Elijah Hayward | |
|---|---|
| 5thCommissioner of the General Land Office | |
| In office September 30, 1830 – July 24, 1835 | |
| Preceded by | George Graham |
| Succeeded by | Ethan Allen Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1786-11-17)November 17, 1786 |
| Died | September 22, 1864(1864-09-22) (aged 77) |
| Resting place | McConnelsville Cemetery |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Eliza Kingman |
Elijah Hayward (November 17, 1786 – September 22, 1864) was a lawyer in theU.S. State ofOhio who represented his county in theOhio House of Representatives, sat on theOhio Supreme Court for a short time, and wasCommissioner of theUnited States General Land Office. He was a noted genealogist and historian.
Elijah Hayward was born in 1786 inBridgewater,Plymouth County,Massachusetts. He was descended from Thomas Hayward, one of the original proprietors of Bridgewater, who immigrated fromEngland in 1634. His mother's ancestor came on the same ship passage. Hayward attended the village schools, and in 1801 entered Bridgewater Academy, where he learned English grammar and arithmetic for three months.[1]
Starting in late 1801, Hayward worked in stores inWest Bridgewater, and laterPlymouth. In 1803, he went toHanover, to learn shipbuilding. He became partner with David Kingman in 1807, and married his daughter, Eliza Kingman, February 19, 1809. He traveled to England on one of his ships, theBelfast, in 1812, and returned to the U.S. in June of that year after hearing of the death of his partner and father-in-law Kingman. In Hanover, he decided to pursue the study of law at the office of John Winslow, esq. His studies were delayed by the need to attend to his father-in-law's estate, including a return toLondon for a lawsuit. He returned to East Bridgewater to study underNahum Mitchell.[1]
In the autumn of 1819, having studied law off and on for four and one half years, Hayward emigrated toCincinnati,Ohio, where he opened an office. He established a partnership with David Wade, which lasted for eight years.[1] In 1825, he was elected to representHamilton County in theOhio House of Representatives, serving until 1829 in the 24th to 27th General Assemblies.[2]
In 1830, the two houses of the Ohio Legislature, in joint session, elected Hayward as a judge of theOhio Supreme Court for a seven-year term.[3][4] He only served a part of that year when he accepted an appointment fromPresident Jackson asCommissioner of theUnited States General Land Office inWashington D.C.[5] Hayward resigned in 1835, after his wife died, and returned to Ohio and the practice of law.[1] In April, 1851, Hayward was namedState librarian byOhio GovernorReuben Wood. He served until May 1854.[6]
Judge Hayward was a dedicated genealogist, who would spend weeks at a time copying the records ofPlymouth Colony and towns of Massachusetts. He was elected a corresponding member of theMassachusetts Historical Society in 1854. He was a member of theRoyal Society of Northern Antiquaries ofCopenhagen. He was elected a corresponding member of theNew England Historic Genealogical Society in 1852, and elected honorary vice-president for Ohio in 1855. His principal employment in later years was in preparing briefs before the Ohio Supreme Court. He adhered to thePuritanism of his ancestors, before rejecting it to accept theRoman Catholic faith. He died inMcConnelsville,Morgan County, Ohio in 1864. Hayward left one son, George Hayward, born Hanover, Massachusetts, July 14, 1817.[1]
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