William B. Caldwell was a Democratic Party jurist in the U. S. State of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

 who sat on the Ohio Supreme Court 1849–1854.

William B. Caldwell was born on a Butler County, Ohio

Butler County, Ohio

Butler County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 368,130. Its county seat is Hamilton. It is named for General Richard Butler, who died in 1791 fighting Indians in northern Ohio. Butler's army marched out of Fort Hamilton, where the city of...

 farm, where he stayed his first 21 years. He entered Miami University

Miami University

Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...

 at Oxford, Ohio

Oxford, Ohio

Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...

 in 1830, and graduated in 1835. He studied law under John Woods

John Woods (Ohio politician)

John Woods was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Woods moved with his parents to Ohio, where he attended the common schools. As a young man, he served in the War of 1812. After the war he operated a school near Springborough for two years...

 of Hamilton, Ohio

Hamilton, Ohio

Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....

, and was admitted to the bar

Admission 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...

 in 1837. He began practice in Xenia, Ohio

Xenia, Ohio

Xenia is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

 the next year. There he formed a partnership with General Samuel F. Cary

Samuel Fenton Cary

Samuel Fenton Cary was a congressman and significant temperance movement leader in the nineteenth century. Cary became well-known nationally as a prohibitionist author and lecturer.-Life:...

.

In 1841 Caldwell was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Hamilton County, Ohio

Hamilton County, Ohio

As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...

, and in 1842, President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas

Ohio Courts of Common Pleas

The Ohio Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the state court system of Ohio.The courts of common pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state. They are the only trial courts created by the Ohio Constitution . The duties of the courts are outlined in Article IV, Section...

 of that county. He held that position until 1849, when the Ohio General Assembly

Ohio General Assembly

The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...

 elected him to the Ohio Supreme Court. In autumn 1851, a new constitution of the state made judges elective, and Caldwell received the most votes among 11 candidates for five positions on the court. The five winners drew lots, and Caldwell was assigned a one year term. He was re-elected in 1852 to a five year term.

Caldwell resigned his seat in December, 1854, and resumed his practice in Cincinnati.. Caldwell was married to Agnes Corry of Cincinnati in 1844, and was survived by a son of the same name. He died at Cincinnati March 21, 1876.