Joseph Coerten Hornblower
Encyclopedia
Joseph Coerten Hornblower (May 6, 1777 – June 11, 1864) was an American
lawyer and jurist from Belleville, New Jersey
. He was the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court
.
and lived there for his entire life. His parents were Josiah and Elizabeth (Kingsland) Hornblower. Josiah Hornblower
was a prominent engineer and mine operator who served in the Continental Congress
. As a child, Joseph’s health was poor, so he was educated at home. But he read for the law with an attorney in Newark
and was admitted to the bar in 1803.
He became a prominent lawyer and politically active as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. However, this was the period of good feelings, and party politics were minimal. When Hornblower was a Presidential elector for James Monroe
in 1820, there was only one vote for any other candidate. He also supported other civic and religious activities. In 1816 he was one of the founders of the American Bible Society
. In 1845 he aided in establishing the New Jersey Historical Society
and served as its president from then until his death in 1864.
In 1832 Hornblower was named to the stat's Supreme Court as its Chief Justice. He was re-elected in 1839 and served until 1846. When New Jersey rewrote the state’s Constitution in 1844, he was an active member of the convention. When he stepped down from the bench, he became a professor of law at Princeton Law School
and returned to his interest in political activity.
Hornblower's political interests became directed toward the nascent Republican Party
. He was vice-president of the Philadelphia convention that nominated John C. Fremont
for U.S. President
.
Joseph died at home in Belleville on June 11, 1864. He was survived by his daughter Mary, who had married Joseph P. Bradley in 1844, a future Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and by his son William Henry Hornblower, a Presbyterian minister whose daughter Emily married Colonel Alexander McWhorter Cumming, a long-serving Mayor of Princeton, New Jersey
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and jurist from Belleville, New Jersey
Belleville, New Jersey
Belleville is a Township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 35,926.-History:...
. He was the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
.
Biography
Joseph was born in Belleville, New JerseyBelleville, New Jersey
Belleville is a Township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 35,926.-History:...
and lived there for his entire life. His parents were Josiah and Elizabeth (Kingsland) Hornblower. Josiah Hornblower
Josiah Hornblower
Josiah Hornblower was an English engineer and statesman in America Belleville, New Jersey. He was a delegate for New Jersey in the Continental Congress in 1785 and 1786.-Engineering career :...
was a prominent engineer and mine operator who served in the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
. As a child, Joseph’s health was poor, so he was educated at home. But he read for the law with an attorney in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and was admitted to the bar in 1803.
He became a prominent lawyer and politically active as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. However, this was the period of good feelings, and party politics were minimal. When Hornblower was a Presidential elector for James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
in 1820, there was only one vote for any other candidate. He also supported other civic and religious activities. In 1816 he was one of the founders of the American Bible Society
American Bible Society
The American Bible Society is an interconfessional, non-denominational, nonprofit organization, founded in 1816 in New York City, which publishes, distributes and translates the Bible and provides study aids and other tools to help people engage with the Bible.It is probably best known for its...
. In 1845 he aided in establishing the New Jersey Historical Society
New Jersey Historical Society
The New Jersey Historical Society is a historical society and museum located in Newark, New Jersey, United States. The Historical Society is housed in the former headquarters of the Essex Club. It has two floors of exhibition space, a gift shop, and a hall for lectures. The NJHS offers occasional...
and served as its president from then until his death in 1864.
In 1832 Hornblower was named to the stat's Supreme Court as its Chief Justice. He was re-elected in 1839 and served until 1846. When New Jersey rewrote the state’s Constitution in 1844, he was an active member of the convention. When he stepped down from the bench, he became a professor of law at Princeton Law School
Princeton Law School
The Law School at the College of New Jersey began instruction in 1847 as a modest effort consisting of three professors: Joseph Coerten Hornblower, Richard Stockton Field, and James S. Green. Only seven students would obtain a law degree before the school closed in 1852...
and returned to his interest in political activity.
Hornblower's political interests became directed toward the nascent Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He was vice-president of the Philadelphia convention that nominated John C. Fremont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
for U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
Joseph died at home in Belleville on June 11, 1864. He was survived by his daughter Mary, who had married Joseph P. Bradley in 1844, a future Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and by his son William Henry Hornblower, a Presbyterian minister whose daughter Emily married Colonel Alexander McWhorter Cumming, a long-serving Mayor of Princeton, New Jersey
Mayor of Princeton, New Jersey
Mayor of Princeton Borough, New Jersey:*Mildred T. Trotman circa 2011*Barbara Boggs Sigmund 1983 to 1990.*Charles Rosenberry Erdman, Jr. circa 1950*Charles Browne 1914 to 1923...
.