Samuel Law Portrait
Samuel Andrew Law
Gender:
Male
Born:
November 1771
Died:
January 28, 1845
Home Town:
New York, NY
Later Residences:
Meredith, NY
Marriage(s):
Sarah Sherman Law (unknown)
Biographical Notes:
Samuel Andrew Law was the son of William and Mary (Hotchkiss) Law. He was born in Cheshire, CT in 1771. He attended the Litchfield Law School in 1793 and was admitted to the bar in 1795. He partnered with Ephraim Kirby on land speculation in the Connecticut Western Reserve in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. A town there was named Lawsville for him, though it was later renamed.
In 1796, Law started a school which became a part of an Episcopal Academy of Cheshire. The following year, he moved to Delaware County, New York where he is credited with establishing the town of Meredith. He began a legal practice and remained for the rest of his life.
In 1796, Law started a school which became a part of an Episcopal Academy of Cheshire. The following year, he moved to Delaware County, New York where he is credited with establishing the town of Meredith. He began a legal practice and remained for the rest of his life.
Education
Years at LLS:
1793
Other Education:
Graduated from Yale College in 1792.
Profession / Service
Profession:
Educator; Political Office; Business; Agriculture; Real Estate
Admitted To Bar:
1795
Local Posts:
Postmaster
Judge of Court of Common Pleas
Judge of Court of Common Pleas
Immediate Family (Why only immediate family?)
- Sarah Sherman Law
Wife - Sarah Hotchkiss Law
Mother - William Law
Father
Related Objects and Documents
In the Ledger:
The Citation of Attendance provides primary source documentation of the student’s attendance at the Litchfield Female Academy and/or the Litchfield Law School. If a citation is absent, the student is thought to have attended but currently lacks primary source confirmation. Records for the schools were sporadic, especially in the formative years of both institutions. If instructors kept comprehensive records for the Litchfield Female Academy or the Litchfield Law School, they do not survive. Researchers and staff have identified students through letters, diaries, family histories and genealogies, and town histories as well as catalogues of students printed in various years. Art and needlework have provided further identification of Female Academy Students, and Litchfield County Bar records document a number of Law School students. The history of both schools and the identification of the students who attended them owe credit to the early 20th century research and documentation efforts of Emily Noyes Vanderpoel and Samuel Fisher, and the late 20th century research and documentation efforts of Lynne Templeton Brickley and the Litchfield Historical Society staff.
CITATION OF ATTENDANCE:
Baldwin, Roger Sherman. Notes on law taken from the lectures of the Honble. Tapping Reeve and James Gould, esquire … at the Litchfield Law School, 1812-1813. Rare Book Collection, Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale University.
Contact Us
Do you have more information for the Ledger?
If you have family papers, objects, or any other details you would like to share, or if you would like to obtain a copy of an image for publication, please contact us at curator@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.