Peleg Emory Aldrich Explained

Peleg Emory Aldrich
Office:Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court
Termstart:1873
Termend:March 14, 1895
Appointer:William B. Washburn
Office2:Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
Term Start2:1866
Term End2:1867
Office3:12th Mayor of
Worcester, Massachusetts
Term Start3:1866
Term End3:January 3, 1863
Successor3:D. Waldo Lincoln
Office4:District Attorney
for the Middle District
Appointer4:John H. Clifford
Term Start4:1853
Term End4:1865
Party:Whig, Republican
Birth Date:July 24, 1813
Death Date:March 14, 1895 (aged 71)
Alma Mater:Harvard Law School, L.L.B. 1844
Occupation:Attorney

Peleg Emory Aldrich (July 24, 1813 – March 14, 1895) was a teacher, lawyer, politician and jurist who served as the twelfth mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts, and as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court.

Early life

Aldrich was born on July 24, 1813, in New Salem, Massachusetts.

Family life

Aldrich married Sarah Woods, of Barre, Massachusetts, in 1850. They had five children, three daughters and two sons.

Early education and career

For his early education, Aldrich attended the public schools of New Salem, Massachusetts. At the age of sixteen, Aldrich entered the academy in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. After he left the academy, Aldrich went into teaching, first in Ashfield, Massachusetts, later, in 1837, in Tappahannock, Virginia. Aldrich studied law while he was teaching. In 1842 Aldrich entered Harvard Law School, graduating with the L.L.B. degree in 1844. Soon after he graduated from Harvard Law School, Aldrich returned to teaching in Virginia.

Early legal career

Aldrich was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1845, but he did not practice law there. Aldrich returned to Massachusetts and began working for the firm of Ashman, Chapman & Norton in Springfield, Massachusetts. Aldrich was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar at Hampden County in the spring of 1846. In December 1846, Aldrich moved to Barre, Massachusetts, where he opened a law office. Aldrich would stay in Barre for seven years.

Barre Patriot

For three of the years he was in Barre, Aldrich edited the Barre Patriot, which was a pro-Whig party newspaper.

District Attorney

In 1854 Governor Clifford appointed Aldrich as District Attorney for the Middle District, Aldrich moved to Worcester after he was appointed District Attorney. Aldrich served as the District Attorney until 1865.

Political career

Aldrich was a member of the Whig Party until that party dissolved, at which point he joined the newly formed Republican Party.

Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1853

Aldrich was a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1853.

Mayor of Worcester

Aldrich served as the mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1862. It was as the mayor of Worcester that Aldrich was present at the battle of Antietam because he had gone to the front to visit soldiers from the city. In 1865 he was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society,[1] which is located in Worcester.

Massachusetts House of Representatives

Aldrich served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1866 to 1867.

Later legal career

In January 1865, Aldrich formed a law firm, Bacon & Aldrich, in partnership with Peter C. Bacon. Aldrich stayed in this partnership until he was elevated to the bench in 1873.

Judicial career

In 1873 Governor Washburn appointed Aldrich as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court. Aldrich remained on the court until his death on March 14, 1895.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlista American Antiquarian Society Members Directory