Judges and Court Officials

First Officers Appointed in Lawrence County, Ohio 1817 – 1851

Source: Historical Points in Lawrence County, Ohio
Ironton Register, Thursday, July 6, 1876

Names Office Township Dates
John Davidson Associate Judge Upper January 25, 1817
Wm. Miller Associate Judge Union  January 25, 1817
Gabriel Kerr Associate Judge Fayette  January 25, 1817
Wm. G. Robinson Clerk of Court Fayette March 24, 1817
Wm. G. Robinson County Recorder Fayette March 25, 1817
John Kelly Sheriff Upper March 24, 1817
Joseph Wheeler Auditor Upper February 26, 1820
Thomas Kerr Treasurer Fayette  Fall of 1817
Wm. Carpenter Surveyor Upper Fall of 1817
Edward Simmons Coroner Perry April 7, 1817
Joel Bowen Commissioner Rome  April 7, 1817
 Joseph Davidson Commissioner Fayette  April 7, 1817
David Spurlock Commissioner Union  April 7, 1817
Luther Blodget Prosecuting Attorney October 14, 1834
Joseph F. Wheeler Probate Judge October 14, 1851

The other County Officials listed on this webpage were taken from T.A. Walton’s newspaper stories, with some additions added by Sharon M. Kouns. They are from the Lawrence County, Ohio organization, up to recent years, with the time of election and township from which they were elected. Please let them in the comment section at the end of this article for any corrections, comments, or suggestions.

In some cases where the same person has held office for two or more successive terms, I give only the date of the commencement of the first term. The names of deceased and still living will be apparent to all interested in this history, which is in chronological order, as the date elected unless otherwise noted.

Source: From Thomas A. Walton’s story, printed in Ironton Register newspaper February 19, 1903

Associate Judges

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #12, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 Feb. 1903

John Davisson Jan. 25, 1817 Upper Also spelled Davidson – he was also Legislature
William Miller Jan. 25, 1817 Union
Gabriel Kerr Jan. 25, 1817 Fayette
Elisha B. Green(e) Nov. 1, 1820 Union
John Kelly Sept. 6, 1821 Upper
Nathaniel Davisson June 2, 1823 Fayette Also spelled Davidson
Elijah Frampton Feb. 26, 1824 Fayette
William Miller Feb. 26, 1824 Union
Nathaniel Pritchard Feb. 1, 1827 Rome
Reuben Kelly Feb. 10, 1829 Upper
Nathaniel Davisson Feb. 11, 1834 Upper
Curtis Scovill Oct. 20, 1834 Union
Charles McCoy Feb. 28, 1835 Perry
Reuben Kelly Feb. 10, 1836 Upper
Nathaniel Davisson Jan. 2, 1840 Upper
Benjamin Johnston Feb. 10, 1843 Perry
Salmon [sic] Solomon Reckard Feb.       1847 Union  Ironton Register, Thursday, March 10, 1853
Andrew Dempsey Feb.       1847 Elizabeth
John Newton Mar. 14, 1850 Upper
George N. Kemp Oct.        1850 Upper
Auditors

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #12, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 Feb. 1903

Thomas Kerr 1817-1820 Walton left him off-smk
Joseph Wheeler Feb. 26, 1820-1821 Fayette
W. G. Robinson 1821 – 1822 Fayette unexpired term
Thomas Kerr 1822-1824 Fayette
Solomon Beckley Oct. 14, 1824-1825 Fayette
Abraham Smith Oct. 12, 1825 Union
Cyrus Spooner Oct. 15, 1825- 1835 Fayette
John Bryan Oct. 11, 1835-1846 Fayette
James C. Terry Oct. 12, 1846-1854 Rome
George W. Willard Oct. 1854-1863 Upper
Seth Sutherland Oct. 14, 1862 Upper
Thomas R. Brown Not Known-mm Walton left him out-mm
John N. Thomas Oct. 12, 1868 Mason
M. S. Bartram Oct. 1878 Upper
Davis 1887 (in office)
Corn 1893 (in office)
Circuit Court Judges

