Person:Charles Williams (121)

Herringshaw's Encyclopedia of American Biography of the Nineteenth Century. page 1012 WILLIAMS, CHARLES KILBOURNE, soldier, lawyer, jurist, governor, was born Jan. 24, 1782, in Cambridge, Mass. In 1812 he served during one campaign on the northern frontier. Between 1809 and 1821 he was several times a representative in the Vermont legislature; and again in 1849. He was state's attorney in 1814 and 1815; was a judge of the supreme court from 1822 to 1824, and from 1829 to 1842; and was collector of customs for the district of Vermont from 1825 to 1829. He was chief justice of the supreme court of Vermont from 1843 to 1846; and was president of the council of censors in 1847. He was governor of Vermont from 1850 to 1852. He died March 9, 1853, in Rutland, Vt. Men of Vermont: An Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of Vermont.

[p.71] THE GOVERNORS. page 89 Williams, Charles Kilborn.�Governor, an eminent jurist and one of the most widely useful of our statesmen, was born at Cambridge, Mass., Jan. 24, 1782. Youngest son of that eminent philosopher and historian, Rev. Samuel Williams, LL. D., by Jane, daughter of Elphialet Kilborn. He came to Vermont with his father in 1790, graduated at Williams in 1800, and locating at Rutland, continued to reside there until his death. He studied law with Cephas Smith, Esq., of Rutland, then clerk of the U. S. courts for the district of Vermont; was admitted to the bar in March, 1803; was appointed a tutor in Williams College in 1802, and about the same time received a similar appointment from Middlebury College, both of which he declined. He served one campaign on the north frontier in the war of 1812. Represented Rutland 1809-'11-'14-'15-'20-'21 and '49. After his retirement from the bench, by the general concurrence of all political parties in town, he was state's attorney of Rutland county in 1815; was elected judge of the Supreme Court of Vermont, in 1822-'23-'24, declining the last election; was appointed collector of customs for Vermont in 1825 and held the position until October, 1829, [p.89] when he resigned, being again elected one of the judges of the Vermont Supreme Court; to this office he received seventeen successive annual elections. He retired from the bench in 1849, declining a re-election. In 1850-'51 he was elected Governor by a majority of the popular vote. In 1827 he was appointed one of the state commissioners for common schools, a board to select and recommend suitable text books and to have general supervision over educational affairs of the state; was a member of the corporation of Middlebury College from 1827 to 1843, and, at the time of his death, was president of the society of the Alumni of Williams College. He received the degree of Master of Arts from Middlebury and Williams Colleges in 1803, and that of Doctor of Laws from the former in 1834. Governor Williams died very suddenly at his residence in Rutland, March 9, 1853.