Chester I. Reed

Chester Isham Reed (November 23, 1823 – September 2, 1873) was an American attorney who served in both branches of the Massachusetts legislature,[2] as Attorney General of Massachusetts, and as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court.[1]

Hon.
Chester Isham Reed
Associate Justice of the
Massachusetts Superior Court[1]
In office
1867[2]–1871[3]
Appointed byAlexander H. Bullock
Preceded byThomas Russell[4]
Succeeded byJohn William Bacon[3]
Massachusetts Attorney General
In office
1864 – April 20, 1867
GovernorJohn Albion Andrew
William Claflin
Preceded byDwight Foster
Succeeded byCharles Allen
Member of the
Massachusetts Senate[5]
North Bristol District[6]
In office
1859[2]–1859[2]
In office
1862[5]–1862[5]
Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives[2]
Bristol District
In office
1849[7]–1849
Personal details
BornNovember 23, 1823[1]
Taunton, Massachusetts[2]
DiedSeptember 2, 1873(1873-09-02) (aged 49)[1]
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia[1]
Political partyRepublican[5]
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Y. Allyn, m. February 24, 1851.[1]
ChildrenSybil Reed; Chester Allyn Reed[1]
Alma materTaunton High School; Bristol Academy; Brown University[1]
ProfessionAttorney[1]
Signature

Early life

Reed was born to William and Elizabeth Deane (Dennis) Reed[5] on November 23, 1823 in Taunton, Massachusetts.[2][8]

Education

Reed attended Taunton High School, Bristol Academy and Brown University.[1] Because of his father's adverse circumstances Reed was forced to leave Brown University.[5] Reed moved to Gardiner, Maine to study law.[5] After he completed his study of law, Reed moved back to Taunton[5]

Newspaper employment

After he moved back to Taunton, Massachusetts Reed was, for about a year, editor of the Old Colony Republican newspaper.[5]

Massachusetts Legislature

At the age of 26 Reed was elected to represent Taunton in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[5] Reed was in the Massachusetts Senate[2] in 1858 and 1862.[2][5] While in the Senate of 1862 Reed served on the Joint Standing Committees on Railways and Canals,[9] and on the Subject of Apportioning the State into Congressional Districts.[10]

Marriage and children

On February 24, 1851, Reed married Elizabeth Y. Allyn of New Bedford, Massachusetts.[1] The couple had two children, Sybil Reed, and Chester Allyn Reed.[1]

Law career

In 1848 Reed entered into a law partnership with Anselm Bassett. Reed practiced law in the firm of Bassett & Reed for the next 15 years.[5]

Public Service Career

In 1864 Reed was elected as a Republican[5] to the office of the Massachusetts Attorney General.[5] Reed serves as the Massachusetts Attorney General until 1867 when he was appointed as Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court.[5]

Reed resigned from the Superior Court in 1870.[5]

Death

Reed died on September 2, 1873[1] in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where he had gone to improve his health.[1]

References
  1. Hurd, Duane Hamilton Hurd (1883), History of Bristol County, Massachusetts: with biographical sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 1, Philadelphia, PA: J. Lewis & CO., p. 10
  2. Davis, William Thomas (1895), Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Volume I, Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston History Company, p. 363
  3. Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1890), History of Bristol County, Massachusetts: with biographical sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Vol. I, Philadelphia, PA: J. Lewis & CO., p. xxxi
  4. Coolidge, Henry D. (November 1895), A Manual for the Use of the General Court, Boston, Ma.: Massachusetts General Court, p. 256
  5. Borden, Alanson (1899), Our Country and its People: a Descriptive and Biographical Record of Bristol County Massachusetts, Boston, MA: The Boston History Company, p. 668
  6. Gifford, Stephen Nye (1862), A Manual for the Use of the General Court, Boston, Ma.: Massachusetts General Court, p. 197
  7. Capen, Nahum (1849), The Massachusetts State Record and Year Book of General Information, Volume III, Boston, Massachusetts: James French, p. 48
  8. Emery, Samuel Hopkins (1893), History of Taunton, Massachusetts: From Its Settlement to the Present Time, Syracuse, New York: D. Mason & Company, p. 556
  9. Gifford, Stephen Nye (1862), A Manual for the Use of the General Court, Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts General Court, p. 241
  10. Gifford, Stephen Nye (1862), A Manual for the Use of the General Court, Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts General Court, p. 245
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