Matthew Birchard
Encyclopedia
Matthew Birchard was a judge in the U.S. State
of Ohio
who was an Ohio Supreme Court Judge 1842-1849.
Matthew Birchard was born in Becket, Massachusetts
, and came to Trumbull County, Ohio
, near Warren
at age eight. He was admitted to the bar
in 1828, and formed a partnership with future governor David Tod
, and six years later was elected Common Pleas Judge
.
Birchard accepted an appointment with the Federal Government for a time from his friend Andrew Jackson
,first as Solicitor for the General Land Office
, and then to succeed Henry D. Gilpin
as Solicitor of the United States Treasury
. He returned to Warren in 1841. He was elected from Trumbull County by the Ohio General Assembly
as a judge of the Ohio Supreme Court for a seven year term, and served 1842-1849.
He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives
in 1853 and served in the 51st General Assembly, 1854-1855.
In 1867, Birchard purchased the newspaper Warren Constitution and ran it with his son until his death in 1876 in Warren.
One author appraised Birchard thusly : "His written opinions are characterized by felicity of expression and perspicuity of thought. His pertinacity has been bluntly denominated stubbornness." Another opined : "The opinions of Judge Birchard were characterized by fluency of expression and clearness of logic. He was known as a man of strong convictions, great will of power, and possessed pertinacity of the sort that causes one juror out of twelve to dissent from the opinion of colleagues." While a third stated: "...his opinions show him to have been a man of learning and research, with a strong sense of justice."
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
who was an Ohio Supreme Court Judge 1842-1849.
Matthew Birchard was born in Becket, Massachusetts
Becket, Massachusetts
Becket is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,779 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, and came to Trumbull County, Ohio
Trumbull County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 225,116 people, 89,020 households, and 61,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 365 people per square mile . There were 95,117 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile...
, near Warren
Warren, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,832 people, 19,288 households and 12,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,912.4 people per square mile . There were 21,279 housing units at an average density of 1,322.9 per square mile...
at age eight. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1828, and formed a partnership with future governor David Tod
David Tod
David Tod was a politician and industrialist from the U.S. state of Ohio. As the 25th Governor of Ohio, Tod gained recognition for his forceful and energetic leadership during the American Civil War....
, and six years later was elected Common Pleas Judge
Ohio Courts of Common Pleas
The Ohio Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the state court system of Ohio.The courts of common pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state. They are the only trial courts created by the Ohio Constitution . The duties of the courts are outlined in Article IV, Section...
.
Birchard accepted an appointment with the Federal Government for a time from his friend Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
,first as Solicitor for the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
, and then to succeed Henry D. Gilpin
Henry D. Gilpin
Henry Dilworth Gilpin was an American lawyer and statesman of Quaker extraction who served as Attorney General of the United States....
as Solicitor of the United States Treasury
Solicitor of the United States Treasury
The Solicitor of the Treasury position was created in the United States Department of the Treasury by an act of May 29, 1830 , which changed the name of the Agent of the Treasury.-Function:...
. He returned to Warren in 1841. He was elected from Trumbull County by the Ohio General Assembly
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
as a judge of the Ohio Supreme Court for a seven year term, and served 1842-1849.
He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
in 1853 and served in the 51st General Assembly, 1854-1855.
In 1867, Birchard purchased the newspaper Warren Constitution and ran it with his son until his death in 1876 in Warren.
One author appraised Birchard thusly : "His written opinions are characterized by felicity of expression and perspicuity of thought. His pertinacity has been bluntly denominated stubbornness." Another opined : "The opinions of Judge Birchard were characterized by fluency of expression and clearness of logic. He was known as a man of strong convictions, great will of power, and possessed pertinacity of the sort that causes one juror out of twelve to dissent from the opinion of colleagues." While a third stated: "...his opinions show him to have been a man of learning and research, with a strong sense of justice."