The Honorable William C. Frazer | |
|---|---|
 portrait byJacob Eichholtz, 1835[1] | |
| Justice of theSupreme Court of theWisconsin Territory | |
| In office July 4, 1836 – October 18, 1838 | |
| Appointed by | Andrew Jackson |
| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Succeeded by | Andrew G. Miller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1776 (1776) |
| Died | October 18, 1836(1836-10-18) (aged 59–60) |
| Resting place | Woodward Hill Cemetery Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
William Clark Frazer (1776 – October 18, 1838) was an American lawyer and judge. He was a prominent lawyer inLancaster, Pennsylvania, and was one of the first judges appointed to theSupreme Court of theWisconsin Territory when it was established in 1836.
He was born inNew Castle,Delaware Colony. His father, also named William Clark, was a Captain of theDelawarelight cavalry during theAmerican Revolutionary War. He graduated fromPrinceton University in 1797 andread law inLancaster, Pennsylvania, with former congressmanWilliam Montgomery. He was admitted to practice law in 1801 and established a practice in New Castle, Delaware, until relocating to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1813.[2]
Frazer gave a eulogy in theMasonic Lodge, in Lancaster, on the death ofGeorge Washington in 1799, and again at the deaths ofJohn Adams andThomas Jefferson in 1826.[3][4]
In 1836, PresidentAndrew Jackson appointed Frazer to the Supreme Court for the newly establishedWisconsin Territory in the third district, which at the time was most of the eastern part of what is now the state of Wisconsin, but at the time was Brown and Milwaukee counties. Judge Frazer never fully relocated to Wisconsin, but held court atDe Pere andMilwaukee on several occasions. As a judge, Frazer was quite unpopular. He was said to have fallen into "intemperate habits" that had impaired his mental and physical health, and his manner was described as nervous, impatient, arbitrary, harsh, overbearing, and offensive. A petition campaign was organized to seek Judge Frazer's resignation and, in September 1838, he wrote that he would retire in October. However, he changed his plans and set out for Milwaukee in October to hear cases again. He fell ill during the trip, however, and was carried ashore on October 18, 1838. He died later that day.[2][5][6][7]
Frazer was married to Susannah Carpenter of Lancaster in 1803. They had at least four children:[2]
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