Samuel Blatchford

Samuel M. Blatchford (March 9, 1820 – July 7, 1893) was an American attorney and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from April 3, 1882, until his death in 1893.

Early life and career

Blatchford was born in Auburn, New York, on March 9, 1820. He was the eldest of five children born to Julia Ann Blatchford (née Mumford) and Richard Milford Blatchford.

Blatchford read law under Seward and then entered into the private practice of law with his father and uncle. In 1854, he moved to New York City and started a law firm, Blatchford, Seward & Griswold, now known as Cravath, Swaine & Moore. He became well known for preparing summaries of United States circuit court cases, serving for a time as reporter of decisions for the Circuit Court in New York, and developed a lucrative practice in admiralty law.

On May 3, 1867, Blatchford received a recess appointment from President Andrew Johnson to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated by Samuel Betts. Blatchford was formally nominated on July 13, 1867, and confirmed by the United States Senate and received his commission three days later. and was sworn into office on April 3, 1882.

Personal life

Blatchford's father was a well known attorney and friend of Daniel Webster Angelica died in 1868, and Blatchford married for the third time, to Katherine Hone.

Blatchford's grandfather, also named Samuel Blatchford, was born in England and was the first president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The younger Samuel Blatchford was educated at Columbia College, where he joined the Philolexian Society and graduated when he was 17 years old. In 1840, he served as private secretary to New York Governor William H. Seward. From 1842 to 1845, he served as the Military Secretary of New York. In 1844, Blatchford was married to Caroline Frances Appleton (1817–1901) in Boston. Caroline was the daughter of Eben Appleton and Sarah (née Patterson) Appleton. Together, they had one son: Samuel Appleton Blatchford (1845–1905), also a lawyer, who married Wilhelmina Bogart Conger (1848–1944), daughter of Hon. Abraham B. Conger, the namesake of Congers, New York.

Blatchford served as a trustee of Columbia College.

In June 1893, Blatchford was stricken with paralysis at his home in Newport, Rhode Island on Greenough Place. He died at his home in Newport at age 73 on July 7, 1893. his body was transported by train to New York City, where he was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

In Blatchford's will, which was drawn on June 15, 1876, he left $100,000 to Rachel Bliss Beckwith and $20,000 to Cordelia F. Green. To his widow, he left the furniture and artwork in his Newport home and the income from half of his estate.

Legacy The World War II Liberty Ship was named in his honor.