Buckner Thruston
Encyclopedia
Buckner Thruston was a Democratic-Republican U.S. Senator
from Kentucky
, and later a long-serving a United States federal judge
.
, Thruston received an A.B.
from William and Mary College at Williamsburg, Virginia
. He read law and moved to Lexington, Kentucky
(then a part of Virginia) in 1788. He was admitted to the bar
and began the practice of law. He was a member of the Virginia assembly in 1789, resuming his private practice from 1791 to 1792.
After Kentucky was organized as a State, Thruston was elected clerk of the first Kentucky Senate
in 1792. He was appointed one of Kentucky’s three commissioners to settle the boundary dispute between the states of Kentucky and Virginia. He also served as a judge of the Kentucky State District Court in 1791, and as a judge of the Kentucky State Circuit Court from 1802 to 1803. He was also appointed the United States judge of the court of the Territory of Orleans in 1804, but declined the appointment, instead maintaining his private practice from 1803 to 1805.
and served from March 4, 1805, to December 18, 1809, when he resigned, having been appointed to a judicial position. He was nominated by President James Madison
on December 12, 1809, to a seat on the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
vacated by Allen Bowie Duckett
, and was confirmed by his colleagues in the Senate the following day. He received his commission on December 14, 1809 and served on the bench for over thirty-five years, from January 1810 until his death, in Washington, D.C.
, in 1845. He was interred in the Congressional Cemetery
.
His son was politician and Union Army
general Charles Mynn Thruston
.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and later a long-serving a United States federal judge
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
.
Early life, education, and career
Born in Gloucester County, VirginiaGloucester County, Virginia
Gloucester County is within the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area in the USA. Formed in 1651 in the Virginia Colony, the county was named for Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, third son of King Charles I of Great Britain. Located in the Middle Peninsula region, it...
, Thruston received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from William and Mary College at Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
. He read law and moved to Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
(then a part of Virginia) in 1788. He was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
and began the practice of law. He was a member of the Virginia assembly in 1789, resuming his private practice from 1791 to 1792.
After Kentucky was organized as a State, Thruston was elected clerk of the first Kentucky Senate
Kentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
in 1792. He was appointed one of Kentucky’s three commissioners to settle the boundary dispute between the states of Kentucky and Virginia. He also served as a judge of the Kentucky State District Court in 1791, and as a judge of the Kentucky State Circuit Court from 1802 to 1803. He was also appointed the United States judge of the court of the Territory of Orleans in 1804, but declined the appointment, instead maintaining his private practice from 1803 to 1805.
Federal legislative and judicial service
Thruston was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and served from March 4, 1805, to December 18, 1809, when he resigned, having been appointed to a judicial position. He was nominated by President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
on December 12, 1809, to a seat on the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
The United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia is a former United States federal court, which existed from 1801 to 1863.-History:...
vacated by Allen Bowie Duckett
Allen Bowie Duckett
Allen Bowie Duckett was a Maryland and a United States federal judge.Born in Prince George's County, Maryland, Duckett graduated from Princeton University in 1790, and read law to enter the Bar...
, and was confirmed by his colleagues in the Senate the following day. He received his commission on December 14, 1809 and served on the bench for over thirty-five years, from January 1810 until his death, in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in 1845. He was interred in the Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
.
His son was politician and Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
general Charles Mynn Thruston
Charles Mynn Thruston
Charles Mynn Thruston was a soldier, farmer, politician, and a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He served as the mayor of Cumberland, Maryland, from 1861 to 1862....
.