History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

The present court-house in Bridgeport was first oc- cupied in 1855, and is a neat and substantial brown- stone structure, located on a public square which is bounded on three sides by the following streets, State, Broad, and Bank, and on its fourth side by private property. The jail is located on North Avenue, and is a substantial brick building. The first court-house in Danbury was a small square building, two stories in height, surmounted with a snuill cupola. The present court-house was erected in 1820 or 1824, and rc|)aired and beautified a few years since. In front of the old court-house stood the whipping-post and stocks. The late Aaron Seeley and Samuel Wildman, deputy-sheriffs, and Levi Starr, constable, were the last who presided at this " engine of torture." The jail at Danbury is a neat and substantial brick building, located on ^ilain Street. CHAPTER II. BENCH AND BAR. Among the prominent agencies which give shape and order in the early development of the civil and social condition of society, the pulpit, press, and bar are perhaps the most potential in moulding the in- stitutions of a new community ; and where these arc early planted, the school, academy, and college are not long in assuming their legitimate jiosition, and the maintciuiuce of these institutions secures at the start a social and moral foundation upon which wo may safely rest the superstructure of the county, the State, and the nation. The establishment of courts and judicial tribunals, where society is i)rotected in all its civil rights under the sanction of law, and wrong finds a ready redress in au enlightened and prompt administration of justice, is the first necessity of every civilized community, and without which the forces and press of society in its changeable develop- ments, even under the teachings of the pulpit, the I direction of the press, and the culture of the schools, I arc exposed t^) peril and disaster from the turbulence ' of iia.«ion and conflicts of interest; and hence the best and surest security that even the press, the 8i'h<K)l, or the pulpit can find for the peaceful per- ' formance of its highest functions is when protected BENCH AND BAR. 11 by and intrenched behind the bulwarks of law, ad- ministered Ii}' a pure, independent, and uneorrupted judiciary. The Fairfield County bar has from its beginning numbered among its members able jurists, talented advocates, and safe counselors. Here many have lived, flourished, and died, while otlu'rs still are upon the stage of action who have been prominent in tlie advancement of the interests of the county and fig- ured conspicuously in the councils of the State. KOGER LlTDLOW. — First in the galaxy of eminent attorneys who have practiced their profession in Fairfield County stands the name of Roger Ludlow, familiar to every student of the pioneer history of Connecticut. Among the various sketches of this intrepid and talented jurist and pioneer which have from time to time been written, the following, by the Hon. Gideon H. Hollister, is selected as thoroughly de- lineating the meteoric career of this impulsive man : "He was a lawyer of good family, and resided in Dorsetshire, iu the southern part of England. Feb. 13, 1G30, he was chosen as assistant by tlie General Court of Massachusetts. In IMay following he sailed from Plymouth for America in the ' Mary and John,' and entered upon the discharge of his official duties at the first Assistant Court hekl at Gliarleston, in Au- gust of the same year; he continued to occupy this place for four years. In 1G34 he was chosen Deputy Governor of the province, and hoped to have been raised to the rank of Governor, but was disappointed by the jealousy of the deputies, who appear to have taken offense at some impolitic remarks made by him, probably in relation to the growing strengtli and to the frequency of elections. To show him how well they could vindicate themselves, and perhajw to recip- rocate Ills good advice by giving him a practical lesson upon exercising the Christian virtue of humility, they elected John Haynes Governor. Ludlow protested against this aj)pointment in terms of severity. He alleged that the election was void for the reason tliat the delegates had agreed upon their candidate before they left their respective towns. By way of requital for making such an accusation, which was iu all probability true, and as a further proof of the popu- lar power, he was left out of the magistracy for that year. He had not learned the art, so common in our age, of telling the people precisely what he did not believe to be true. " Discouraged at this decided expression of the pop- ular displeasure, he removed to Connecticut during the summer or fall of the year 1635, and establislied himself at Windsor. Here he continued under the gentle ministrations of Mr. Wareham, and soon be- came one of the most consjiicuous men in the colony. " In the summer of 1G37 he was setit by tlie General Court as one of the advisors of the Connecticut forces in the second stage of the Pequot war. He was prob- ably the first lawyer who ever came into the colony, and one of the most gifted who have ever lived in it." He took an active part in the framing of the con- stitution of 1630, and it was in all probability maiidy his work. He was the fir.