Edward Henry Durell (July 14, 1810 – March 29, 1887) was the 25th Mayor of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

and a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

of the United States District Court for the District of Louisiana and the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (in case citations, E.D. La.) is a United States federal court based in New Orleans. Appeals from the Eastern District of Louisiana are taken to the United States Court of A ...

Education and career

Born on July 14, 1810, in the Governor Wentworth House in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

,Metcalf, Henry H. "Hon. Edward Henry Durell." The Granite Monthly New Hampshire Magazine: Devoted to Literature, History, and State Progress. 1888: 117–129. Print. Durell attended Phillips Exeter Academy, then graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

in 1831, and read law in 1834. He was fluent in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, French and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

."District Judge Edward Henry Durell." LAED US Courts. United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, n.d. Web. 4 April 2013. He entered private practice in Pittsburg,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

and

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

from 1835 to 1854. He was a member of the New Orleans City Council in 1854. He resumed private practice in New Orleans. He was President of the Bureau of Finance in New Orleans from 1862 to 1863. He was the 25th Mayor of New Orleans in 1863. Durell was a member of the Republican Party.

Federal judicial service

Durell was nominated by President Lincoln to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on January 5, 1864. The Senate returned the nomination to the President on February 3, 1864. Durell received a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the a ...

from President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

on May 20, 1863, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge Theodore Howard McCaleb. He was nominated to the same position by President Lincoln on February 8, 1864. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on February 17, 1864, and received his commission the same day. Durell was reassigned by

operation of law The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...

to the United States District Court for the District of Louisiana on July 27, 1866, to a new seat authorized by 14 Stat. 300. His service terminated on December 4, 1874, due to his resignation.

Circumstances of his resignation

Durell resigned after the

United States House Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administra ...

voted to recommend to the full

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

that he be impeached for misconduct. Durell had been accused of irregularities in bankruptcy proceedings, corruption and drunkenness.

Later career and death

Following his resignation from the federal bench, Durell returned to private practice in Newburgh and Schoharie, New York from 1875 to 1877. He died on March 29, 1887, in Schoharie. He was interred in Pine Hill Cemetery in Dover, New Hampshire. He attempted to write a history of the South which was never completed.

Personal

After moving to New York, Durell married a widow, Mary Seitz Gebhart.

Books

In 1845, Durell's book, ''New Orleans as I Found It'', was published under the pen name H. Didimus. The book deals with Durell's experience when arriving at New Orleans and how things are different from other places in the United States. Published in 1867, Durell participated in the formation of ''Rules, Orders and Regulations in Bankruptcy : Adopted by the Hon. Edward H. Durell, Judge of the District Court of the United States, for the District of Louisiana, July 15, 1867.'' This book consists of 24 adopted rules that deal with bankruptcy.Durell, Edward H, United States. Rules, orders and regulations in bankruptcy : adopted by the Hon. Edward H. Durell, Judge of the District Court of the United States, for the District of Louisiana, July 15, 1867. New Orleans: The Republican. 1867. Web.

References

Sources

External links

*
Edward H. Durell Papers
a
New-York Historical Society Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durell, Edward Henry 1810 births 1887 deaths Mayors of New Orleans Harvard College alumni Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Louisiana United States federal judges appointed by Abraham Lincoln 19th-century American judges Politicians from Portsmouth, New Hampshire Phillips Exeter Academy alumni New Orleans City Council members Louisiana lawyers 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Louisiana politicians convicted of crimes