Frederick Halstead Teese

Frederick Halstead Teese (October 21, 1823 – January 7, 1894) was an American lawyer, jurist, and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New Jersey from 1875 to 1877. He was born in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, where he spent much of his life and established his professional and political career. Little is recorded about his early childhood, but his later accomplishments indicate a thorough classical education and early exposure to the legal and civic life of his native city.

Teese pursued higher education at the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, from which he graduated on October 21, 1843. Following his graduation, he read law in the office of Asa Whitehead, a prominent Newark attorney, in keeping with the mid‑nineteenth‑century practice of legal apprenticeship. He was admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1846 and commenced the practice of law in Newark. Over the ensuing decades he built a substantial legal practice, gaining recognition in Essex County for his professional ability and for his involvement in local affairs.

In his personal life, Teese married Ann Caroline Darcy in 1856. The couple made their home in Newark and became the parents of two daughters, Mary and Catharine. His family connections, combined with his growing legal reputation, helped to anchor him within New Jersey’s professional and social circles during a period of rapid urban and industrial development in and around Newark.

Teese’s public career began in state politics. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and served in 1860 and 1861. During his second year in the legislature he was chosen Speaker of the Assembly, presiding over the lower house at the outset of the Civil War. His legislative service and leadership in the Assembly enhanced his standing within the Democratic Party and led to further responsibilities in the state’s judicial system.

In 1864, Teese was appointed presiding judge of the Essex County Court of Common Pleas, a position he held for eight years. As presiding judge, he oversaw a broad range of civil and criminal matters at the county level during a time of significant social and economic change following the Civil War. He remained on the bench until his resignation in 1872, after which he returned his full attention to private legal practice while remaining active in Democratic political circles.

Teese advanced to national office when he was elected as a Democrat to the Forty‑fourth Congress, representing New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1877. His term in Congress occurred during the closing years of Reconstruction, a significant period in American history marked by contested federal policies in the South and debates over economic and constitutional issues. As a member of the Democratic Party representing New Jersey, he contributed to the legislative process during his single term, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents. In 1876 he declined the nomination for reelection and, upon the expiration of his term, resumed the practice of law.

After leaving Congress, Teese continued his legal work, remaining a respected member of the New Jersey bar. He maintained his professional residence in Newark while also spending time in New York, reflecting the close commercial and legal ties between the two cities in the late nineteenth century. His long career encompassed service as a legislator, judicial officer, and national lawmaker, and he was remembered by contemporaries in legal and historical publications for his contributions to the bench and bar of New Jersey.

Frederick Halstead Teese died in New York City on January 7, 1894. His death was noted in contemporary legal journals and newspapers, including an obituary in The New Jersey Law Journal and a death notice in The New York Times. He was interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey, returning in death to the city where he had been born, educated, and where he had built his legal and political career.