Thomas B. Butler

{{Short description|American judge (1806–1873)}} {{Other people|Thomas Butler}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Thomas Belden Butler | image = Thomas_B._Butler.jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|1806|08|22}} | birth_place = Wethersfield, Connecticut | death_date = {{death date and age|1873|06|08|1806|08|22}} | death_place = Norwalk, Connecticut | resting_place = Union Cemetery Norwalk, Connecticut | office = Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court | term_start = 1870 | term_end = 1873 | predecessor = William L. Storrs | successor = Origen S. Seymour | office2 = Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court | term_start2 = 1861 | term_end2 = 1873 | predecessor2 = | successor2 = James Phelps | office3 = Member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th congressional district | term_start3 = March 4, 1849 | term_end3 = March 3, 1851 | predecessor3 = Truman Smith | successor3 = Origen S. Seymour | office4 = Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 12th district | term_start4 = 1838 | term_end4 = 1840 | predecessor4 = Charles Hawley | successor4 = Joshua Ferris | term_start5 = 1848 | term_end5 = 1849 | predecessor5 = Charles Marvin | successor5 = Joshua Ferris | office6 = Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk | term_start6 = 1832 | term_end6 = 1834 | predecessor6 = Eli Bennett, David Roberts | successor6 = Samuel Comstock, Benjamin Isaacs | alongside6 = John Loundsbury | term_start7 = 1837 | term_end7 = 1838 | predecessor7 = Noah Wilcox, Lewis Gregory | successor7 = Lewis Gregory, Timothy Merwin | alongside7 = Lewis Gregory | term_start8 = 1843 | term_end8 = 1844 | predecessor8 = Henry Selleck, Matthew Wilcox | successor8 = Algernon Beard, Charles Thomas | alongside8 = Matthew Wilcox | term_start9 = 1846 | term_end9 = 1847 | predecessor9 = Algernon Beard, William S. Lockwood | successor9 = Samuel Jarvis, Asa Hill | alongside9 = William S. Lockwood | party = Whig Party | alma_mater = Yale University (Medicine, 1828) | occupation = physician, lawyer | spouse = | children = }}

'''Thomas Belden Butler''' (August 22, 1806 – June 8, 1873) was a Whig politician from Connecticut. He was Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court from 1870 to 1873. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th congressional district from 1849 to 1851. He had previously served as a member of the Connecticut Senate representing the 12th District from 1847 to 1848. In 1848, he was President pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080417011450/http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3188&q=392296 SOTS:Presidents Pro Tempore]</ref> He also had served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1832 to 1834, from 1837 to 1838, from 1843 to 1844, and from 1846 to 1847.<ref name="csl">[http://www.cslib.org/memorials/butlertb.htm Connecticut State Library]</ref>

== Early life == Butler was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, the son of Frederick Butler and Mary Belden. He attended the common schools. He was graduated from the medical department of Yale University in 1828 and commenced practice in Norwalk, Connecticut. Later, he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1837 and commenced practice in Norwalk.<ref name="csl"/>

== Political career == He served as member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1832 to 1846.<ref name="csl"/>

He served in the Connecticut Senate in 1847 and 1848.

Butler was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-first Congress (March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1850 to the Thirty-second Congress.

He served as judge of the superior court in 1855.He was appointed associate justice of the State supreme court in 1861 and became chief justice of the same court in 1870.

He died in Norwalk, Connecticut, June 8, 1873. He was interred in Union Cemetery in Norwalk.<ref name="csl"/>

==Writing== Butler was the author of ''The Philosophy of the Weather'' (1856) and ''The Atmospheric System Developed : a Weather Book for Practical Men'' (1870).<ref>[http://mssa.library.yale.edu/obituary_record/1859_1924/1872-73.pdf ''Yale Obituary Record'']</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{CongBio|B001191}} * {{Find a Grave|16430588|accessdate=2010-02-14}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box |title=Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk |with=John D. Lounsbury |before=Eli Bennett |before2=David Roberts |after=Samuel Comstock |after2=Benjamin Isaacs |years=1832–1834 }} {{succession box |title=Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk |with=Lewis Gregory |before=Noah Wilcox |before2=Lewis Gregory |after=Lewis Gregory |after2=Timothy Merwin |years=1837–1838 }} {{succession box |title=Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 12th district |before=Charles Hawley |after=Joshua Ferris |years=1838–1840 }} {{succession box |title=Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk |with=Matthew Wilcox |before=Henry Selleck |before2=Matthew Wilcox |after=Algernon Beard |after2=Charles Thomas |years=1843–1844 }} {{succession box |title=Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk |with=William S. Lockwood |before=Algernon Beard |before2=William S. Lockwood |after=Samuel Jarvis |after2=Asa Hill |years=1846–1847 }} {{succession box |title=Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 12th district |before=Charles Marvin |after=Joshua Ferris |years=1848–1849 }} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=Connecticut | district=4 | before=Truman Smith | after=Origen S. Seymour | years=March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 }} {{s-off}} {{succession box |title=Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court |before=. |after=James Phelps |years=1861–1873 }} {{succession box |title=Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court |before=William L. Storrs |after=Origen S. Seymour |years=1870–1873 }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Thomas Belden}} Category:1806 births Category:1873 deaths Category:Chief justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court Category:Connecticut state senators Category:Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Category:Politicians from Norwalk, Connecticut Category:People from Wethersfield, Connecticut Category:Presidents pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate Category:Yale School of Medicine alumni Category:Whig Party United States representatives from Connecticut Category:Justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court Category:19th-century Connecticut state court judges Category:19th-century United States representatives Category:19th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly