Henry Ebenezer Davies (February 8, 1805 – December 17, 1881) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the supreme court, highest court in the Judiciary of New York (state), Unified Court System of the New York (state), State of New York. It consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeal ...

from 1866 to 1867.

Life

He was born in Black Lake, near Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence County, New York, the son of Thomas J. Davies and Ruth (Foot) Davies (c. 1772-1852). (erroneously giving "Blackford Lake" as birthplace) (his mother's obit, correctly giving "Black Lake" as residence) He was educated in the public schools, and at age 14 went to live with Judge

Alfred Conkling Alfred Conkling (October 12, 1789 – February 5, 1874) was a United States representative from New York, a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York and United States Minister to Mexic ...

in whose office he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1826. He commenced practice in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

and entered politics as a Whig. In 1830, he removed to New York City, and practiced law in partnership with Samuel A. Foote, who was later a judge. In 1835, Davies married Rebecca Waldo Tappan, daughter of John Tappan (brother of

Lewis Tappan Lewis Tappan (May 23, 1788 – June 21, 1873) was an American abolitionist who in 1841 helped to secure freedom for the enslaved Africans aboard the '' Amistad''. He was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, into a Calvinist household. Tappan w ...

, Benjamin Tappan and

Arthur Tappan Arthur Tappan (May 22, 1786 – July 23, 1865) was an American businessman, philanthropist and abolitionist. He was the brother of Ohio Senator Benjamin Tappan and abolitionist Lewis Tappan, and nephew of Harvard Divinity School theologian ...

), and they had six children, among them

Henry Eugene Davies Henry Eugene Davies (July 2, 1836 – September 7, 1894) was an American soldier, writer, public official and lawyer. He served in the Union Army as a brigadier general of volunteers in cavalry service during the American Civil War ("Civil War ...

. In 1840, he was a Whig alderman of the New York Common Council. In 1848, he dissolved the partnership with Foote, and formed a new one with

William Kent William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, b ...

(son of Chancellor

James Kent James Kent may refer to: *James Kent (jurist) (1763–1847), American jurist and legal scholar * James Kent (composer) (1700–1776), English composer *James Kent, better known as Perturbator, French electronic/synthwave musician *James Tyler Kent ...

). In May 1849, Davies was appointed Corporation Counsel of New York City, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of

Willis Hall Willis Edward Hall (6 April 1929 – 7 March 2005) was an English playwright and radio, television and film writer who drew on his working-class roots in Leeds for much of his writing. Willis formed an extremely prolific partnership with h ...

. In November 1849, he was elected to succeed himself, and remained in office until the end of 1852. He was a friend of

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He was the last president to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House, and the last to be neither a De ...

, and was his confidential adviser during his term as U.S. President. In 1855, he was elected to the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Justice Robert H. Morris, and remained on the Supreme Court bench until the end of 1859. In

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia are uni ...

, he was elected to the Court of Appeals on the Republican and

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

tickets, defeating the Democratic incumbent Alexander S. Johnson. Davies was an associate judge of the Court of Appeals from 1860 to 1865, and

Chief Judge Chief judge may refer to: In lower or circuit courts The highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. * Chief judge (Australia) * Chief judge (United States) In supreme courts Some of Chief ...

from 1866 to 1867. He died on December 17, 1881, at his residence at 60 West Fifty-first Street in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He was buried at the St. Luke's Episcopal Church cemetery in

Beacon, New York Beacon is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city located on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population was 13,769. Beacon is part of the Kiryas ...

, the same place where Chancellor

(1763–1847) is buried.

References

External links

Political Graveyard
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Henry Ebenezer 1805 births 1881 deaths People from Ogdensburg, New York Chief judges of the New York Court of Appeals New York Supreme Court justices Politicians from Buffalo, New York Politicians from New York City New York (state) Republicans New York (state) Know Nothings New York (state) Whigs Lawyers from Buffalo, New York 19th-century New York state court judges 19th-century American lawyers

Life

See also

References

External links