Representative Theodoric Romeyn Westbrook

Theodoric Romeyn Westbrook (November 20, 1821 – October 6, 1885) was a U.S. Representative from New York, a long-serving jurist of the New York Supreme Court, and a prominent but controversial figure in nineteenth-century legal and political life. A member of the Democratic Party representing New York, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in the United States House of Representatives, serving in Congress during a significant period in American history and participating in the democratic process on behalf of his constituents.

Westbrook was born in Fishkill, New York, on November 20, 1821, though some sources indicate his year of birth as 1822. He attended local schools in his native community before pursuing higher education at Rutgers College in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He graduated from Rutgers in 1838, beginning a lifelong association with the institution that would later recognize him as both a trustee and an honorary degree recipient. His early education prepared him for a career in the law at a time when formal legal training was often obtained through apprenticeship rather than specialized law schools.

After completing his collegiate studies, Westbrook read law under the guidance of prominent attorneys Abraham B. Hasbrouck and Marius Schoonmaker. He was admitted to the bar in 1843 and commenced the practice of law in Kingston, New York, where he quickly established himself in the local legal community. His law office also served as a training ground for future lawyers; among the students who studied under him was Stephen Gardner Champlin, who would later distinguish himself as a Union officer during the Civil War. Through his practice, Westbrook gained the professional standing and public visibility that would support his entry into elective office.

Westbrook was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress and served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1853, to March 3, 1855. As a member of the Democratic Party representing New York, he contributed to the legislative process during this term in office, participating in debates and votes during a turbulent antebellum period marked by sectional tensions and national disputes over slavery and territorial expansion. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1854 and, at the conclusion of his term, returned to Kingston to resume the practice of law, continuing his legal career rather than pursuing a prolonged tenure in national politics.

During the American Civil War, Westbrook was an active supporter of the Union cause. From his position in New York, he organized efforts to recruit, equip, and train soldiers for the Union Army, contributing to the state’s mobilization for the war effort. His activities reflected the broader role of local leaders in sustaining the Union war effort through civic organization, legal expertise, and public advocacy at a time when the nation’s political and constitutional order was under severe strain.

In 1873 Westbrook was elected a Justice of the New York Supreme Court, one of the state’s principal trial courts of general jurisdiction, and he subsequently became a significant figure on the New York bench. His connection to Rutgers College continued during these years; he served as a trustee of his alma mater and, in recognition of his professional achievements, the college conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) in 1875. His judicial office placed him at the center of important commercial and corporate litigation in an era of rapid industrialization and financial speculation.

Westbrook’s judicial career, however, became most notable for his involvement in a major scandal concerning the exercise of his official authority. He was exposed for irregularities in the carrying out of his judicial duties in connection with financier Jay Gould’s attempted takeover of the Manhattan Elevated Railway Company. Westbrook reportedly assured Gould that he would go to the limits of his authority to assist in the scheme and went so far as to conduct judicial proceedings in Gould’s office rather than in a courtroom. Gould was later found to have used insider information and favorable rulings from corrupt state officials to drive down the price of the company’s stock, forcing it into bankruptcy and enabling him to acquire the enterprise at a depressed value through a subsequent court proceeding administered by Westbrook. At the urging of Assemblyman Theodore Roosevelt, their relationship and the surrounding circumstances were investigated in 1882 by a special committee of the New York State Assembly. The committee’s findings, however, were quashed amid accusations that some members had accepted bribes, and Westbrook continued to serve on the bench despite the public controversy.

Westbrook remained in judicial service until his death. On October 6, 1885, while in Troy, New York, to conduct court proceedings, he died in his hotel room. His passing brought to a close a career that had encompassed service in Congress, participation in the Union cause during the Civil War, and more than a decade on the New York Supreme Court. He was interred in Wiltwyck Cemetery in Kingston, New York. Following his death, he was succeeded on the bench by Alton B. Parker, who would later gain national prominence as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1904.