Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/197

BALDWIN.BALDWIN. BALDWIN, Loammi, engineer, was born at Woburn, Mass., Jan. 21, 1745. He was educated in the common schools; studied mathematics at Harvard and became a civil engineer. He entered the army as a major, was present at the battles of Lexington, Long Island and Trenton, was promoted to the rank of colonel, but ill-health compelled him to leave the army in 1777. He was sheriff of Middlesex county from 1780 to 1794, and a member of the Massachusetts state legislature in 1778, 1779, 1780. He was one of the largest owners of the Middlesex canal, and its superintendent from 1794 to 1804. The American academy of sciences elected him to membership. He died in Woburn, Mass., Oct. 20, 1807. BALDWIN, Roger Sherman, statesman, was born at New Haven, Conn., Jan. 4, 1793, son of Simeon Baldwin, who was a direct descendant from one of the original New Haven settlers, and married a daughter of Roger Sherman, one of the signers of the declaration of independence. Roger was graduated at Yale college with high honors in 1811, and after studying law in his father's office he took a course in the then famous law school conducted by Judges Reeve and Gould at Litchfield, Conn. After his admission to the bar in 1814, he commenced practice in New Haven and soon attracted attention by his brilliant successes. His wide knowledge of law and his thorough command of all the minutiæ of his cases were considered remarkable for so young a man. He was associated with John Quincy Adams before the United States supreme court in 1839 in the defence of the slaves rescued from the ship Amistad by an American vessel, after the slaves had overpowered the Spanish crew and were drifting on the high seas, claimed by Spain, and his masterly conduct of the case, which Adams left almost entirely to him, won many encomiums of praise from bench and bar, including such authorities as Chancellor Kent. In 1837 and 1838 he sat in the upper house of the Connecticut state legislature. In 1840 and 1841 he was a representative in the general assembly; in 1844 and 1845 was governor of the state, and from 1847 to 1851 was a United States senator appointed by the governor on the death of Senator J. W. Huntington, Nov. 1, 1847, and elected on the assembling of the state legislature, to fill the unexpired term ending March 4, 1851. He was a presidential elector-at-large in 1860, and voted for Abraham Lincoln for president and was appointed a delegate to the peace congress of 1861 by Governor Buckingham. He received the degree of LL. D. from Trinity college in 1844, and from Yale in 1845. He died at New Haven, Feb. 19, 1863. BALDWIN, Simeon, jurist, was born at Norwich, Conn., Dec. 14, 1761. He was graduated from Yale college in 1781, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1786. He was elected in 1802 as a representative from Connecticut to the 8th Congress, and in 1806 he was made judge of the supreme court of that state. He was a member of the commission which located the Farmington canal in 1822, and in 1826 was elected mayor of New Haven. He died May 26, 1851. BALDWIN, Simeon Eben, educator, was born at New Haven, Conn., Feb. 5, 1840, son of Roger Sherman and Emily (Perkins) Baldwin, and great-grandson of Roger Sherman, signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was graduated at Yale college in 1861, studied law at Yale and Harvard law schools, was admitted to the bar in 1863, and began to practice his profession at New Haven. In 1869 he was appointed an instructor in the Yale law school, and was made professor of constitutional and mercantile law, corporations, and wills in 1872. In 1877 he was appointed by the legislature on a commission to revise the educational laws of Connecticut, and in 1873 on a commission to revise the general statutes. He was the originator of the movement to introduce code pleading in his state, and was on the commission appointed for that purpose in 1878. In 1885 he served on the commission to recommend a better system of taxation, and drew the report, the result of which was a large addition to the revenues of the state. In 1884 he was elected president of the New Haven colony historical society. He was one of the promoters of the New Haven park system and vice-president of the park commission. He was also vice-president of the state bar association, and in 1890 was made president of the American bar association. In 1893 he was elected an associate judge of the supreme court of errors of Connecticut. Harvard conferred on him the degree of LL. D. in 1891. He is the author of "Baldwin's Digest of the Connecticut Law Reports" (2 vols.), and of addresses and pamphlets. BALDWIN, Theron, clergyman, was born at Goshen, Conn., July 21, 1801, son of Elisha and Clarissa ( Judd) Baldwin. He received his education at Yale college, from which he was graduated in 1827 with high honors. The following two years he devoted to the study of theology, and in 1829 was ordained to the ministry, beginning his work as missionary in Western Illinois college.