In 1885 the Circuit Court was formed in Ohio – Unknown Source

Judge Thomas Cherrington 1885 – 1911
Judge Milton L. Clark
Commissioners

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #13, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 12 March 1903

Joel Bowen  April 7, 1817 Rome
Joseph Davidson April 7, 1817 Fayette
David Spurlock April 7, 1817 Union
Edward Billups Oct. 14, 1817 Union
Nathaniel Davisson Oct. 14, 1817 Upper
E. B. Greene Oct. 12, 1819 Union
Thomas Kerr Oct. 12, 1819 Fayette
Thomas Templeton Dec. 10, 1820 Union
Nathaniel Davisson Oct. 10, 1820 Upper
John McKee Oct. 9, 1821 Fayette
Charles McCoy Oct. 9, 1821 Perry
Peter Lionbarger Oct. 8, 1822 Upper
Simon Drouillard Oct. 8, 1822 Rome
Abraham Smith Oct. __, 1823 Union (check year – smk)
John Bryan Oct. 12, 1824 Fayette
John McCrea Oct. 12, 1824 Union
Reuben Kelly Oct. 11, 1825 Upper
J. C. Shute Oct. 11, 1826 Fayette
Timothy Wakefield Oct. 9, 1827 Union
Daniel Brubaker Oct. 14, 1828 Fayette
Martin Frampton Oct. 11, 1831 Union
John Kelly Oct. 11, 1831 Upper
William Pritchard Oct. 11, 1831 Rome
Jacob Powell Nov. 30, 1832 Mason
Salmon Reckard Oct. 8, 1833 Union
John H. Chaffin Oct. 8, 1833 Elizabeth
Curtis Scovil Oct. 11, 1836 Union
Richard Jones Oct. 10, 1837 Elizabeth
Salmon Reckard Oct. 9, 1838 Union
C. W. Simmons Oct. 8, 1839 Aid
Thomas Lambert Oct. 13, 1840 Upper
William Lambert Oct. 13, 1840 Upper
William Campbell Oct. 12, 1841 Fayette
Jacob Proctor Oct. 11, 1842 Union
John C. Stewart Oct. 11, 1843 Symmes
William Lambert Oct. 8, 1844 Upper
James G. Argo Oct. 14, 1845 Decatur
E. W. Wakefield Oct. 12, 1847 Windsor
Nathaniel Davisson Oct. 10, 1848 Upper
Nic. Vermillion Oct. 9, 1849 Mason
John Newton Oct. 14, 1851 Upper
Edmund Brammer Oct. 14, 1851 Windsor
Nathaniel Davisson Oct. 12, 1852 Upper
Samuel Burke Oct. 11, 1853 Symmes
James H. Drury Oct. 10, 1854 Fayette
William Lambert Oct. 9, 1855 Upper
Wilbur W. Wiseman Oct. 14, 1856 Symmes
James C. Terry Oct. 13, 1857 Rome
Reuben Davidson Oct. 12, 1858 Upper
Samuel C. Johnson Jr. Oct. 9, 1860 Union
Reuben Davidson Oct. 8, 1861 Aid
Ambrose J. Trumbo Oct. 14, 1862 Hamilton
Samuel Crawford Oct. 1863 Fayette
Reuben Davidson Oct. 1864 Aid
S. B. Hempstead Oct. 1865 Hamilton – Resigned in 1867
Charles Wilgus Oct. 1866 Union
Squire Massie Oct. 1867 Mason
F. Monig 1867 Served for one year
L. A. Griffith 1868-1871 Aid
C. T. Templeton Oct. 1869 Union
George N. Gray Oct. 1870 Elizabeth
L. D. Morrison Oct. 1872 Rome
C. L. Nevius Oct. 1873 Decatur
C. W. McCoy Oct. 1874 Perry
W. E. Rowe Oct. 1875-78 Lawrence
C. L. Nevius 1875 Elected President of Commissioners
Wilbur W. Wiseman Oct. 1876-79 Mason
C. H. Forgey 1877-80 Windsor
M. T. Ridenour Oct. 1881 Elizabeth
The Following is not on Walton’s list:    
W. W. Wiseman 1882  
Clinton Forgey 1882  
M. T. Ridenour 1882  
Edwards 1887
Fuggitt 1887  
Geo. N. Gray 1892
Chas. Brammer 1892  
 Lunsford 1895
Common Pleas Judges

