William Davis Shipman

Who was William Davis Shipman?

William Davis Shipman was a United States federal judge.

Born in Chester, Connecticut, Shipman read law to enter the bar in 1849 and entered private practice in East Haddam, Connecticut. He was a probate judge, Hartford, Connecticut from 1852 to 1853, a member of the Connecticut General Assembly in 1853, and the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut from 1853 to 1860.

On March 2, 1860, Shipman was nominated by President James Buchanan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut vacated by Charles A. Ingersoll. Shipman was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 12, 1860, and received commission the same day. Among the notable cases over which Shipman presided, was the United States v. Nathaniel Gordon. The case resulted in Gordon's execution, which is the only such execution ever under the Piracy Law of 1820. In sentencing Gordon, Shipman said:

Let me implore you to seek the spiritual guidance of the ministers of religion; and let your repentance be as humble and thorough as your crime was great.