Freeborn Garrettson Jewett (August 4, 1791 in

Sharon Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...

, Litchfield County, Connecticut – January 27, 1858 in Skaneateles,

Onondaga County, New York Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA. History The name ''Onondaga'' derives fro ...

) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and was the first Chief Judge of the

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the Unified Court System of the State of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six Associate Judges who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by t ...

Life

Jewett was born in Sharon, Connecticut on August 4, 1791, a son of Abigail Sears Jewett and Alpheus Jewett. He moved to Skaneateles in 1815, and was appointed a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in 1817. He studied law, first with Henry Swift of

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later organ ...

, then with Samuel Young of Ballston Spa. He was admitted to the bar in 1818 and commenced practice in Skaneateles as the partner of James Porter. From 1824 to 1831 he was

Surrogate A surrogate is a substitute or deputy for another person in a specific role and may refer to: Relationships * Surrogacy, an arrangement where a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a child for another person who will become its parent at bi ...

of Onondaga County.

Political career

He was a member from Onondaga County of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

1826 Events January–March * January 15 – The French newspaper ''Le Figaro'' begins publication in Paris, initially as a weekly. * January 30 – The Menai Suspension Bridge, built by engineer Thomas Telford, is opened between the island o ...

. He was a presidential elector in

1828 Events January–March * January 4 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Comte de Villèle, as Prime Minister of France. * January 8 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organized. * January 22 – Arthu ...

Congress

Jewett was elected as a Jacksonian to the

22nd United States Congress The 22nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1831 ...

, holding office from March 4, 1831 to March 3, 1833. He was Inspector of

Auburn Prison Auburn Correctional Facility is a state prison on State Street in Auburn, New York, United States. It was built on land that was once a Cayuga village. It is classified as a maximum security facility. History Constructed in 1816 as Auburn Pri ...

in 1838 and 1839, and District Attorney of Onondaga County in 1839. He was appointed an associate justice of the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

on March 5, 1845.

Judge

On June 7, 1847, Jewett was elected one of the first judges of the New York State Court of Appeals. On June 22, he drew the shortest term (2 years and a half), and when the judges took office on July 5, he became the first Chief Judge. He was re-elected in 1849 to an eight-year term, but resigned in June 1853 on account of ill health.

Death

He was buried at Lake View Cemetery in Skaneateles.

Legacy

Justice Jewett is the namesake of

Jewett, New York Jewett is a town centrally located in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 953 at the 2010 census. The town is named for Freeborn G. Jewett, justice of the New York Supreme Court. History The area was first settled ...

Notes and references

Political Graveyard
''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 284, 348 and 415; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)

Obit in NYT on January 30, 1858 (giving wrong middle initial "J.", and almost all years given are wrong) {{DEFAULTSORT:Jewett, Freeborn G. 1791 births 1858 deaths Chief Judges of the New York Court of Appeals Onondaga County District Attorneys New York Supreme Court Justices People from Sharon, Connecticut People from Skaneateles, New York 1828 United States presidential electors Burials in New York (state) Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American politicians Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)