Charles Hudson | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's5th district | |
| In office May 3, 1841 – March 3, 1849 | |
| Preceded by | Levi Lincoln Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Charles Allen |
| Member of the Lexington, Massachusetts Board ofSelectmen[1] | |
| In office 1868[1]–1875[1] | |
| Member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council[2] | |
| In office 1839–1841 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts State Senate[2] | |
| In office 1833–1839 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives[2] | |
| In office 1828[2]–1833[2] | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 14, 1795 |
| Died | May 4, 1881 (aged 85) |
| Party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Rider, m. 1825, Martha B. Rider m. 1830[2] |
| Profession | Minister |
| Military service | |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
Charles Hudson (November 14, 1795 – May 4, 1881) was an American minister, writer, historian and politician. Hudson served in both houses of theMassachusetts General Court, on theMassachusetts Governor's Council, and asUnited States Representative fromMassachusetts.
Hudson was born inMarlborough on November 14, 1795. Hudson was the son of Stephen Hudson, who served during theAmerican Revolutionary War, having been captured and confined by the British in Philadelphia.
Hudson attended the common schools and later an academy, taught school, served in theWar of 1812 and studied theology. Hudson was ordained as aUniversalist minister in 1819 and located inWestminster, where he served as pastor for 20 years.
Hudson was elected a member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives, where he represented the town ofWestminster, Massachusetts[1] from 1828 to 1833. From 1833 to 1839 Hudson representedWorcester County[1] in theMassachusetts State Senate.[1] In 1839 he became a member of theExecutive Council, and served until 1841. He was a member of the Massachusetts State Board of Education.[1]
Hudson was elected as aWhig to theTwenty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofLevi Lincoln Jr. Hudson was reelected to theTwenty-eighth, Twenty-ninth, and Thirtieth Congresses and served from May 3, 1841, to March 3, 1849.
Hudson was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1848 to theThirty-first Congress, and moved toLexington. Hudson lived in a large house on the town Common ("Battle Green"), about where the driveway of the Hancock Church is today. The house was moved to Belfry Terrace in the early 1900s. Hudson served as aselectman of Lexington from 1868 to 1875[1] and wrote a comprehensive history of the town first published 1868. Hudson presided at the centennial celebration of thebattle of Lexington in 1875, and delivered an address.
He was elected a member of theAmerican Antiquarian Society in 1844.[4]
From 1849 to 1853 Hudson served as a naval officer of the port ofBoston Custom House,[1] edited theBoston Daily Atlas for many years. Hudson was the assessor of Internal Revenue for the Sixth Collection District,[1] 1864–1868. Hudson was reportedly a close friend of PresidentAbraham Lincoln. Hudson was an author of religious textbooks.
Hudson died inLexington on May 4, 1881 and buried in Munroe Cemetery, on Massachusetts Avenue in that town.
The town ofHudson, Massachusetts is named after Charles Hudson. Though many mistakenly believe that the naming of the town was the result of his gift toward the construction of a public library, in fact, the naming honor was granted prior to his offer. The town was established on March 31, 1866, and after being notified that the town had been named in his honor, Charles Hudson responded in 1867 with an offer to contribute $500 in matching funds toward the establishment of a new library.[5]
Hudson prepared congressional reports on the "Protective Policy," legislative reports on "Capital Punishment," "The Northeastern Boundary," and "The Incompetency of Witnesses on Account of Religious Belief," besides articles for periodicals and newspapers.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 5th congressional district May 3, 1841 – March 3, 1849 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
