Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-18
Hereditary AbiIity-American
Illus ratiOns.

AAiuS ratfOnSs
The subject of hereditary ability ha.
attracted some attention in England
latel y, and a very curious letter was re.
Gently published in the Times. founded
upon Mr.. Foss's Tables Of all the Eng.
lish judges from the earliest times. show
ing IN what number of instance.
several members of the same family
often in direct descent, have attained .
high position at the English bar and
have been appointed to the bench. A
similar list can be formed from the
judges Of the supreme court of Massa-
chusetts, and, in proportion to fheir
number, perhaps quite as remarkable as
that which the industry of antiquaries
has discovered in England.
From the list published in the Man
ual of the general court for 1869. D. 135
it appears that between 1892 and 1875
there were thirty-three judges of the
superior court Of judieature of the
Province of Massachusetts, Bay
Among these were three Cushings, two
Sewalls (bOth chief-justices) two Lyndes,
(also efjustices) and two Hutchin-
sons and members of the distinguished
families Of Winthrop, Dudley, Leyerett,
Quincy, SaltOnstall, and Oliver.
Since l775, there have been forty-tWe
justices of the supreme court of Massa-
chusetts, from whom we have selected
the following names
John Adams, the first ehief-iustiee
and the sOcend President of the United
States, whose family is too celebrated to
need special mention.
William Cushing, the second chief
justice, and afterwards Judge of the
supreme court of the United States. a
near relative of Nathan Cushing, Judge
179O-18O0, and Of Caleb Cushing, Judge
1928, and afterwards Attorney-Gen-
eral of the United States, and of Robert
Treat Paine, judge 1790-1SO4, and one
Of the signers Of the Declaration Of In
dependence.
Jedediah Foster, Judge 1776-1779,
was the father of Dwight Foster, chief
justice of the common pleas and United
States senator from Massachusetts,, and
of Theodore Foster, United States senator
from Rhode Island, and great-grand-
father of Dwight Foster, Judge 1866
90.
Francis Dana, the fourth chief justice
and minister to Russia, was the son of
Richard Dana, judge of the provincial
court Of common pleas, and nephew Of
Edmund Trowbridge, the ablest and
most learned of the provincial superior
court and was also father of Richard
Henry Dana, the poet grandfather of
Richard Henry Dana, Jr., one Of the
present leaders Of the Boston bar; and
uncle of Gen. George Kinnaird Dana of
the English army.
James Sullivan, judge 1776-S2, and
afterwards governor, was a brother
of Gen. John Sullivan, and father of the
late Hon. William Sullivan.
TAeOphilus Parsons, the fifth chief
Justice, was the father of the Hon.
Theophilus Parsons, Dane professor of
law in Harvard University.
David Sewall, judge 1777-S9, and
Samuel Sewall, the sixth chief-justiee,
were near relatives aud descendants of
Chief-Justiee Samuel Sewall of witch
craft celebrity.
Simeon Strong, judge 1901 -05, was, we
believe, near relative of Governor Caleb
Strong, and was father of Solomon
Strong, Judge of the Court of Common
Pleas.
Theodore Sedgwick, Judge 1SO2-13,
and previously Speaker and Senator in
Congress, was father Of Robert Sedg-
wick, and grandfather of Theodore Sedg-
wick, two distinguished members of the
New York bar. Miss Sedgwick, the
well-known author, was his daughter.
Daniel Dewey, judge 1S14-1j, was the
father Of Charles Augustus Dewey,
Judge, 1876, and a son of the latter,
Francis HenshaW Dewey, is one of the
present judges of the Superior Court.
The late Daniel Barnard, of Albany,
Minister at the Court of Prussia, was
their cousin.
Levi Lincoln, judge 1S2+25, and
afterwards governor, was the son of
Levi Lincoln, Attorney-General of the
United States, and brother of - Lin
,oln, Governor Of Maine.
Marcus Morton, judge 1S25-40, and
afterwards governor, was the father of
Marcus Morton, one of the present
Judges of the Superior Court.
Ebenezer lockwood Hoar, Judge |
1859 50, and now Attorney General Of !
he United States, is the son Of the
ate Hon. Samuel Hoar,. of Concord
md brother of the Hon. George Frisbie /
doar, member of Congress from Wor- |
'ester. They are grandsOns of Roger !
sherman and the first cousins of the |
ate Governor Roger Sherman Baldwin
# Connecticut and of William Maxwell |
svarts, lately Acknowledgement of the
United States.
Seth Ames, one of the present judges
# the court, is the son Of the celebrated |
Fisher Ames.
This list is necessarily imperfect, |
in relationship on the female
ide, and possibly in one or two instances
Incorrect, but it is singularly strong
ividence in support of the theory to |
which we referred above.-BostoR Id |
ertiser.