George F. Comstock
Encyclopedia
George Franklin Comstock (August 24, 1811 Williamstown
, then Oneida
, now Oswego County, New York
- September 27, 1892 Syracuse
, Onondaga County, New York
) was an American lawyer and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
from 1860 to 1861.
in 1834. Then he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1837.
He was Solicitor of the U.S. Treasury
from 1852 to 1853, during the administration of President Millard Fillmore
.
He was a judge of the New York Court of Appeals
from 1856 to 1861, elected on the American Party
ticket to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of Charles H. Ruggles
who had resigned in October 1855. In 1856, Union College conferred the honorary degree of LL.D. on him. He was Chief Judge from 1860 to 1861. He published the first four volumes of the law reports of the Court of Appeals. In 1861
, he ran for re-election on the Democratic ticket, but was defeated by the Union candidate William B. Wright
.
Williamstown, New York
Williamstown is a town in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 1,350 at the 2000 census.The Town of Williamstown is on the county's east border.- History :The Town of Williamstown was created in 1804 from the Town of Mexico....
, then Oneida
Oneida County, New York
Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
, now Oswego County, New York
Oswego County, New York
Oswego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 Census, the estimated population was 122,109. The City of Oswego and the Village of Pulaski serve as the dual county seats in a two shire system of government...
- September 27, 1892 Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
) was an American lawyer and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
from 1860 to 1861.
Life
He graduated from Union CollegeUnion College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
in 1834. Then he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1837.
He was Solicitor of the U.S. Treasury
Comptroller of the Treasury
The Comptroller of the Treasury was an official of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1789 to 1817. According to section III of the Act of Congress establishing the Treasury Department, it is the comptroller's duty to...
from 1852 to 1853, during the administration of President Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
.
He was a judge of the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
from 1856 to 1861, elected on the American Party
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
ticket to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of Charles H. Ruggles
Charles H. Ruggles
Charles Herman Ruggles was an American lawyer and politician who was a U.S...
who had resigned in October 1855. In 1856, Union College conferred the honorary degree of LL.D. on him. He was Chief Judge from 1860 to 1861. He published the first four volumes of the law reports of the Court of Appeals. In 1861
New York state election, 1861
The 1861 New York state election was held on November 5, 1861, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, a Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, two Canal Commissioners and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all...
, he ran for re-election on the Democratic ticket, but was defeated by the Union candidate William B. Wright
William B. Wright
William B. Wright was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals in 1868.-Life:He was the son of Samuel Wright....
.
Sources
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9804E2D9113CE13BBC4052DFB667838E649FDE American Party ticket, in NYT on October 18, 1855
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=980CE7D81238E233A2575BC2A96F9C94639ED7CF Obit in NYT on September 28, 1892 (erroneously stating he was Solicitor General)
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (page 348; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
- The American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1853 (Gray and Bowen, 1853; page 352)