Thaddeus Betts Explained

Thaddeus Laddins Betts
Jr/Sr:United States Senator
State:Connecticut
Term Start:March 4, 1839
Term End:April 7, 1840
Predecessor:John M. Niles
Successor:Jabez W. Huntington
Office2:Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
Order2:32nd and 34th
Term Start2:May 4, 1832
Term End2:May 1, 1833
Governor2:John Samuel Peters
Predecessor2:Vacant[1]
Successor2:Ebenezer Stoddard
Term Start3:May 7, 1834
Term End3:May 6, 1835
Governor3:Samuel A. Foot
Predecessor3:Ebenezer Stoddard
Successor3:Ebenezer Stoddard
Office4:Member of the Connecticut Senate
from the 12th District
Term Start4:1831
Term End4:1832
Predecessor4:Charles Hawley
Successor4:Charles Hawley
Office5:At-large member of the Connecticut Senate
Term Start5:1828
Term End5:1830
Office6:Member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk
Term Start6:May 1815
Term End6:October 1815
Alongside6:Benjamin Isaacs
Predecessor6:Jacob Osborne,
Lewis Mallory
Successor6:Benjamin Isaacs,
John Eversley
Term Start7:1830
Term End7:1831
Alongside7:Eli Bennett
Predecessor7:Clark Bissell, Charles W. Taylor
Successor7:Eli Bennett, David Roberts
Birth Date:4 February 1789
Birth Place:Norwalk, Connecticut
Death Place:Washington, D.C.
Restingplace:Union Cemetery, Norwalk
Spouse:Antoinette Cannon Betts
Alma Mater:Yale College
Occupation:lawyer
Party:Whig

Thaddeus Laddins Betts (February 4, 1789 – April 7, 1840) was the 32nd and 34th lieutenant governor of the state of Connecticut from 1832 to 1833 and from 1834 to 1835, and a United States Senator from Connecticut from 1839 to 1840. He had previously served in the Connecticut Senate representing the 12th District and Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk, Connecticut.

Biography

Betts was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. He was the son of William Maltby Betts (1759-1832) and Lucretia (Gregory) Betts (1763-1830). He completed preparatory studies, then attended and was graduated from Yale College in 1807. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1810. He began his law practice in Norwalk. He married Antoinette Cannon who was born on April 20, 1789, and died on February 26, 1864.[2]

Career

Betts was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1815. He was a member of the Connecticut Senate in 1828 as a senator at-large, and was again a member of the state house of representatives in 1830. Betts was then a member of the Connecticut Senate in 1831 representing the 12th District.[3]

In 1832 and 1834, Betts was elected the 32nd and 34th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut and served two terms, under Governors John Samuel Peters from 1832 to 1833 and under Samuel A. Foot from 1834 to 1835.[4]

Elected as a Whig to the U.S. Senate, Betts served from March 4, 1839 until his death in 1840.[5]

Death

Betts died in Washington, D.C., on April 7, 1840 (age 51 years, 63 days). The funeral took place at the Capitol with the Chaplains to Congress officiating and the President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, attending.[6] He is interred at Union Cemetery, Norwalk, Connecticut. There is a cenotaph for him at the Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.[3]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CT Lieutenant Governors. Connecticut State Library. https://web.archive.org/web/20071026194408/http://www.cslib.org/agencies/lieutenantgovernor.htm. September 21, 2020. 2007-10-26.
  2. Web site: Thaddeus Betts. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 13 January 2013.
  3. Web site: Thaddeus Betts. The Political Graveyard. 13 January 2013.
  4. Web site: CT Lieutenant Governors. Connecticut State Library. https://web.archive.org/web/20071026194408/http://www.cslib.org/agencies/lieutenantgovernor.htm. September 21, 2020. 2007-10-26.
  5. Web site: Thaddeus Betts. Govtrack US Congress. 13 January 2013.
  6. Web site: Thaddeus Betts. Historic Congressional Cemetery. 13 January 2013. dead. https://archive.today/20130219095829/http://69.167.134.197/obituary-betts-thaddeus-laddins. 19 February 2013.