William Burnham Stevens (March 23, 1843 – July 15, 1931) was an American jurist who was a justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court and district attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

Early life

Stevens was born to Dr. William Flint and Mary Jane Gould (Burnham) Stevens on March 23, 1843, in

Stoneham, Massachusetts Stoneham ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, nine miles (14.5 km) north of downtown Boston. Its population was 23,244 at the 2020 census. Its proximity to major highways and public transportation offer convenient access to Bos ...

. He attended

Phillips Academy ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

and entered Dartmouth College in 1861, but left school to join in the Union Army during the American Civil War. His enlisted in the

50th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment The 50th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was a regiment of infantry that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was one of the 18 Massachusetts regiments formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln's August 1862 c ...

on September 19, 1862, and was promoted to Corporal. Stevens served in the Department of the Gulf under Nathaniel P. Banks and was present at the Siege of Port Hudson. He was discharged on August 24, 1863. Stevens graduated from Dartmouth in 1865 and studied law at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

and in the office of Sweetser & Gardner. Stevens married Amelia Josephine Hill on October 20, 1868. She died on December 22, 1869, and Stevens married Mary Williamine Green on September 30, 1873. He had four children with his second wife, Josephine, Mary, Frances, and William. Mary Green Stevens died on March 3, 1931.

Legal career

Stevens was admitted to the bar on July 3, 1867. He opened his own practice in Stoneham on January 1, 1868. In 1880 he was appointed district attorney for Middlesex County, Massachusetts by Governor John Davis Long. He resigned in 1890 to focus on his private practice. In 1891, Stevens was an unsuccessful candidate for the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In 1895, Stevens was appointed receiver for the Commonwealth Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In 1898, Stevens was appointed guardian for John Frank Weeks, a wealthy New Hampshire-native whose financial eccentricities resulted in the creation of a spendthrift trust. In 1901 the 70-year old Weeks married 48-year old Mary Susie Blaisdell in New Hampshire. The marriage upset Weeks' family and Stevens had him taken back to Massachusetts by a detective. A legal battle ensued which decided Stevens did not have to power to prevent Weeks from marrying or living wherever he wanted.

Massachusetts Superior Court

In 1898, Stevens was appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court by Governor Roger Wolcott. In 1902 he presided over the trial of Joseph Wilfred Blondin, who was charged with murdering his wife. Stevens retired from the bench in 1917.

Later life

Stevens was the author of a book on the history of Stoneham and another on the history of the 50th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. He was also the president of the Stoneham Five Cent Savings Bank. He died on July 15, 1931, at his home in Stoneham.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, William Burnham 1843 births 1931 deaths Dartmouth College alumni District attorneys in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Massachusetts Republicans Massachusetts Superior Court justices People from Stoneham, Massachusetts Phillips Academy alumni Union Army non-commissioned officers