Draft:George Yeaton Sawyer

George Yeaton Sawyer (December 5, 1805 – June 15, 1882) was a justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court from 1855 to 1859.

Born at Wakefield, New Hampshire, Sawyer graduated from Bowdoin College in 1826. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice at Meredith, New Hampshire in 1830. After practicing there four years he removed to Nashua, New Hampshire, where he became a partner of his uncle, Aaron S. Sawyer, and immediately entered into a large and lucrative practice.

He was elected to the legislature in 1839-40-41 and again repeatedly in later life. In 1866 he was chairman of the committee on judiciary, and in 1875 he was chairman of a special committee to consider the system of taxation. In 1865 ne was appointed a commissioner with Samuel D. Bell and Asa Fowler, to revise the laws of the state. The illness of Judge Bell threw the work upon Judges Sawyer and Fowler. Their report was adopted, with very slight modifications, by the legislature in 1867, and was highly approved. He was made city solicitor of Nashua in 1862-3-4, and again in 1873-74; he was also appointed by the court to perform the duties of county solicitor, during the absence of that officer in the army; he was twice placed upon the judicial bench, first as a circuit justice of the court of common pleas, July 7, 1851, from which he resigned September 17, 1854. He was appointed justice of the supreme judicial court July 20, 1855; he served until November 1st, 1859, when he resigned for the reason that his private practice was more lucrative and less exacting. President Pierce tendered him the governorship of a territory, although not of the same political party, which Judge Sawyer declined. As a lawyer Judge Sawyer stood in the highest rank, and he was in the front rank of the New Hampshire bar as an advocate. He died at Nashua.

Son of William and Mary (Yeaton) Sawyer ; born, Wakefield, December 5, 1805 ; Bowdoin College, 1826 ; practiced, Meredith and Nashua ; died, Nashua, June 15, 1882.

Judge Sawyer was among the ablest lawyers, advocates, and judges of the State. He inherited the manly independence, good judgment, and legal aptitude of his father, and joined with it a keener discrimination, more critical study, and great readiness and force of statement.

He laid the foundation of his classical education at Phillips Exeter Academy, studied law under his father, and settled in Meredith in 1830. After practicing there four years, he removed to his permanent home in Nashua, where he became the partner of his uncle, Aaron F. Sawyer. It was remarked of him that he never manifested any professional immaturity, but from the start took his place as a thoroughly equipped, ripe practitioner. For fifty years he was an active member of the bar, and then died with the harness on. He was employed in a large proportion of the important causes of his time and vicinity, and few men have had more to do with ascertaining and shaping the law of the State than himself. He was twice placed upon the judicial bench, first, as a Circuit Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, July 7, 1851, resigning the office September 15, 1854; and second, as a Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, July 20, 1855. From this position, too, he withdrew, November 1, 1859, for the reason that his private practice was more lucrative and less exacting. As a judge he was dignified, learned, and able. While he had great respect for the traditions of the profession, he had no scruples against ransacking the grounds on which they were based. He did not shut his eyes to mischiefs simply because they had the glamour of age and the approval of past generations; nor was he afraid of novelty, when it commended itself to his understanding and sense of right. The general voice of the profession pronounced him a judge in every way worthy to uphold the credit of the State.

As early as 1839, and the two following years, he was elected to the state legislature, and again repeatedly in later life. In 1836 he was chairman of the committee on the Judiciary, and took the leading part in the debates. In 1875 he was named chairman of a special committee to consider the present system of taxation. His report was marked by his customary thoroughness and sound sense, although its conclusions would innovate upon the long-established system of the State too greatly to admit of any expectation that they will soon be adopted here.

In 1865 he was appointed commissioner with Samuel D. Bell and Asa Fowler to revise the laws of the State. The chief part of the work was performed, by reason of the sickness of Judge Bell, by Judges Sawyer and Fowler, and their report was adopted with very slight modifications by the legislature at the annual session of 1867, and was generally highly approved. The citizens of Nashua availed themselves of Judge Sawyer's learning and experience, by making him city solicitor in 1862 and the two following years, and again in 1873 and 1874. He was also appointed by the Court to perform the duties of county solicitor during the absence of that officer in the army.

Judge Sawyer was decided in his political views, though by no means an offensive partisan. In middle life he was a candidate of the Whig party for a seat in Congress, but, perhaps fortunately for his professional career, failed of his election by a few votes. President Pierce, who knew and highly esteemed Judge Sawyer, offered him the governorship of a Territory, it is said, but the latter declined it on the ground that his political sympathies were not with the administration.

References

Category:1805 births Category:1882 deaths Category:Justices of the New Hampshire Supreme Court

This open draft remains in progress as of July 5, 2023.