Samuel Chilton | |
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| Born | September 7, 1804 |
| Died | January 14, 1867(1867-01-14) (aged 62) |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, lawyer |
| Spouse | Isabella R. Brooke (m. 1832) |
| Children | 5 |
Samuel Chilton (September 7, 1804 – January 14, 1867) was a 19th-century politician and lawyer fromVirginia.
Born inWarrenton, Virginia, Chilton moved toMissouri with his family as a child and attended private school there. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1826, commencing practice back in Warrenton. He got involved in politics and was elected aWhig to theUnited States House of Representatives in 1842 when he narrowly defeatedWilliam "Extra Billy" Smith following a redistricting. Chilton served one term from 1843 to 1845, during which he advocated abolishing imprisonment for debt. Afterward, he returned to practicing law and was a delegate to theVirginia Constitutional Convention from 1850 to 1851. At the convention he proposed a key compromise on legislative apportionment.
Chilton moved to Washington, D.C., by 1853 and became a member ofAmerican Party, orKnow-Nothings. Despite having owned slaves, in 1859 he was appointed as a defense attorney forabolitionistJohn Brown after his previous defense attorneys advocated that the defendant advance a plea of insanity as his defense.[1]
Chilton died in Warrenton on January 14, 1867, and was interred there atWarrenton Cemetery.
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 9th congressional district March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 | Succeeded by |
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 9th congressional district | ||
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