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. It gained an infamous reputation for the harsh conditions under which prisoners from the Union Army were kept.- Overview :...
, but was soon paroled. In January 1864 he was commissioned a captain in the 29th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops, commanded by William B. Wooster, a lawyer in New Haven
New Haven County, Connecticut
New Haven County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2010 Census, the county population is 862,477 making it the third most populated county in Connecticut. There are 1,340 people per square mile...
. By the end of the war Torrance was lieutenant colonel under Wooster.
Torrance began to study law under Wooster during the war, and moved to Derby after the war to study law with him. In 1868 they formed the lawfirm of Wooster & Torrance and remained in practice with each other until Torrance became a judge in 1885.
Torrance represented Derby in the General Assembly in 1871 and 1872. In 1879 he was elected Secretary of State, serving until 1881. In 1881 he was appointed Judge of Common Pleas in New Haven County; in 1885 he was appointed to the Superior Court, and in 1889 to the Supreme Court. He was appointed Chief Justice in 1901 and served until his death in 1906.
He was awarded an honorary M.A. by Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1883; he became a law school instructor there in 1893 and a professor in 1898.
Torrance married Annie France in 1864; they had three children.