Robert Carter Pitman
Encyclopedia
Robert Carter Pitman was a Superior Court
judge
in Massachusetts
, a temperance
advocate, and a legislator in the Massachusetts General Court
.
He was born in Newport
, Rhode Island
on March 16, 1825, the son of Benjamin and Mary Ann (Carter) Pitman. He was educated at the public schools of Bedford
, at the Friends Academy
, and at Wesleyan University
, where he became a member of the Mystical Seven
, graduating in 1845. He studied law and taught briefly at Centenary College
in Louisiana
in 1846 or 1847.
Pitman was admitted to the bar in New Bedford
, Massachusetts
in 1848. He practiced law until 1869, and was at different times a partner with Thomas D. Eliot and Alanson Borden. In 1858, he was apponted a judge of the Police Court. He was a state representative
in 1858 and a state senator
in 1864-65 and 1868-69; and in the last year he was President of the Senate
. In 1869, he was appointed judge of the Superior Court and remained on the bench until his death. That same year, he received a Doctor of Laws degree from Wesleyan University.
Pitman became active in the temperance movement, and in 1873 he became president of the National Temperance Convention, and wrote and extensively on the societal effects of alcohol. Pitman was also the author of Alcohol and the State: A Discussion of the Problem of Law in 1877, a comprehensive 400 page tome. This book has recently had a new life by being reissued on a CDrom set.
He was married in New Bedford on August 15, 1855 to Frances R., daughter of Rev. M. G. Thomas, and died at Newton
on March 5, 1891.
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, a temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
advocate, and a legislator in the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
.
He was born in Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
on March 16, 1825, the son of Benjamin and Mary Ann (Carter) Pitman. He was educated at the public schools of Bedford
Bedford, Massachusetts
Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, at the Friends Academy
Friends Academy
Friends Academy is a Quaker, coeducational, independent, college preparatory school serving students from nursery school through the twelfth grade, located in Locust Valley, New York, United States. The school was founded in 1876 by 78-year-old Gideon Frost for "The children of Friends and those...
, and at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
, where he became a member of the Mystical Seven
Mystical Seven (Wesleyan)
The Mystical Seven is a society founded in 1837 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut that currently is in existence as two separate groups. Publicly, members are called Mystics.-Early history:...
, graduating in 1845. He studied law and taught briefly at Centenary College
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in 1846 or 1847.
Pitman was admitted to the bar in New Bedford
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1848. He practiced law until 1869, and was at different times a partner with Thomas D. Eliot and Alanson Borden. In 1858, he was apponted a judge of the Police Court. He was a state representative
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
in 1858 and a state senator
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
in 1864-65 and 1868-69; and in the last year he was President of the Senate
President of the Massachusetts Senate
The President of the Massachusetts Senate is the presiding officer. In the United States Congress, the Vice President of the United States is the ex officio President of the United States Senate. In Massachusetts, however, the President of the Senate is elected from and by the Senators...
. In 1869, he was appointed judge of the Superior Court and remained on the bench until his death. That same year, he received a Doctor of Laws degree from Wesleyan University.
Pitman became active in the temperance movement, and in 1873 he became president of the National Temperance Convention, and wrote and extensively on the societal effects of alcohol. Pitman was also the author of Alcohol and the State: A Discussion of the Problem of Law in 1877, a comprehensive 400 page tome. This book has recently had a new life by being reissued on a CDrom set.
He was married in New Bedford on August 15, 1855 to Frances R., daughter of Rev. M. G. Thomas, and died at Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
on March 5, 1891.