First Court of Common Pleas was organized March 4, 1817 – they held 3 sessions of about 3 weeks each, at which time there was no Probate Court. When Common Pleas Court became a separate institution, about 1912, the late Judge E. E. Corn became the county’s first judge.

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #12, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 Feb. 1903 and Sharon M. Kouns personal research, marked (smk).

Judge E. B. Green 
Judge Simeon Nash 1850’s
Judge W.V. Peck 22 July 1854 (Ironton Register, Thursday, June 22, 1854)
Judge John P. Plyley 1860-1862
Judge William W. Johnson 1863-1865
Judge Martin McRain 1867 – 1869 (Ironton Register, March 15, 1888 – Circuit Court)
Judge Henry A. Towne 1869-1870
Judge William K. Hastings  1872 –
Judge Porter D. Hadway 1873 – 1876
Judge John J. Harper  1876 – 1882
Judge Albert C. Thompson  1881 – 1884
Judge Ezra Van Mess Dean 1884 – 1886
Judge Noah J. Dever 1886 – 1894
Judge William D. James 1899
Judge Collings 1899
Judge A. J. Layne 1919 – 1925
Judge Daniel C. Jones  1926 – 1937
Judge Edward E. Corn 1907 – 1919
Judge George E. Martin 1904 – 1907
Judge Fred G. Roberts 1925-1926
Judge James Collier 1937 – 1953
Judge Warren S. Earhart 1953 – 1973
Judge W. Richard Walton 1981 –
Judge Kenneth Ater 1973 – 1996
Judge Frank McCown 1997 –
Coroners

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #14, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 March 1903

Edward Simmons Apr. 7, 1817 Perry
Joel Bowen Oct. 10, 1820 Rome
Henry Jeffords Oct. 8, 1822 Fayette
Cornelius Hanley Oct. 12, 1824 Union
Edward Ward Oct. 10, 1826 Union
Jacob Miller Oct. 13, 1829 Rome
Luther Doolittle Oct. 12, 1830 Rome
David Beebee Oct. 9, 1832 Rome
Russell Smith Oct. 9, 1833 Fayette
Timothy B. Stanley Oct. 13, 1836 Rome
Elisha B. Green Oct. 10, 1837 Perry
Hugh Crawford Oct. 12, 1841 Fayette
T. R. Stanley Oct. 11, 1842 Rome
James Davidson Oct. 8, 1844 Fayette
John Newton Oct. 10, 1848 Upper
Joseph Davidson Oct. 8, 1850 Fayette
C. W. Simmons Oct. 12, 1852 Windsor
Thomas A. Dempsey 1859-1861 Upper
Jonas S. Roadarmer Oct. 14, 1856 Upper
M. W. Davis Oct. 1860 Upper
E. Arnold Oct. 1868 Resigned
J. H. Henry Oct. 1869
W. T. McQuigg Oct. 1871  
J. W. Allison Oct. 1873
F. W. Mathias Was elected and resigned in 1877.
C. Matthews 1878 Appointed to fill the vacancy
Owen Ellison Oct. 1880 (still coroner in 1882 – smk)
Dr. Henry 1888, 1892 Not on Walton’s list
Ironton, Ohio City Solicitors
Probate Judges

