James Thompson
Chief Justice of thePennsylvania Supreme Court
In office 1866–1872
Preceded by	George W. Woodward
Succeeded by	John M. Read
Associate Justice of thePennsylvania Supreme Court
In office 1857–1866
Preceded by	Walter H. Lowrie
Succeeded by	George Sharswood
Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives
In office 1855
Constituency	Erie County
In office 1832–1835
Preceded by	John Galbraith
Constituency	Venango County andWarren County
Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
In office March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851
Speaker	Howell Cobb
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Edson B. Olds
Chair of theHouse Judiciary Committee
In office 1849–1851
Preceded by	Joseph R. Ingersoll
Succeeded by	James X. McLanahan
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's23rd district
In office March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1851
Preceded by	Charles M. Reed
Succeeded by	Carlton B. Curtis
Judge of the Sixth Judicial District Court ofPennsylvania
In office 1838–1844
24th Speaker of thePennsylvania House of Representatives
In office 1835–1874
Preceded by	William Patterson
Succeeded by	Ner Middleswarth
Personal details
Born	James Thompson (1806-10-01)October 1, 1806 Butler County,Pennsylvania
Died	January 28, 1874(1874-01-28) (aged 67) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Parker Snowden
Children	6

James Thompson (October 1, 1806 – January 28, 1874) was a lawyer, politician and jurist fromPennsylvania. He served in theUnited States Congress and in thePennsylvania House of Representatives, where he wasSpeaker in 1835. He also served as a federal judge and as a member of theSupreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Thompson was born inMiddlesex Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania on October 1, 1806. After learning theprinting trade, Thompson studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1829 and practiced as a lawyer inErie, Pennsylvania.

Thompson served in thePennsylvania House of Representatives from 1832 to 1834 and in 1855 and served as Speaker in 1834.

He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1838, and the presiding judge of the sixth judicial district court from 1838 until 1844, when he was elected as a Democrat to theUnited States House of Representatives.

Thompson served in theTwenty-ninth,Thirtieth, andThirty-first Congresses, from March 4, 1845 until March 3, 1851. He was the chairman of theU.S. House Committee on the Judiciary during his second term. In the 31st Congress, Thompson became the first recordedDemocratic Caucus Chairman and the first official chairman of any party caucus in either house of Congress.

Thompson did not run for reelection in 1850, but instead returned to practicing law. He became an associate justice of theSupreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1857 to 1866, and served as chief justice of that court from 1866 to 1872.

He returned to private practice until his death inPhiladelphia on January 28, 1874.

Thompson is interred inWoodlands Cemetery.

•  This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
• The Political Graveyard

• Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• Pennsylvania lawyers
• Chief justices of Pennsylvania
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
• 1806 births
• 1874 deaths
• Burials at The Woodlands Cemetery
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• 19th-century American lawyers
• 19th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
• 19th-century United States representatives

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