Charles H. DuPont

Who was Charles H. DuPont?

Charles H. DuPont was a Florida lawyer, planter, businessman, and Democratic politician who served as a Florida Supreme Court justice from 1854 to 1868. He was Chief Justice from 1860 to 1868. He was born on January 27, 1805. He died on October 14, 1877.

DuPont was born in Beaufort District, South Carolina on January 27, 1805. His family were cousins of the Du Pont family. His father died when he was young, and his mother sent him to Ohio where he worked on a farm and attended the common schools. He graduated from Franklin College in Georgia in 1826. The same year, he moved to Gadsden County, Florida where he opened a legal practice and became a planter. At one time he held over 5,000 acres in Gadsden County and owned more than 100 slaves.

In 1833 Governor William Pope DuVal appointed him appraiser for the Union Bank. He became a trustee of the Central Bank in 1834. That same year, Governor DuVal appointed him judge for the Gadsden County Court. Duval also appointed him to the legislative council in 1834 and 1835, where he was involved running the militia, making internal improvements to infrastructure, and setting up the judiciary.