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #14, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 March 1903

James [sic] Joseph F. Wheeler Jr. Oct. 14, 1851  Fayette Died before being commissioned.
Joseph Wheeler, Sr. Feb. 12, 1852    
Fletcher Golden Oct. 10, 1854 Upper  Ironton Register, Thursday, March 5, 1857
McConn, [sic] Sylvester McCown Oct. 13, 1857 Rome  
C. B. Egerton Oct. 8,  1861 Upper Served 3 terms
Peras R. Polley Oct.      1869 Upper  
George W. Thompson Oct.      1875 Fayette  
 Milton L. Clark 1884    
Thomas Cherrington 1885
Lot Davis 1888
J. C. Russell 1894
Fred G, Roberts 1912-1920
Charles E. Payne ? – 1928
Helen Clarke 1928
Prosecuting Attorney‘s

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #13, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 12 March 1903

Luther Boggs Blodgett Oct. 14, 1834 Symmes Tp.  (should be Blodgett not Boggs – smk)
Solomon Beckley Oct. 11, 1836 Fayette Tp.
John H. Wells Oct. 11, 1837 Fayette Tp.
Solom Beckley Oct. 8, 1839 Fayette Tp.
Samuel M. J. L. Browning Oct. 12, 1841 (should be J. L. Browning – smk)
John S. George Oct. 14, 1845
Samuel M. Browning Oct. 12, 1847 Fayette Tp.
Ralph Leete Oct. 9, 1847 Fayette Tp.
Henry S. Neal Oct. 21, 1853 Upper Tp.
Fletcher Golden Oct. 13, 1857 Upper Tp.
C. G. Hawly Oct. 11, 1859
A. W. McCarstlin Oct. 8, 1861
S. P. Calvin Oct. 1863 (check year – smk)
E. V. Dean Oct. 1867 Ironton
Thomas Cherrington Oct. 1869 Ironton
W. S. McCune Oct. 1873 Ironton
John Hamilton  Oct. 1877 Ironton
W. S. Forgey Oct. 1879 Died in office and J. M. Richards appointed in 1880.
J. K. Richards 1880 Appointed
W. S. McCune Oct. 1881 Ironton  (Walter S. – smk)
Recorders

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #13, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 12 March 1903

W. G. Robinson March 25, 1817 Appointed from Fayette Tp.
Joseph Wheeler Aug. 25, 1823 Fayette Tp.
John S. Kelvy Oct. 11, 1836 Fayette Tp.
Joseph Wheeler Oct. 8, 1839 Fayette Tp.
William Kyle Oct. 11, 1842 Fayette Tp.
James Davidson Not on Walton’s list -smk.
John S. Kelvy Oct. 10, 1848 Fayette Tp.
Washington Kerr Oct. 14, 1851 Fayette Tp. (the duties of office being performed by Misses Kelvy)
J. W. Wakefield Oct. 10, 1854 Windsor Tp.
George R. Richey Oct. 14, 1856 Upper Tp.
James A. Bartram Oct. 11, 1859 Upper Tp.
W. H. Donohoe Oct. 13, 1868 Elizabeth Tp.
Harrison Riggs Oct. 1874 Mason Tp.
William McKnight Oct. 1877 Ironton

(I.R. Dec. 29, 1892 – A. D. Bruce enters on his duties as Recorder next Monday.  Miss Misner will be his deputy – a first class Selection.)  A. D. Bruce is still recorder in 1897.

Sheriff’s

Note:  Sheriffs not in T. A. Walton’s list – smk.

