Perry Smith (May 12, 1783June 8, 1852) was a

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

lawyer and politician. He served in the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each ...

(1822-1823, 1835-1836) and

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

(1837-1843).

Biography

Smith was born in Woodbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut, on May 12, 1783, the son of John and Abigail (Lambert) Smith. He completed preparatory studies; studied law at the

Litchfield Law School The Litchfield Law School was a law school in Litchfield, Connecticut, that operated from 1774 to 1833. Litchfield was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietar ...

in 1807; was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in New Milford. He married Anne Comstock who died on February 26, 1826.

Career

A member of

from New Milford from 1822 to 1823, Smith was made postmaster of New Milford and held that post from 1829 to 1837. He was again a state representative from 1835 to 1836, as well as judge of probate court from 1833 to 1835. Elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate from Connecticut, Smith served from March 4, 1837 to March 3, 1843. He was chairman of the Committee on Agriculture (Twenty-fifth Congress); and was a member of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims (Twenty-sixth Congress).

Death

Smith died in New Milford on June 8, 1852 (age 69 years, 27 days). He is interred at New Milford Center Cemetery, New Milford, Connecticut,.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Perry 1783 births 1852 deaths Democratic Party United States senators from Connecticut Democratic Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives People from Woodbury, Connecticut Litchfield Law School alumni 19th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly 19th-century United States senators