William Fitch Allen (July 28, 1808 – June 3, 1878) was an American lawyer and politician.
He was born on July 28, 1808, inWindham County, Connecticut, the eldest son of Abner Harvey Allen and Cynthia Palmer, a sister of the mother ofSanford E. Church. He graduated fromUnion College in 1826. Then he studied law in the office ofJohn C. Wright atEsperance, New York, and in the office of C. M. and E. S. Lee atRochester, New York. He was admitted to the bar in 1829, and commenced practice in partnership withGeorge Fisher at Oswego until 1833. In 1834, he formed a partnership withAbraham P. Grant which continued until his election to theNew York Supreme Court. He was Supervisor of the Town of Oswego in 1836 and 1837.[1]
Allen was aDemocratic member of theNew York State Assembly in1843 and1844.[2] From 1845 to 1847, he wasUnited States Attorney for the Northern District of New York. He was a justice of the New York Supreme Court from 1847 to 1863, and satex officio on the Court of Appeals in 1854 and 1862. In 1863, he removed toNew York City and resumed the practice of law there.
He wasNew York State Comptroller from 1868 to 1870, elected at theNew York state election, 1867; and re-elected at theNew York state election, 1869. He resigned this office in June 1870.
At theNew York special judicial election, 1870, he was elected to theNew York Court of Appeals, and in July 1870 became one of the first judges of the new court upon its re-organization after the amendment of the State Constitution in 1869. He remained on the bench until his death on June 3, 1878, inOswego, New York.[3]
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| Preceded by | New York State Comptroller 1868–1870 | Succeeded by |
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