Hon.
Chester Isham Reed
Associate Justice of the
Massachusetts Superior Court[2]
In office
1867[1]–1871[3]
Appointed byAlexander H. Bullock
Preceded byThomas Russell[4]
Succeeded byJohn William Bacon[3]
Massachusetts Attorney General
In office
1864 – April 20, 1867
GovernorJohn Albion Andrew
William Claflin
Preceded byDwight Foster
Succeeded byCharles Allen
Member of the
Massachusetts Senate[5]
North Bristol District[6]
In office
1859[1]–1859[1]
In office
1862[5]–1862[5]
Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives[1]
Bristol District
In office
1849[7]–1849
Personal details
BornNovember 23, 1823[2]
Taunton, Massachusetts[1]
DiedSeptember 2, 1873(1873-09-02) (aged 49)[2]
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia[2]
Political partyRepublican[5]
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Y. Allyn, m. February 24, 1851.[2]
ChildrenSybil Reed; Chester Allyn Reed[2]
Alma materTaunton High School; Bristol Academy; Brown University[2]
ProfessionAttorney[2]
Signature

Chester Isham Reed (November 23, 1823 – September 2, 1873) was an American attorney who served in both branches of the Massachusetts legislature,[1] as Attorney General of Massachusetts, and as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court.[2]

Early life

Reed was born to William and Elizabeth Deane (Dennis) Reed[5] on November 23, 1823, in Taunton, Massachusetts.[1][8]

Education

Reed attended Taunton High School, Bristol Academy and Brown University.[2] Because of his father's adverse circumstances Reed was forced to leave Brown University.[5] Reed moved to Gardiner, Maine, to study law.[5] After he completed his study of law, Reed moved back to Taunton[5]

Newspaper employment

After he moved back to Taunton, Massachusetts Reed was, for about a year, editor of the Old Colony Republican newspaper.[5]

Massachusetts Legislature

At the age of 26 Reed was elected to represent Taunton in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[5] Reed was in the Massachusetts Senate[1] in 1858 and 1862.[1][5] While in the Senate of 1862 Reed served on the Joint Standing Committees on Railways and Canals,[9] and on the Subject of Apportioning the State into Congressional Districts.[10]

Marriage and children

On February 24, 1851, Reed married Elizabeth Y. Allyn of New Bedford, Massachusetts.[2] The couple had two children, Sybil Reed, and Chester Allyn Reed.[2]

Law career

In 1848 Reed entered into a law partnership with Anselm Bassett. Reed practiced law in the firm of Bassett & Reed for the next 15 years.[5]

Public Service Career

In 1864 Reed was elected as a Republican[5] to the office of the Massachusetts Attorney General.[5] Reed serves as the Massachusetts Attorney General until 1867 when he was appointed as Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court.[5]

Reed resigned from the Superior Court in 1870.[5]

Death

Reed died on September 2, 1873[2] in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where he had gone to improve his health.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Davis, William Thomas (1895), Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Volume I, Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston History Company, p. 363
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hurd, Duane Hamilton Hurd (1883), History of Bristol County, Massachusetts: with biographical sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 1, Philadelphia, PA: J. Lewis & CO., p. 10
  3. ^ a b Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1890), History of Bristol County, Massachusetts: with biographical sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Vol. I, Philadelphia, PA: J. Lewis & CO., p. xxxi
  4. ^ Coolidge, Henry D. (November 1895), A Manual for the Use of the General Court, Boston, Ma.: Massachusetts General Court, p. 256
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Borden, Alanson (1899), Our Country and its People: a Descriptive and Biographical Record of Bristol County Massachusetts, Boston, MA: The Boston History Company, p. 668
  6. ^ Gifford, Stephen Nye (1862), A Manual for the Use of the General Court, Boston, Ma.: Massachusetts General Court, p. 197
  7. ^ Capen, Nahum (1849), The Massachusetts State Record and Year Book of General Information, Volume III, Boston, Massachusetts: James French, p. 48
  8. ^ Emery, Samuel Hopkins (1893), History of Taunton, Massachusetts: From Its Settlement to the Present Time, Syracuse, New York: D. Mason & Company, p. 556
  9. ^ Gifford, Stephen Nye (1862), A Manual for the Use of the General Court, Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts General Court, p. 241
  10. ^ Gifford, Stephen Nye (1862), A Manual for the Use of the General Court, Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts General Court, p. 245
Legal offices Preceded byThomas Russell Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court 1867–1871 Succeeded byJohn William Bacon Preceded byDwight Foster Attorney General of Massachusetts 1864 – April 20, 1867 Succeeded byCharles Allen Political offices Preceded by Member of the Massachusetts Senate 1859–1859 Succeeded by Preceded by Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives – Succeeded by
Categories