Samuel Eddy (March 31, 1769February 3, 1839) was a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island. Born Johnston in the

Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...

, Eddy completed preparatory studies. He graduated from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

in 1787. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1790 and practiced a short time in Providence. He served as clerk of the Rhode Island Supreme Court from 1790 to 1793. He also served as Rhode Island Secretary of State from 1798 to 1819. Eddy was elected as Democratic-Republican to the

Sixteenth The 16th century begins with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (Roman numerals, MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (Roman numerals, MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar ...

and Seventeenth Congresses, and reelected as an Adams-Clay Republican to the Eighteenth Congress (March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1825). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1824 to the

Nineteenth Congress The 19th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1825, ...

and for election in 1828 to the

Twenty-first Congress The 21st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1829, ...

. He served as associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1826 and 1827, and served as chief justice 1827 to 1835. Eddy wrote the Court's first published decision, ''

Stoddard v. Martin ''Stoddard v. Martin'' Case citation, 1 R.I. 1 (1828) was the first case recorded in the official Law reporter, reports of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Background On October 26, 1826 plaintiff Martin Stoddard bet former Rhode Island Supreme C ...

'' in 1828. Eddy died in Providence, Rhode Island, February 3, 1839, and was interred in North Burial Ground. He was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1819.American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Eddy, Samuel 1769 births 1839 deaths Brown University alumni Chief Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Secretaries of State of Rhode Island Rhode Island National Republicans Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island Members of the American Antiquarian Society People of colonial Rhode Island Burials at North Burying Ground (Providence)