Thomas Jackson Oakley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thomas Jackson Oakley (November 10, 1783 near Poughkeepsie – May 11, 1857 New York City) was a United States Representative and New York State Attorney General.

[edit] Life

He graduated from Yale College in 1801, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1804 and commenced practice in Poughkeepsie. He was surrogate of Dutchess County in 1810 and 1811, and was elected as a Federalist to the Thirteenth United States Congress (March 4, 1813–March 3, 1815).

Oakley was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1816 and from 1818 to 1820 he was New York State Attorney General from 1819 to 1821, and was again elected to Congress, serving from March 4, 1827, until May 9, 1828, when he resigned to go on the bench. He was a judge of the superior court of New York City from 1828 to 1847, was appointed chief justice in October 1847 and served until his death in office. He was buried at Trinity Churchyard in New York.

He married Matilda Cruger (1809-1891), and they had several children. His father-in-law was Henry Cruger, who had the unique distinction of serving as both a member of Parliament (1774-1780; 1784-1790) and as a New York State Senator (1792-1796).

[edit] References

• Thomas Jackson Oakley at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• List of New York Attorneys General