Walbridge Abner Field | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1877 – March 28, 1878 | |
| Preceded by | Henry L. Pierce |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Dean |
| In office March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Dean |
| Succeeded by | Ambrose Ranney |
| Associate Justice of theMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | |
| In office February 21, 1881 – September 4, 1890 | |
| Appointed by | John Davis Long |
| Preceded by | Seth Ames |
| Succeeded by | James Madison Morton Sr. |
| 12th Chief Justice of theMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | |
| In office September 4, 1890 – July 15, 1899 | |
| Appointed by | John Quincy Adams Brackett |
| Preceded by | Marcus Morton |
| Succeeded by | Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. |
| Member of theBoston Common Council (wards 5 and 8) | |
| In office 1865–1867 | |
| Member of theBoston School Committee | |
| In office 1863–1864 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 26, 1833 Springfield, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | July 15, 1899 (aged 66) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | October 4, 1869 Eliza E. McLoon (died March 1877), October 31, 1882 Frances Farwell |
| Children | Eleanor Louise, Elizabeth Lenthal |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College Harvard Law School |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Walbridge Abner Field (April 26, 1833 – July 15, 1899) was an American lawyer, jurist and politician who served as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromMassachusetts, and as the chief justice of theMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
He was born inNorth Springfield, Vermont on April 26, 1833. He graduated fromDartmouth College in 1855, where he also served as a tutor. He studied law inBoston, Massachusetts and at theHarvard Law School. Field was admitted to the bar in 1860 and commenced practice in Boston. He served as a member of the City's school committee, and represented wards 5 and 8 on Boston's Common Council.
Field was appointed assistantUnited States Attorney in 1865, serving in this capacity until April 1869, when he was appointed AssistantAttorney General of the United States, holding this office until August 1870, when he resigned and resumed his law practice.
In 1876, Walbridge ran for a seat in Congress againstDemocratBenjamin Dean. Initially the count showed that Dean was ahead by 44 votes. Dean's margin shrank to seven votes after a recount. A committee reviewing the election results found that 25 votes were cast for Field in the4th District. The Board of Canvassers determined that those were votes that were intended to be made for Field and theBoston Board of Aldermen voted to include those votes.[1] After the final count, Field was declared the winner by five votes.[2]
Dean contested the election in the House of Representatives regarding the results of the election. Massachusetts CongressmanBenjamin Butler, a Republican at the time, had a personal dislike of Field, according to news accounts of the time, and supported efforts to unseat Field in the House.[3] The Committee on Elections held hearings on the matter and voted 6-5 to unseat Field and seat Dean instead.[4] On March 27, 1878, the House voted 120-119 in favor of Dean with Republican Butler voting in the majority.[5] After initially supporting Field, Rep.James T. Jones of Alabama flipped his vote to Dean, saying that even though the facts supported Field, "that he had no right to have opinions of his own, and had surrendered them to the dictates of his colleagues."[6]
In the1878 elections, Field faced off with Dean in a rematch. The election included allegations from Butler that Field held anti-Irish views as he had once advertised for a servant in which he specified that he sought a Protestant and 'no Irish need apply".[7] Field won the election by a larger majority; however, Dean again challenged the result charging irregularities with the count.[8][9] This time, Walbridge was seated and served out his term. He declined to run for another term of office in 1880.
Field was appointed byGovernorJohn Davis Long to the bench of theMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on February 21, 1881. He was promoted byGovernorJohn Quincy Adams Brackett to the position ofChief Justice on September 4, 1890 and served until his death in Boston on July 15, 1899. He was succeeded byOliver Wendell Holmes. His interment was inForest Hills Cemetery inWest Roxbury.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1877 – March 28, 1878 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court February 21, 1881 – September 4, 1890 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court September 4, 1890 – July 15, 1899 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
