History of West Hebron, (Washington County) New York United States of America

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Samuel Nelson, jurist, was born in Hebron, Washington county, N.Y., Nov. 10, 1792; son of John Rogers and Jean (McArthur) Nelson. He was graduated at Middlebury college in 1813, studied law in Granville, N.Y., under Chief-Justice Savage and was admitted to the bar in 1817. He settled in practice in Cortland, N.Y., and in trying his first suit won his case through superior knowledge of the law by which he obtained a stay. He was a presidential elector on the Monroe and Tompkins ticket in 1820 and postmaster of Cortland, 1820-23. He was married in 1819 to Pamella, daughter of Judge Andrew S. Wood of Bath, N.Y., and secondly, in 1825, to Catharine Ann, daughter of Judge Russell of Cooperstown, N.Y. In 1829 he made his home at Fenimore, where he was a friend and neighbor of Cooper, the novelist. He was a member of the state constitutional conventions in 1822 and 1844; judge of the sixth circuit court of New York, 1823-31; associate justice of the supreme court of New York, 1831-37, and chief justice, 1837-45. He was appointed associate justice of the U.S. supreme court by President Tyler in 1845, as successor to Justice Smith Thompson, deceased, and served until October, 1872, when he resigned. When the "Dred Scott" decision was pronounced by the U.S. supreme court in 1857, be concurred with Chief-Justice Taney. In 1871 he was appointed by President Grant a member of the joint high commission that met in Washington, D.C., to arbitrate the Alabama claims, and while in attendance on that commission contracted a cold that forced him to resign his seat on the supreme bench. His name was before several Democratic national conventions as an available nominee for president. He received the degree of LL.D. from Geneva in 1837, from Middlebury in 1841, from Columbia in 1841 and from Hamilton in 1870. He died in Cooperstown, N.Y., Dec. 13, 1873.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of West Hebron, (Washington County) New York

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