Milledge Lipscomb Bonham was a chief justice on the

South Carolina Supreme Court The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.

. On October 16, 1854, he was born to

Milledge Luke Bonham Milledge Luke Bonham (December 25, 1813August 27, 1890) was an American politician and Congressman. He was later the 70th Governor of South Carolina from 1862 until 1864, and a Confederate General during the American Civil War. Early life and ...

and Ann Patience Griffin. From 1863 to 1864, Bonham was educated at Sachlaben's Academy, Edgefield Academy between 1866 and 1872, and Carolina Military Institute (Charlotte) from 1875 to 1876. He was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1877 following his tutoring of the law under Colonel Robert Aldrich. He married Daisy Aldrich on October 24, 1878, with whom he had three children. After Daisy died, Bonham remarried to Dr. Lillian L. Carter on March 2, 1925. Bonham commenced his career editing newspapers. He aided in the establishment of the ''Ninety Six Guardian'' and subsequently relocated to

Newberry, South Carolina Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, United States, in the Piedmont northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. The population was 10,277 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Newberry County; at one time it ...

, where he became the ''Newberry News''' editor. Only afterwards did he relocate to

Abbeville, South Carolina Abbeville is a city and county seat of Abbeville County, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is located west of Columbia and south of Greenville. Its population was 5,237 at the 2010 census. Settled by French Huguenot settlers, it was ...

, where he began practicing law. Bonham was appointed adjutant and inspector general of South Carolina by Governor

John Calhoun Sheppard John Calhoun Sheppard (July 5, 1850October 17, 1931) was the List of Governors of South Carolina, 82nd governor of South Carolina from July 10, 1886, to November 30, 1886. Sheppard was born in Edgefield County, South Carolina, Edgefield County ...

in August 1886 after the death of

Arthur Middleton Manigault Arthur Middleton Manigault (October 26, 1824 – August 17, 1886) was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Early life and career Manigault was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1824. His parents wer ...

. He was elected to the post in November 1886 and reelected in 1888, serving until 1889. In 1894, Bonham moved to

Anderson, South Carolina Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 75,702. It is one of the prin ...

and practiced law in association with Henry Hitt Watkins. On February 1, 1924, Bonham was made a state trial court judge; an associate justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court on February 17, 1931; and chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court on January 10, 1940. He was a hereditary member of the

Aztec Club of 1847 The Aztec Club of 1847 is a military society founded in 1847 by United States Army officers of the Mexican–American War. It exists as a hereditary organization including members who can trace a direct lineal connection to those originally eligib ...

. Chief Justice Bonham died on June 23, 1943, in Anderson, South Carolina, and is buried at the Silver Brook Cemetery there.

References

1854 births 1943 deaths People from Edgefield, South Carolina South Carolina lawyers People from Newberry, South Carolina People from Abbeville, South Carolina American militia generals People from Anderson, South Carolina Justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court {{SouthCarolina-politician-stub