William Augustus Atlee (1735–1793) was a

Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the

Pennsylvania Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme J ...

and a

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

Trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

1779-1786. Atlee was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Province of Pennsylvania The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn after receiving a land grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") refers to W ...

on July 1, 1735. He later moved to Lancaster County where he

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

with

Edward Shippen Edward Shippen (1639, Methley, West Yorkshire, England – October 2, 1712, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was the second mayor of Philadelphia, although under William Penn's charter of 1701, he was considered the first. Early life Edward was bor ...

, Esq. (future Chief Justice of the

). Admitted to the bar on August 3, 1758, Atlee served on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from 1777 to 1791. Under the Reorganization Act, he was selected to head the court of the Second District. An avowed Constitutionalist and an active Whig during the American Revolution, his burning patriotic views during the Revolutionary period earned him the name "savage Atlee". Atlee held the office of President Judge for the Second Judicial District until his death on September 9, 1793, at which point

John Joseph Henry John Joseph Henry (November 4, 1758 – April 15, 1811) was an American private (rank), private soldier, lawyer, and judge from Pennsylvania in the American Revolutionary War. Biography Henry, the son of William Henry (delegate), William Henry ...

(November 4, 1758 – April 15, 1811) assumed his place. The provisions of the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1790 required for the first time that local courts have a Presiding Judge "learned in the law". Atlee was designated as the first President Judge of the Lancaster County court under the 1790 constitution. He held court in a structure in Penn Square, Lancaster, with the first session extending over four days beginning October 31, 1791. The two trials held during that term involved theft, one of a cow and one of a horse. The horse theft case had been held over for re-trial by order of the pre-constitutional court, and the alleged cow thief was cleared on the condition that he pay court cost

Family

Brother, ATLEE, Samuel John, 1739-1786. A journal extract of Samuel John Atlee containing details of a battle between the British and the Continentals. Wife, SAYRE, Esther Bowes. Eleven Children. Atlee's youngest daughter, Charlotte White, Charlotte was the first unmarried woman missionary to work abroad. She arrived in India in 1816.

References

Library of Congress Manuscript Division Washington, DC Papers: In the William Augustus Atlee Papers, 1759-1816, 150 items. Correspondents include William Augustus Atlee's brother, Samuel John Atlee, relating to combat conditions and military strategy at Flatbush, Long Island, NY.

External links

Biographical note at the University of Pennsylvania
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlee, William Augustus 1735 births 1793 deaths Politicians from Lancaster, Pennsylvania People of colonial Pennsylvania Lawyers from Philadelphia American jurists American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law