John James Gilchrist (February 16, 1809 – April 29, 1858) was a Justice and chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature and a

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

and Presiding Judge of the Court of Claims.

Education and career

Born on February 16, 1809, in Medford,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1828, and graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

in 1831. He entered private practice in Charlestown,

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

from 1831 to 1836. He was a member of the

New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral State legislature (United States), legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members com ...

from 1836 to 1837. He was register of probate for Sullivan County, New Hampshire in 1836. He was a justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature (now the Supreme Court of New Hampshire) from 1840 to 1855, serving as chief justice from 1848 to 1855.

Federal judicial service

Gilchrist was nominated by President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...

on March 3, 1855, to the Court of Claims (later the

United States Court of Claims The Court of Claims was a federal court that heard claims against the United States government. It was established in 1855, renamed in 1948 to the United States Court of Claims (), and abolished in 1982. Then, its jurisdiction was assumed by the n ...

), to a new seat authorized by 10 Stat. 612. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on March 3, 1855, and received his commission the same day. He served as Presiding Judge from 1855 to 1858. His service terminated on April 29, 1858, due to his death in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilchrist, John James 1809 births 1858 deaths People from Charlestown, New Hampshire Harvard Law School alumni Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Chief justices of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Judges of the United States Court of Claims United States Article I federal judges appointed by Franklin Pierce 19th-century New Hampshire state court judges Harvard College alumni 19th-century members of the New Hampshire General Court