Albert C. Greene Papers (MSS 452)

Historical note

Albert C. Greene (1791-1863) was born in Coventry, Rhode Island to Perry (b.1749) and Elizabeth (Belcher) Greene (b. 1758). He had one sibling, a brother, William P. Greene (1784-1855). He was educated at the East Greenwich Academy until he was placed as an apprentice, at the age of 13, to George Brinkerhoff, an attorney in New York City. He was admitted to the bar in 1812 and continued his studies at the law school of Judges Reeves & Gould in Litchfield, Connecticut. He returned to Rhode Island in 1813 and set up practice in East Greenwich.

He married Catharine Celia Greene (1794-1826), the daughter of Gov. William Greene (1764-1829) on May 16, 1814. They had five children: William Albert (1815-1840), Katharine Celia (1816-1887), Mary Elizabeth (b. 1818), Susan Eliza, and Frances Ray. He married a second time to Julia (Bourne) Jones (1790-1842) on August 22, 1841.

In 1815, he was elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly, was its Speaker of the House (1822-1825), and held that office until 1825 when he became Attorney General. During his time in local politics he was also appointed Brigadier General (1816-1821) and then Major-General (1821-1823) of the state militia. In 1843 he declined the candidacy for Attorney General and was elected to the U. S. Senate. He held this position until 1851. In 1851 he returned to Rhode Island and once again became involved in local politics as member of the General Assembly from 1857-1858. In 1858 he bowed out of politics after serving his state well for forty-three years. Greene lived in East Greenwich until 1834, then moved to Providence where he lived until his death on January 8, 1863. He is buried at the Grace Church Cemetery in Providence.