^t I)e[)Uty-( lovenior of the commonwealth, elevteil Ajiril 11, 163'.l. After his re- moval to Fairfield he still continued to j)erl'oi'm im- portant services for the government. In 1()4() he was appointed by tlie Cieneral Court to reduce tlie crude and ill-defined laws to a system, which code was published at Cambridge in lli73. He was also several times a commissioner for the colony in the New England Con- gress. He remained in Fairfield until 1654, wlieu he embarked at New Haven for Virginia, wlierc the remainder of his days were passed.* I/Samuel B. Shekwood was born Nov. 26, 1767. He graduated at Yale College in 1786, was ad- mitted to the bar in or about 17110, and comiueiiced the practice of his profession iu Westport. He continued in the active practice of his profession until 1831. Ho was one of the leading members of the Fairfield bar, and had a large practice. He fre- quently represented the town in tlie Legislature, and for several years was one of the twelve councilors or u]5per House of the Legislature, answering to a Senate before the adoption of the Constitutiou of 1818, and was a member of the Fifteenth Congress of the United States. Probably no man in Connecticut had from 181U to 1815 greater political inttuence than Samuel B. Sherwood. From a sound physical consti- tution and uniform good health Mr. Sherwood had doubtless calculated on long life, but on the 26th of April, 1833, he was prostrated by brain-fever, and died after a single day's suflering, universally re- gretted. Eliphalet Swift was an early jiractifioner iu Westport. He was born in Windham Co., Conn., July 6, 1780. He graduated at Yale College in 1803, and, having been admitted to the bar, commenced the practice of his profession in Westport in 1806, where he continued it until within a year or two of his de- cease. He died Sept. 21, 1857. Thomas Bcru Osbokne was born iu Eastoii, July 8, 1798. He graduated at Yale in 1817, studied law with the late S. P. Staples, and was admitted to the bar in 1820. In the same year he coninicnced the practice of his profession in Fairfield, where he re- sided until his death. He was clerk of the Sujierior and County Courts of Fairfield County in 1826, and held that office until 1830. He was a representative to the General Court in 1836 and 1841, and in 1839 was elected to Congress, and re-elected in 1841. He was State senator in 1844, and the same year was ap- jiointed judge of the County Court, which office he held several years. He removed to New Haven in 1855, and was ap]M)inted professor of law in Yale Col- lege, whicli position he held until 1865, when he re- signed. His reputation as a judge was of the highest, and his qualities of mind and disposition, while they ^ Sec hUtory of the town of Fiiiifiel'I, elsewlioic in this work. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. peculiarly fitted him for the bench, also csiused him to enjoy itiS duties far more than the active vocation of the bar. Hexky DrTTOX was born in Watertown, Conn., Feb. 12, 17%. He praduatod at Yale Collepe in 181S, and eoinmcnced the study of the law with Koger Minott .^hennan in Fairfield, at the same time teach- ing in the village academy at that place. He was subsequently tutor in Yale College two years, and in 1823 commenced the practice of law in Newtown. Here he remained until IS.*?", when he removed to Bridgeport, where he continued in the active practice of his profession. He held various offices ; was State's attorney and representative to the General Court. In 1847 he removed to New Haven, and accepted tiie chair of Kent professor of law in the Yale Law School. In addition to the duties of the professorship he engaged in the active practice of his profes.sion, and during tliis time also prepared and published his " Revision of Swift's Digest," and a-ssisted in pre- paring the " Revision and Compilation of the Con- necticut Statutes" in 1849, 18.54, and 1866, and in 1854 was chosen Governor of the State by the Legis- lature, the people having faile<l to make a choice at the preceding election. In 1861 he was chosen a judge of the Supreme Court of Errors and of the Superior Court. He remained on the bench as as- sociate judge of the Supreme Court until he re.iched the age of seventy years, Feb. 12, 1866. He died in 1869.