John Kelly Mar. 24, 1817 Upper
Joseph Davidson Oct. 13, 1818 – 1822 Fayette 
William G. Robinson Oct. 8, 1822 – 1827 Fayette 
Elisha B. Greene 1827 -1829  
W. G. Robinson 1829 – 1833  
Charles Wilgus Oct. 9, 1833 -1837 Union
W. G. Robinson Oct. 11, 1836 Fayette (1837-1841 – smk)
Charles W. Simmons Oct. 9, 1840 Aid   (1841- 1845 – smk)
Joshua Hambleton Oct. 8, 1844 Fayette (1845-1849 – smk)
Lewis Shepard Oct. 10, 1848 Union (1849 – 1853 – smk)
Hugh Crawford Oct. 12, 1852 Upper (killed in an accident – smk)
C. W. Simmons Oct. 11, 1853 Windsor (1853- 1855 – smk)
William McGirr Oct. 9, 1855 Upper (1855-1860 – smk)
Joshua Hambleton Oct. 11, 1859 Upper (1860-1864 -smk)
Joseph Sutton Not on Walton’s list – smk.  
John W. Earles 1863 Upper (1866- 1868 – smk)
W. T. Elswick Oct. 1867 Elizabeth (1868-1870 – smk)
Will S. Merrill 1869 Upper  (1870 – 1874 – smk)
Thomas W. Rose Oct. 1873 Mason (1874 – 1878 – smk)
L. D. Markin Oct. 1879 (1878 – 1882 – smk)
Jasper Kimball Oct. 1881 (1882-1884 – smk)
T. H. B. Jones (1884-1886) 
J. L. Fisher (1887-1890)
F. C. Gates (1890-1894) re-elected in 1892 -smk
Deputy Sheriff W. G. Ward 1892 W. G. Ward was deputy sheriff in 1892 – smk
I. R. Dovel (1894-1898) 
 Ward Taylor (1898-1902)
Sheriff Payne (1905) 1905
Deputy Sheriff T.H. Neal 1905 -smk
Surveyors

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #13, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 12 March 1903

William Carpenter Oct. 6, 1823 Upper Tp.
Thomas Walton Oct. 9, 1832 Rome Tp.
Thomas J. Hudson Oct. 9, 1838 Elizabeth Tp.
Robert Richey   Unexpired term.
Jacob Heaberlin Oct. 12, 1841 Upper Tp.
Thomas Walton Oct. 12, 1847 Rome Tp.
John Rowe Oct. 8, 1850 Perry Tp.
Thomas A. Walton Oct. 11, 1853 Rome Tp.
G. T. Shirky Oct. 11, 1859 Union Tp.
William O. Callahan Oct. 14, 1862 Elizabeth Tp.
W. B. G. Hatcher Oct. 1865 Perry Tp. (year might be 1866 – smk)
W. B. G. Hatcher Oct. 13, 1868 Perry Tp.
Thomas A. Walton Oct. 1871 Rome Tp. resigned in June, 1872
Thomas Gore March 1872 Upper Tp. appointed
W. B. G. Hatcher Oct. 187_ Upper Tp. (can’t make out year – smk)
J. R. C. Brown Oct. 1875 Ironton
Treasurers

Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #12, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 Feb. 1903

Thomas Kerr  June 6, 1817 Fayette
John W. Silbert   Fayette (date not mentioned)
Joseph Wheeler Dec. 5, 1825 Fayette
Stephen Wilson 1835
W. G. Robinson Oct. 13, 1835 Fayette
John Kyle Oct. 12, 1835 Fayette
Theodore  N. Johnson Oct. 14, 1845 Fayette  (should be Benjamin not Theo. – smk)
Joshua Hamleton Oct. 9, 1849 Fayette
C. W. Simmons Oct. 9, 1855 Mason
John Snider Oct. 13, 1857 Mason  (should be Snyder – smk)
Jesse B. Kimble Oct. 8, 1861 Rome
John Snider  Oct. 1867 Mason
Simeon Crossley Oct. 1869 Hamilton (Died in office, April 1873 and William Betts appt.)
William Betts  Oct. 1873 Upper
John Snider  Oct. 1877 Upper
Jere Davidson  Oct. 1879 Upper  full name Jeremiah – smk.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This