Reuel Williams
Encyclopedia
Reuel Williams was a U.S. Senator from Maine
.
Born in Hallowell, Maine
to Seth Williams and Zelphia Ingraham, he attended Hallowell Academy, and went on to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1804, commencing practice in Augusta, Maine
.
He was a member of the Maine Legislature
from 1812 to 1829 and again in 1832 and 1848. He was commissioner of public buildings in 1831. He served as a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1836.
In 1837, he was elected as a Democrat
to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Ether Shepley
and served from March 4, 1837, to February 15, 1843, when he resigned.
While in the Senate he served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Naval Affairs.
He was also the manager of the Kennebec & Portland Railroad for 12 years. He died in Augusta, aged 79, and was interred in his family's cemetery on the banks of the Kennebec River
in Augusta.
His son, Joseph H. Williams
, also a politician, was elected Governor of Maine
. A daughter, Jane E. Williams married author Sylvester Judd
.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
Born in Hallowell, Maine
Hallowell, Maine
Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,467 at the 2000 census.-History:The city is named for Benjamin Hallowell, a Boston merchant and one of the Kennebec Proprietors, holders of land originally granted to the Plymouth Company by the British monarchy in...
to Seth Williams and Zelphia Ingraham, he attended Hallowell Academy, and went on to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1804, commencing practice in Augusta, Maine
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
.
He was a member of the Maine Legislature
Maine Legislature
The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate...
from 1812 to 1829 and again in 1832 and 1848. He was commissioner of public buildings in 1831. He served as a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1836.
In 1837, he was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Ether Shepley
Ether Shepley
Ether Shepley was an American politician.Shepley, a Democratic-Republican, served in the Maine State House before becoming one of the state's U.S. Senators. Shepley resigned from the Senate after two years to become a Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.Shepley was born in Groton,...
and served from March 4, 1837, to February 15, 1843, when he resigned.
While in the Senate he served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Naval Affairs.
He was also the manager of the Kennebec & Portland Railroad for 12 years. He died in Augusta, aged 79, and was interred in his family's cemetery on the banks of the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
in Augusta.
His son, Joseph H. Williams
Joseph H. Williams
Joseph Hartwell Williams was an American politician who served as the 27th Governor of Maine from 1857 to 1858.- Early years :...
, also a politician, was elected Governor of Maine
Governor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive....
. A daughter, Jane E. Williams married author Sylvester Judd
Sylvester Judd
Sylvester Judd was an American novelist.-Biography:Sylvester Judd III was born on July 23, 1813, in Westhampton, Massachusetts to Sylvester Judd II and Apphia Hall. He studied at Hopkins Academy in Hadley, Massachusetts, graduated from Yale College in 1836, and from Harvard Divinity School in 1840...
.