1845),
Member State Senate of Pennsylvania, Member of Congress 1890-1907; and
James Fleming Stewart (1851-1904), were both of Scottish descent.
SCOTS IN THE JUDICIARY
As with the medical and theological professions the legal has shared
the dominating influence of Scotland, and indeed it is perhaps not too
much to say that much of the distinctive character of American
jurisprudence is due to the influence of men of Scottish blood at the
bench and bar. The second Chief Justice of the United States Supreme
Court (John Rutledge) and two of the four original Associate Justices,
Blair and Wilson, were of Scottish origin. The mother of John
Marshall, the great Chief Justice, was of Scottish origin (Keith). Of
fifty judges of the United States Supreme Court from 1789 to 1882, at
least fifteen were of Scottish birth or descent. We have space here to
deal with only a selection of the most prominent names.
Andrew Kirkpatrick (1756-1831), Chief Justice of New Jersey for
twenty-one years, whose "decisions especially those on realty matters,
show a depth of research, a power of discrimination, and a justness of
reasoning which entitle him to rank among the first American jurists,"
was of Scottish parentage, descended from the Kirkpatricks of
Dumfriesshire. His son, also named Andrew, was President Judge of the
Court of Common Pleas of Essex County (1885-96) and United States
District Judge (1896-1904). George Robertson (1790-1874), Chief
Justice of Kentucky (1829-43), "whose name stands first in the list of
great men who have occupied and adorned the Appellate bench of
Kentucky," and who declined the offer of the governorship of Arkansas,
was of Scottish ancestry. Robert Cooper Grier (1794-1870), Associate
Justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut (1846-70) was of same
origin. Eugenius Aristides Nisbet (1803-71), descended from Murdoch
Nisbet, a Lollard of Kyle, after a brilliant career in the state
legislature became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia.
Thomas Todd (1765-1826), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
(1807-26). The first Chief Justice of Delaware, William Killen
(1722-1805), was born in the north of Ireland of Scottish parentage.
John J. Milligan (1795-1875), grandson of a Scottish emigrant from
Ayrshire, was Associate Justice of Delaware, and refused, on account
of ill health, the portfolio of Secretary of the Interior in the
cabinet of President Fillimore. Ellis Lewis (1798-1871), Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (1855-57) was of Scottish
descent. Alexander Addison (1759-1807), born in Scotland, became
President Judge of the fifth judicial district of Pennsylvania under
the constitution of 1770. Robert Hunter Morris, Lieutenant-Governor of
Pennsylvania, was Chief Justice of New Jersey for twenty-one years.
John McLean (1785-1861), Associate Justice, is noticed under Scots in
the Presidential Cabinet; and William Paterson, Associate Justice
(1793-1806), is mentioned under Colonial Governors.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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