{{Short description|American politician (1791–1870)}} {{about||the American football coach|Walter C. Booth|the British magician and film pioneer|Walter R. Booth}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox Congressman |name = Walter Booth |image = WalterBooth.jpg |state1 = Connecticut |district1 = 2nd |party = U.S. Free Soil Party |term1 = March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 |preceded1 = Samuel D. Hubbard |succeeded1 = Colin M. Ingersoll |office2 = Member of the <br>Connecticut House of Representatives |term2 = 1838 |birth_date = {{birth date|1791|12|8|mf=y}} |birth_place = Woodbridge, Connecticut, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|1870|4|30|1791|12|8|mf=y}} |death_place = Meriden, Connecticut, U.S. |spouse = {{unbulleted list | {{marriage|Laura ''née'' Mitchell|1810|1841|reason=d.}} | {{marriage|Sarah ''née'' Holkins|1842}}}} |occupation = Politician, manufacturer |footnotes = <!--Military service--> |nickname = |allegiance = {{flag|Connecticut}}<br/>{{flagicon|USA|1834}} United States |branch = United States Army |service_years = |rank = Major-General |unit = Connecticut State Militia |commands = 10th Regiment (Col.)<br/>1st Division (Maj-Gen.) |battles = }}
'''Walter Booth''' (8 December 1791 – 30 April 1870), was a manufacturing entrepreneur, banker and United States representative for Connecticut. He served as Major-General in the United States Army.
==Early life and background== Born at Woodbridge, Connecticut, the son of Walter Booth (1760–1825) by his wife Mary ''née'' Newton, he was educated at New Haven Common School.<ref>[https://www.newhavenmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/MSS-80.pdf www.newhavenmuseum.org]</ref>
Booth joined the Connecticut Militia, becoming Colonel of the 10th regiment of the second battalion of militia in 1825. Promoted Brigadier-General in the United States Army in 1827, he then served as Major-General of the 1st Division until 1834.{{citation needed |date=February 2026}}
==Public life== In 1833, Booth co-founded the Meriden National Bank with Silas Mix, Samuel Yale, brother of William Yale, Elisha Cowles, Stephen Taylor, Ashabel Griswold, James S. Brooks, Noah Pomeroy and John D. Reynolds, forming its Board of Directors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/150yearsofmeride00meri/150yearsofmeride00meri_djvu.txt|title=150 years of Meriden; published in connection with the observance of the city's sesquicentennial, June 17-23, 1956|website=Archive.org|language=en|pages=208–210|access-date=2022-11-05}}</ref>
Appointed a Judge of New Haven County Court in 1834, Booth became President of the Meriden National Bank in 1836,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/150yearsofmeride00meri/150yearsofmeride00meri_djvu.txt|title=150 years of Meriden; published in connection with the observance of the city's sesquicentennial, June 17-23, 1956|website=Archive.org|language=en|pages=208–210|access-date=2022-11-05}}</ref> then a member of the Connecticut State House of Representatives in 1838.
Booth was elected as a Free-Soiler to the 31st United States Congress (March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851), unsuccessfully seeking re-election in 1850.<ref>[https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/B000631 www.congress.gov]</ref>
==Family and personal life== [[File:Coat of arms of the Booth Family.svg|right|thumb|110px|Booth arms]] Intermarrying with many early colonial families,<ref>[https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=EVRP19100929.2.29&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- ''The Evening Republican'', 29 September 1910]</ref> the Booths became established in New Haven County at Woodbridge then Meriden, Connecticut. Among his kinsmen was President Ulysses S. Grant.<ref>[https://www.usgrantlibrary.org/usgrant/genealogy www.usgrantlibrary.org]</ref>
A great-great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Sir John Booth (1610–1678), he was in remainder to the Booth baronetcy (''cr.'' 1611). He married firstly in 1810 Laura Mitchell (died 1841), leaving issue. He married secondly in 1842 Sarah Holkins (died 1874).<ref>[https://www.burkespeerage.com/ www.burkespeerage.com]</ref>
Having resumed his former manufacturing enterprises, Booth died in 1870 being buried at the East Cemetery, Meriden.<ref>[https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=shanachie www.sacredheart.edu]</ref>
{{ahnentafel |collapsed=yes|align=center |ref={{sfn|ps=none|Louda|Maclagan|1999|page=34}}<!--source for all 15--> |boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; |boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; |boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; |boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; |1= 1. '''Hon. Walter Booth''' |2= 2. Walter Booth |3= 3. Mary Newton |4= 4. Alexander Booth |5= 5. Sybil Baldwin |6= 6. Samuel Newton |7= 7. Mary Camp |8= 8. Elisha Booth |9= 9. Hannah Wilmot |10= 10. Samuel Baldwin |11= 11. Mercy Allen |12= 12. Samuel Newton |13= 13. Deborah Baldwin |14= 14. Nathaniel Camp |15= 15. Martha Kamp |16= 16. Charles Booth |17= 17. Abigail Mepham |18= 18. Alexander Wilmot |19= 19. Mary Norris |20= 20. Samuel Newton |21= 21. Rebecca Wilkinson |22= 22. Henry Allen |23= 23. Mercy Tibbals |24= 24. Samuel Newton |25= 25. Phoebe Platt |26= 26. Thomas Baldwin |27= 27. Jerusha Clark |28= 28. John Camp |29= 29. Mary Northrup |30= 30. Enos van de Kamp |31= 31. Martha Baldwin }}
==See also== *Booth baronets
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{citation|last=Louda|first=Jiří|last2=Maclagan|first2=Michael|author-link2=Michael Maclagan|year=1999|orig-year=1981|title=Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe|edition=2nd|location=London|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=978-0-316-84820-6}}
==External links== {{CongBio|B000631}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=Connecticut | district=2 | before=Samuel D. Hubbard | after=Colin M. Ingersoll | years=1849 – 1851 }} {{s-end}}
{{United States representatives from Connecticut}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, Walter}} Category:1791 births Category:1870 deaths W Category:People from Woodbridge, Connecticut Category:Businesspeople from Connecticut Category:Continental Army officers from Connecticut Category:United States Army generals Category:United States representatives from Connecticut Category:Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Category:Free Soil Party United States representatives Category:Connecticut Free Soilers Category:19th-century United States representatives Category:19th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly Category:American people of English descent