Thaddeus Betts

Not to be confused with Thaddeus Betts, his grandfather who also served in the Connecticut Assembly.

Thaddeus Laddins Betts (February 4, 1789 – April 7, 1840) was the 12th and 14th 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.

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.

In 1832 and 1834, Betts was elected the 12th and 14th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut and served three terms, under Governors John Samuel Peters from 1831 to 1833 and under Samuel A. Foot from 1834 to 1835.

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

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. He is interred at Union Cemetery, Norwalk, Connecticut. There is a cenotaph for him at the Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.

External links

• Thaddeus Betts at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

United States Senate
Preceded by Jacob Osborne Lewis Mallory	Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk May 1815 – October 1815 With: Benjamin Isaacs	Succeeded by Benjamin Isaacs John Eversley
Preceded by	Member of the Connecticut Senate At-large 1828–1830	Succeeded by District elections
Preceded by Clark Bissell Charles W. Taylor	Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk 1830–1831 With: Eli B. Bennett	Succeeded by Eli Bennett David Roberts
Preceded by Charles Hawley	Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 12th District 1831–1832	Succeeded by Charles Hawley
Preceded by John Samuel Peters	Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut 1832–1833	Succeeded by Ebenezer Stoddard
Preceded by Ebenezer Stoddard	Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut 1834–1835	Succeeded by Ebenezer Stoddard
Preceded by John M. Niles	U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Connecticut 1839–1840 Served alongside: Perry Smith	Succeeded by Jabez W. Huntington