Edward M. Paxson Explained

Edward M. Paxson
Office:Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Termstart:1889
Termend:1893
Predecessor:Isaac G. Gordon
Successor:James P. Sterrett
Office2:Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Termstart2:1875
Termend2:1889
Birth Date:3 September 1824
Birth Place:Buckingham, Pennsylvania
Spouse:Mary C. Newlin
Mary Martha S. Bridges
Signature:Signature of Edward M. Paxson (1824–1905).png
Party:Republican

Edward M. Paxson (September 3, 1824 – October 12, 1905) was a justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1875 to 1889 and chief justice from 1889 to 1893.

Biography

Edward M. Paxson was born on September 3, 1824, to Thomas and Ann Johnson Paxson in Buckingham, Pennsylvania. He attended Quaker schools and was admitted to the bar in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in April 1850. He was appointed by Pennsylvania Governor John W. Geary to the Common Pleas bench in 1869 to replace F. Carroll Brewster, who had resigned to become Pennsylvania Attorney General. He was subsequently elected as a Republican to the position.[1] [2]

In 1874, Paxson was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, assuming office as an associate justice in January 1875. He served as an associate justice until January 1889, when he was elevated to chief justice. He stepped down from the bench in February 1893 to become a receiver of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company. He died on October 12, 1905.[1] [2]

Paxson was married twice, to Mary C. Newlin from 1846 to her death in 1885, and to Mary Martha S. Bridges, widow of Samuel Augustus Bridges.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Annual Report of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Volume 12. 1905. Pennsylvania Bar Association. 93. 2 June 2016.
  2. Book: The Medico-legal Journal, Volume 12. 1894. Medico-Legal Journal Association. 234–36. 2 June 2016.