Thomas Ara Spence (February 20, 1810 – November 10, 1877) was an American politician. Born near the Accomack Court House in

Accomack County, Virginia Accomack County is a United States county that, together with Northampton County, constitutes the Eastern Shore region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. These two counties also form the southern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula, which is bo ...

, Spence pursued academic studies and attended a local academy. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1829, studied law, and was admitted to the bar, commencing practice at

Snow Hill, Maryland Snow Hill is a town in and the county seat of Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,156 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Snow Hill was founded ...

. He was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-eighth Congress, serving from March 4, 1843, to March 3, 1845. He was not a candidate for renomination, and was later affiliated with the Republican Party. Spence owned large

iron-ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

properties in

Worcester County, Maryland Worcester County is the easternmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,460. Its county seat is Snow Hill. The county is part of the Lower Eastern Shore region of the state. It is the only cou ...

, and served as a judge for Worcester County and the twelfth judicial circuit from 1857 to 1867. He practiced law in

Salisbury, Maryland Salisbury ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, United States. Salisbury is the largest city in Eastern Shore of Maryland, the state's Eastern Shore region, with a population of 33,050 at the 2020 United States census ...

, and served as assistant attorney general for the

Post Office Department The United States Post Office Department (USPOD; also known as the Post Office or U.S. Mail) was the predecessor of the United States Postal Service, established in 1792. From 1872 to 1971, it was officially in the form of a Cabinet departme ...

from 1872 until his death in Washington, D.C.. He is interred in Makamie Memorial Church Cemetery in Snow Hill. Thomas Spence was nephew to John Selby Spence, another Maryland Congressman.

References

1810 births 1877 deaths Yale College alumni Maryland state court judges People from Accomack County, Virginia Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland People from Snow Hill, Maryland People from Salisbury, Maryland People from Worcester County, Maryland 19th-century Maryland state court judges 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{Maryland-politician-stub