Who appointed William Davis Shipman?

President James Buchanan appointed William Davis Shipman to the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut in 1860.

Was William Davis Shipman appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?

William Davis Shipman was appointed by President James Buchanan, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.

What was William Davis Shipman's confirmation vote?

William Davis Shipman was confirmed by voice vote on March 12, 1860. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.

District of Connecticut / Appointed 1860 / Served to 1873

William Davis Shipman

Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

Appointed by President James Buchanan in 1860 and confirmed by voice vote, William Davis Shipman was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. Sources ↓

Lived: 1818–1898
Appointed by: James Buchanan, 1860
Confirmed: by voice vote
Succeeded: Charles Anthony Ingersoll
Succeeded by: Nathaniel Shipman

Federal judicial service

Year	Court	Appointed by	Vote
1860	District of Connecticut succeeded Charles Anthony Ingersoll	Buchanan (D)	Voice vote

Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.

Confirmation vote

Voice vote

The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.

Education

Read law

1849

Before the bench

Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.

Private practice, East Haddam, Connecticut	1850-1854
Judge, Hartford [Connecticut] Probate Court	1852-1853
State representative, Connecticut	1853
U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut	1853-1860
Private practice, Hartford, Connecticut
Private practice, New York City	1873-

Questions & answers

Who appointed William Davis Shipman?: President James Buchanan appointed William Davis Shipman to the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut in 1860.
Was William Davis Shipman appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?: William Davis Shipman was appointed by President James Buchanan, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was William Davis Shipman's confirmation vote?: William Davis Shipman was confirmed by voice vote on March 12, 1860. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was William Davis Shipman on?: William Davis Shipman was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

Sources

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13 years on the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).