George W. Thompson

George Western Thompson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 15th district
In office March 4, 1851 – July 30, 1852
Preceded by	Thomas Haymond
Succeeded by	Sherrard Clemens
Personal details
Born	(1806-05-14)May 14, 1806 St. Clairsville, Ohio, US
Died	February 24, 1888(1888-02-24) (aged 81) Wheeling, West Virginia, US
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Judge

George Western Thompson (May 14, 1806 – February 24, 1888) was a nineteenth-century politician, lawyer and judge from Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio.

Biography

Born in St. Clairsville, Ohio, Thompson graduated from Jefferson College in 1824, studied law in Richmond, Virginia and was admitted to the bar in 1826, commencing practice in St. Clairsville in 1828. He moved to Virginia in 1837 and was appointed deputy postmaster of Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) in 1838. He was later appointed on a commission to settle jurisdiction of the Ohio River between Virginia and Ohio and was appointed by President James K. Polk United States Attorney for the western district of Virginia which he served as from 1848 to 1850. Thompson was elected a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives in 1850, serving from 1851 until his resignation in 1852 when he became judge of the circuit court of Virginia. He was reelected to this position in 1860, but was forced to leave in 1861 on refusal to take the oath of office to support what he believed was an unconstitutional action to set up the present State of West Virginia. Thompson retired afterwards on his estate near Wheeling, West Virginia where he died on February 24, 1888. He was interred there in Elm Grove Cemetery.

External links

• George W. Thompson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• George W. Thompson at Find A Grave

• George W. Thompson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress