Charles Codding

Charles Nelson Codding (December 21, 1861 – January 21, 1926) was an American attorney and Republican Party politician who represented Union County, New Jersey in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1894 to 1895.

Early life and education Charles Nelson Codding was born on December 21, 1861, in Collinsville, Connecticut, to Samuel N. and Fidelia S. Codding. He was educated at Phillips Academy and graduated from Yale University in 1886 with a bachelor's degree. He received a bachelor of laws degree from Columbia Law School in 1888.

Legal career After graduating from law school, Codding was admitted to the New Jersey bar and moved to Westfield, New Jersey. He had law offices on Broad Street in Elizabeth. From 1901 to 1903, he played a major role in the reincorporation of Westfield as a town government. He chaired the committee of incorporation, which submitted the bill reforming the municipal charter to the state legislature. After vigorous debate, it was signed by the governor on March 4, 1903.

He was appointed by Foster Voorhees as managing head of the office of clerk of the Supreme Court of New Jersey and reappointed by successive governors Franklin Murphy and Edward C. Stokes. In 1917, he was elected Union County Surrogate. In the same year, he served on the Westfield bicentennial committee and chaired the subcommittee on speakers alongside Arthur N. Pierson.

Personal life and death Codding married Adele C. Bonfield on October 18, 1888, in Beverly, New Jersey.

Codding died on January 21, 1926.

Legacy In 2012, the Westfield Historical Society inducted Codding into their hall of fame, recognizing him as "the first sophisticated leader of Westfield."