Timothy N. Machin (August 1822 – December 20, 1905) was an American politician and attorney who served as the tenth

lieutenant governor of California The lieutenant governor of California is the second highest Executive (government), executive officer of the government of the U.S. state of California. The Lieutenant governor (United States), lieutenant governor is elected to serve a four-yea ...

from 1863 to 1867. He previously served in the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...

, representing Tuolumne and

Mono Mono may refer to: Biology * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monocyte, a type of leukocyte (white blood cell) * Monodactylidae, members of which are referred to as monos Technology and computing * Mono (audio), single-c ...

counties for two terms in 1862 and 1863.

Early life and education

Timothy Norstrand Machin (Also known as Tim N. Machin and T. N. Machin) was born in

Carlisle, New York Carlisle is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in northern Schoharie County, New York, Schoharie County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 1,768 at the 2020 census.United States Census Bureau, 2020 U.S. ...

on August 22, 1822, a son of Nancy (McMichael) Machin and Thomas Norstrand Machin II, a brigadier general of militia and veteran of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. His grandfather, Captain Thomas Machin, was the architect of the West Point Chain during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. He studied law at the

State and National Law School The State and National Law School was an early practical training law school founded in 1849 by John W. Fowler in Ballston Spa, New York. It was also known as New York State and National Law School, Ballston Law College, and Fowler's State and ...

Ballston Spa, New York Ballston Spa is a village and the county seat of Saratoga County, New York, United States, located southwest of Saratoga Springs. It is part of the Capital Region. The population of the village, named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregational ...

, where his fellow students included Niles Searls and Chancellor Hartson, who also became prominent in California legal and political circles.

Career

After graduating from law school, Machin moved west and settled in

Mono County, California Mono County ( ) is a county (United States), county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 13,195, making it the fourth-least populous county in California. T ...

, then

Tuolumne County Tuolumne County (), officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,620. The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora. Tuolumne County comprises the ...

. In addition to practicing law, he was editor of the ''Democratic Age'', a newspaper in

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

. While practicing law in Monoville, California, he was elected to the

, representing Tuolumne and Mono counties, and serving from 1862 to 1863. In 1863, he was chosen speaker of the Assembly. Staunchly pro-Union during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, he made many influential contacts in the Republican Party and its wartime successor, the Union party. In 1863, he received the nomination for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, running with Frederick Low on the Unionist ticket. He ran against E.W. McKinstrey, beating him by 21,120 votes. As lieutenant governor, he was selected to prosecute the impeachment proceedings instituted against a popular jurist, Judge Hardy. During his tenure he was appointed the Superintendent of

San Quentin State Prison San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated area, unincorporated place ...

. He remained lieutenant governor through 1867. After his retirement from politics, he made his home in the Clinton Park section of

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

at 1276 Sixth Avenue.

Personal life

Machin married Nancy M. Knight in San Francisco on April 15, 1864. They had one daughter, Elinor. He died in Oakland on December 20, 1905.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Machin, Tim N. 1822 births 1905 deaths Lieutenant governors of California Speakers of the California State Assembly Republican Party members of the California State Assembly State and National Law School alumni 19th-century members of the California State Legislature