Frederick Nash
Encyclopedia
Frederick Nash was an American
lawyer and jurist from Hillsborough, North Carolina
. He served on the North Carolina Supreme Court
and was its chief justice from 1852 until his death.
Frederick was the son of Governor Abner Nash
and Mary Jones Nash, Abner's second wife. He was born in New Bern
, and attended Princeton University
, graduating in 1799. He returned home to read law, and set up a practice in New Bern.
Nash moved to Hillsborough
in 1807, and was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly
, serving from 1813 to 1817. He was a judge of Superior Court
from 1818 to 1824 and again from 1836 until his election as an associate judge of the state's Supreme Court in 1844. When Justice Thomas Ruffin
resigned in 1852 he was raised to Chief Justice and held that post until his death.
He died at home in Hillsborough. Nash was married twice: first to Mary Kollock, then after her death to Anna Maria MacLean. After Frederick died, his daughters, Sally (1811-1893) and Maria (1819-1907), opened a school for young ladies in the family home at Hillsborough. His grandson, Francis "Frank" Nash (1855-1932), was for many years an assistant attorney general for North Carolina and clerk of the state Supreme Court.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and jurist from Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
. He served on the North Carolina Supreme Court
North Carolina Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...
and was its chief justice from 1852 until his death.
Frederick was the son of Governor Abner Nash
Abner Nash
Abner Nash was the second Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina between 1781 and 1782, and represented North Carolina in the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1786....
and Mary Jones Nash, Abner's second wife. He was born in New Bern
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
, and attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, graduating in 1799. He returned home to read law, and set up a practice in New Bern.
Nash moved to Hillsborough
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
in 1807, and was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
, serving from 1813 to 1817. He was a judge of Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
from 1818 to 1824 and again from 1836 until his election as an associate judge of the state's Supreme Court in 1844. When Justice Thomas Ruffin
Thomas Ruffin
Thomas Ruffin was an American jurist and Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1829 to 1852 and again from 1858 to 1859. He was Chief Justice of that Court from 1833 to 1852.-Biography:...
resigned in 1852 he was raised to Chief Justice and held that post until his death.
He died at home in Hillsborough. Nash was married twice: first to Mary Kollock, then after her death to Anna Maria MacLean. After Frederick died, his daughters, Sally (1811-1893) and Maria (1819-1907), opened a school for young ladies in the family home at Hillsborough. His grandson, Francis "Frank" Nash (1855-1932), was for many years an assistant attorney general for North Carolina and clerk of the state Supreme Court.