Samuel L. M. Barlow I | |
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| Born | Samuel Latham Mitchill Barlow (1826-01-05)January 5, 1826 Granville, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 10, 1889(1889-07-10) (aged 63) Glen Cove, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations | Lawyer, author |
| Spouse | Alice Cornell Townsend |
| Children | Alice Wadsworth Barlow Peter Townsend Barlow |
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Samuel Latham Mitchill Barlow I (January 5, 1826 – July 10, 1889) was an American lawyer known for forming several legal partnerships, such as Bowdoin, Larocque & Barlow and Shipman, Barlow, Larocque. Barlow was also a major stakeholder inThe New York World newspaper. Before passing the bar, he had studied by serving as seven years as an apprentice in a New York law practice.
Samuel Barlow was born on January 5, 1826, inGranville, Massachusetts, the eldest child of Rhoda Hopkins (née Wadsworth) Barlow (1802–1880) and Dr.Samuel Bancroft Barlow (1798–1875), a physician who had graduated fromYale University.[1]
He was descended from English settlers who had immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1620.[2] He was named after uncleSamuel Latham Mitchill, theU.S. Representative andU.S. Senator from New York. His maternal grandfather was Timothy Wadsworth, a lineal descendant of CaptainJoseph Wadsworth ofCharter Oak fame.[3] Samuel's family moved to New York City when he was young.[2]
Barlow began working for a law firm, Melett & Gregg in either 1840 or 1842.[4] He had worked for seven years at that practice as an apprentice and office assistant before being admitted to the bar.[1] He was later made manager of Melett & Gregg.[4]
In 1852, Barlow established a partnership with George R.J. Bowdoin and Jeremiah Laroque, to form the firm Bowdoin, Larocque and Barlow.[5] Barlow worked in numerous high-profile and rewarding cases. At 23, he was paid $250,000 to settle claims after theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Mexico.[4] He successfully acted as a conciliator toCornelius Vanderbilt andWilliam Henry Aspinwall, ending their bitter feud.
At the end of theFranco-Prussian War, Barlow settled a dispute concerning a $1,600,000 contract to send arms to France. The arms were sent three months later. Among Barlow's most notable victories, he successfully removedJay Gould from power over theErie Railroad, and returned it to the railroad's stakeholders. The suit ended with a $9,000,000 settlement. Barlow was made a director and counsel of the railroad after the suit.[2]
Upon the death of his two partners, Barlow formed a new partnership: Shipman, Barlow Larocque & Choate. The new firm became one of the most prominent practices in New York.[4]
In politics, Barlow was aDemocrat. He did not run for office. He was a major stakeholder in the newspaperThe New York World, where he oversaw the paper's operations until 1869.[5] Barlow was a member of the high-classManhattan andUnion clubs,[4] the former of which he helped found.[5]
Barlow enjoyed collecting fine art, and also had a large library. He married Alice Cornell Townsend (1833–1889), with whom he had one son and daughter:[6]
Barlow died on the morning of July 10, 1889, of heart failure at his summer home inGlen Cove, Long Island.[5] Barlow's funeral service was held on July 12 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Glen Cove. Attendees included formerSecretary of StateThomas F. Bayard andGen.Fitz John Porter.[9]
Through his daughter Alice, he was the grandfather of two girls,Alice Townsend Olin (1881–1963), who marriedTracy Dows,[10][11] andJulia Lynch Olin (1882–1961), who was known for later leading theReform Baháʼí Movement.[12] She married J. Philip Benkard in 1902.[13][14] They divorced in 1920 and she marriedLewis Stuyvesant Chanler in 1921; he was the formerLt. Gov. of New York.[15][16]
Through his son Peter, he was the grandfather of two boys, Edward Matthews Barlow, who died at the age of thirteen, andSamuel L. M. Barlow II (1892–1982), aHarvard educated pianist and composer.[17]
