Thomas Bard McFarland explained

Thomas Bard McFarland
Office:Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
Termstart:December 28, 1886
Termend:September 1908
Appointer:Direct election
Predecessor:Milton H. Myrick
Successor:Henry A. Melvin
Office1:Assemblyman from Nevada County in the California State Assembly
Termstart1:January 1856
Termend1:March 1856
Appointer1:Direct election
Birth Date:19 April 1828
Birth Place:Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Death Place:San Francisco, California, U.S.
Alma Mater:Marshall College (B.A.)
Occupation:Miner, lawyer, politician, judge

Thomas Bard McFarland (April 19, 1828 – September 16, 1908) was a miner, politician and judge in the U.S. state of California. He served as a state assemblyman, Superior Court judge, and associate justice of the Supreme Court of California.

Biography

McFarland was born in 1828 near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.[1] He graduated from Marshall College (1846) and soon thereafter studied law with his cousin, Robert M. Bard, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He was admitted to practice in 1849.

Instead of commencing practice, however, he headed to California, arriving September 1850, and was a gold miner for three years. He then opened a law office in Nevada City where he practiced with various partners, including Addison Niles, until 1861. In September 1855, he was elected and served one term in the 1856 term of the California State Assembly from Nevada County (part of today's 1st State Assembly district), running on the Know Nothing or American Party ticket.[2] On April 21, 1856, he was admitted to the bar of the California Supreme Court.[3] [4] In 1857, he was nominated by the Know Nothings for California Attorney General but lost the election.[5]

In 1861, he was elected judge of the Fourteenth District Court, in which capacity he served for two terms.[6] After he retired from the bench, he practiced law in Sacramento for the next 12 years, except an interval during which he served as Register of the United States General Land Office at Sacramento, accepting this position at the suggestion of Aaron A. Sargent.[7] [8] In 1879, McFarland served as a member of the convention which framed the existing Constitution of California.[9]

On December 18, 1882, he was appointed to fill a two-year vacancy upon the bench of the Sacramento County Superior Court by Governor George Clement Perkins.[10] In 1884, McFarland was nominated by the Republican Party and elected for a full term.[11] [12]

In November 1886, McFarland was elected on the Republican ticket for a 12-year term as associate justice of the Supreme Court of California, taking his seat in January 1887.[13] [14] In 1898, McFarland was re-elected to the high court despite accusations he favored railroads in his rulings.[15] [16] He sat continuously as an associate justice up to the time of his death, September 16, 1908, a period of over 21 years.[17] In September 1908, Governor James Gillett appointed Henry A. Melvin to finish the remainder of McFarland's term until January 1911.[18] [19]

McFarland was originally a member of the Whig Party, but joined the Republican Party when it was organized.[20]

Civic activities

He sat on the board of education of the city of Sacramento[21] and was a trustee of Leland Stanford Junior University.[22] [23]

Personal life

McFarland married Susie Briggs at Nevada City in 1861.[24] Briggs' sister was married to Dr. Robert M. Hunt who was the first physician to practice medicine in that town, and was a charter member of the California Medical Society.[25] The McFarlands had one child, Jennie.[26] [27] [28]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Johnson. J. Edward. History of the California Supreme Court: The Justices 1850-1900, vol 1. 1963. Bender Moss Co. San Francisco, CA. 149–151. August 14, 2017. December 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161227124913/http://library.courtinfo.ca.gov/included/docs/SCJC_Vol_1.pdf. dead.
  2. News: Official Vote of Nevada County. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. from the Nevada Journal Extra. 1392. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 11 September 1855. 9. 3.
  3. News: The Courts, Supreme Court. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 1505. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 22 January 1856. 10. 2. Application of T. B. McFarland for license as practising attorney, referred to Examining Committee.
  4. News: The Courts, Supreme Court. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 1583. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 22 April 1856. 11. 3.
  5. News: American Nominees. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 1979. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 30 July 1857. 13. 2.
  6. News: How the Democracy Captured Nevada. August 15, 2017. Daily Alta California. 6791. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 20 October 1868. 20. 1.
  7. News: Washington Intelligence. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. 7386. 16 January 1872. 42. 2. The President sent the following nominations to the Senate: Registers of Land Offices-Thomas B. McFarland of Sacramento.
  8. News: Washington, Confirmed. August 15, 2017. Daily Alta California. 9839. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 16 March 1877. 29. 1. Thomas B. McFarland, Register of Land Office at Sacramento.
  9. News: Constitutional Convention. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 189. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 30 September 1878. 7. 2.
  10. News: Memories of Judges Gone Link Yesterday to Now. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Union. 1. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 1 January 1913. 30.
  11. News: Campaign, the Republican Party and its Candidates. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Record-Union. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. October 25, 1884. 7.
  12. News: Local Judges Honor McFarland. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Union. 26. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 19 September 1908. 1. 16 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170816061832/https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SU19080919.2.17&srpos=8&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22thomas+b.+mcfarland%22-------1. dead.
  13. News: City Official Canvas. August 15, 2017. Daily Alta California. 13600. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 24 November 1886. 41. 1.
  14. News: The Supreme Court, From Chief Justice Hastings to Chief Justice Beatty. August 14, 2017. San Francisco Call. 22. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 22 June 1895. 78. 5.
  15. News: Justice T. B. McFarland. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. from the Oakland Tribune. 76. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 5 November 1898. 96. 2.
  16. News: Official Count on State Ticket. August 15, 2017. Marin Journal. 41. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 22 December 1898. 38. 1.
  17. News: Pioneer Jurist Dies in North. August 15, 2017. Los Angeles Herald. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. September 17, 1908. 1.
  18. News: Appoints Melvin to Succeed McFarland. August 15, 2017. Los Angeles Herald. Library of Congress Historic Newspapers. September 29, 1908. 1.
  19. News: Answers to Queries, State Officers. August 15, 2017. San Francisco Call. 129. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 8 April 1901. 87. 4. T. B. McFarland, 1911.
  20. News: Mass Meeting in Nevada County-A People's Party Proposed. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 2569. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 21 June 1859. 17. 1. T. B. McFarland, of Nevada, called the meeting to order and stated the meeting was called by those persons throughout the county who were opposed to the operation and nominations of the various parties in the State and county..
  21. News: Brief Reference. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 249. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 3 December 1875. 1. 3. Voters of the Third Ward endorse McFarland for school director.
  22. News: Leland Stanford Jr. University. August 15, 2017. Sonoma Democrat. 6. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 28 November 1885. 1.
  23. Book: California. Supreme Court. Reports of Cases Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of California. 16 March 2013. Public domain. 1909. 807–.
  24. News: Thirty Years Ago. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 97. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 12 December 1891. 82. 5.
  25. Book: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California: Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of Its Occupancy to the Present Time. 16 March 2013. Public domain. 1891. Lewis Publishing Company. 488–.
  26. News: Social and Personal. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 103. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 24 June 1890. 79. 2. Miss Jennie McFarland, daughter of Justice McFarland, arrived in the city last evening, en route to Placerville..
  27. Book: Shuck, Oscar Tully. History of the Bench and Bar of California: Being Biographies of Many Remarkable Men, a Store of Humorous and Pathetic Recollections, Accounts of Important Legislation and Extraordinary Cases, Comprehending the Judicial History of the State. 16 March 2013. Public domain. 1901. Commercial Printing House. 661–.
  28. News: Social and Personal. August 15, 2017. Sacramento Daily Union. 22. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 16 September 1891. 82. 3.

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