Chesselden Ellis

Chesselden Ellis (1808 – May 10, 1854) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served one term as a United States Representative from New York from 1843 to 1845. He was born in 1808 in New Windsor, Vermont, where he spent his early years before pursuing formal education that would prepare him for a career in the law and public service.

Ellis completed preparatory studies and then attended Union College in Schenectady, New York, from which he was graduated in 1823. Following his graduation, he read law in the office of John Cramer, a prominent attorney, and pursued the traditional legal apprenticeship of the period. After several years of study, he was admitted to the bar in 1829. He subsequently commenced the practice of law in Waterford, New York, establishing himself professionally in Saratoga County.

Ellis’s legal abilities and growing reputation led to his election as district attorney of Saratoga County. He served in that capacity from April 25, 1837, until September 11, 1843. As district attorney, he was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the county and representing the public interest in legal matters, work that enhanced his standing in local Democratic Party circles and provided a platform for his entry into national politics.

In 1843, Ellis was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth Congress, representing New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. His term in Congress ran from March 4, 1843, to March 3, 1845. As a member of the Democratic Party, he participated in the legislative process during a significant period in American history, contributing to debates and decisions in the national legislature and representing the interests of his New York constituents. His service in Congress occurred at a time of growing sectional tensions and expanding national territory, and he took part in the democratic process that shaped federal policy in the early 1840s.

Ellis was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1844 and, upon the conclusion of his term, he resumed the practice of law in Waterford. In 1845 he moved to New York City, where he continued to practice his profession. He remained active in legal work there for the rest of his life, maintaining his identity as both an attorney and a Democratic public figure, though he did not again hold national office.

Chesselden Ellis died in New York City on May 10, 1854. Following his death, his remains were returned to the community where he had first established his legal career, and he was interred in Waterford Rural Cemetery in Waterford, New York.