Edward Swift Isham (January 15, 1836 – February 16, 1902) was an American lawyer and politician from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

. The son of a justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Cou ...

, Isham attended

Williams College Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kille ...

and the

Harvard School of Law 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 ...

before he was admitted to the bar in 1858. He headed west, establishing a practice in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

, in 1859. The practice eventually became

Isham Lincoln & Beale Isham Lincoln & Beale was a law firm based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was the law firm of Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of Abraham Lincoln. The firm operated until 1988. History The law firm was founded in 1859 when Edward Swift Ish ...

. Isham also served one term in the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

Early life

Edward Swift Isham was born in

Bennington, Vermont Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous t ...

on January 15, 1836. He was the eldest son of Semantha (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...

Swift) Isham (1808–1896) and

Pierpoint Isham Pierpoint Isham (sometimes spelled Pierpont, Pierrepont, or Pierrepoint; August 5, 1802 – May 8, 1872) was a Vermont attorney and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1851 to 1856. Biography Isham was born ...

(1802–1872), later a justice of the

. Among his siblings was Mary Adeline Isham, the wife of Sartell Prentice (their son Ezra married Alta Rockefeller), and Henry Pierpont Isham, a Chicago real estate broker and banker. His paternal grandparents were Dr. Ezra Isham and Nancy (née Pierpont) Isham, and his maternal grandparents were Dr. Noadiah Swift and Jennet (née Henderson) Swift. His maternal grandmother Nancy was the great-granddaughter of Rev. James Pierpont, the founder of

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. He was raised in northwestern

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. At the age of sixteen, he had to drop out of school due to illness. After two years' recovery in

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = G ...

, Isham returned to

Groton, Massachusetts Groton is a town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 11,315 at the 2020 census. It is home to two prep schools: Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1 ...

, where he studied at Lawrence Academy. In 1853, he was accepted at

and studied there for four years. The school awarded him a master's degree in 1860.

Career

Isham studied law in his father's office and then attended the

. He was admitted to the bar in

Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to: *Rutland (city), Vermont *Rutland (town), Vermont *Rutland County, Vermont *West Rutland, Vermont West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...

, in 1858. He decided to practice in the west, ostensibly to

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, whic ...

. However, he decided to settle instead in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

reportedly because he was "favorably impressed with the advantages of all kinds which the city seemed to afford him." He practiced in the office of Hoyne, Miller & Lewis and then formed a partnership in 1859, known as Stark & Isham with James L. Stark. Isham quickly rose to prominence among Chicago lawyers. In 1864, Isham was elected to the

as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...

, where he served a two-year term and was a member of the judiciary committee. After his term expired, Isham spent two years in Europe, then returned to his law practice. In February 1872, Isham admitted

Robert Todd Lincoln Robert Todd Lincoln (August 1, 1843 – July 26, 1926) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He was the eldest son of President of the United States, President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. Robert Lincoln became a bu ...

, the son of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, as a junior partner. In 1886, William G. Beale was also admitted as a partner, and henceforth the partnership was known as

. The firm retained this name until it dissolved in 1988. Isham's most notable cases include the arrangement of the

Walter Loomis Newberry Walter Loomis Newberry (September 18, 1804 – November 6, 1868) was the son of Amasa and Ruth (Warner) Newberry. He was an American businessman and philanthropist, whose bequest provided for the creation of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illin ...

library endowment and the 1875 mayoral election controversy between Harvey Doolittle Colvin &

Monroe Heath Monroe Heath (March 27, 1827October 21, 1894) was a U.S. politician. He served as Mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1876–1879) for the Republican Party, after winning the 1876 election. He was subsequently reelected the following year, defeating ...

. He received an

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...

from Williams College in 1893.

Personal life

In 1861, Isham was married to Frances "Fannie" Burch (1838–1894), the daughter of the Hon. Thomas Burch and his wife Eliza Burch of

Little Falls, New York Little Falls is a city in Herkimer County, New York. The population was 4,946 at the time of the 2010 census, which is the second-smallest city population in the state, ahead of only the city of Sherrill. The city is built on both sides of the ...

. Fannies first cousin, Mary Weld Burch, was the wife of

Alexandre Ribot Alexandre-Félix-Joseph Ribot (; 7 February 184213 January 1923) was a French politician, four times Prime Minister. Early career Ribot was born in Saint-Omer, Pas-de-Calais. After a brilliant academic career at the University of Paris, where he ...

, the Prime Minister of France. They had two sons and two daughters, including: *

Ann Elizabeth Isham Anne Eliza Isham (January 25, 1862 – April 15, 1912) was a passenger aboard the . She was one of five female first-class passengers (four women and one child) to die when the ship sank. An unsubstantiated rumor states she died because she did ...

(1862–1912), who died during the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'', one of only four upper-class women to do so. * Pierrepont Isham (1865–1906), who graduated from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

in 1887 and served in the

7th Cavalry Regiment The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Ireland, Irish air "Garryowen (air), Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated i ...

and later became a partner in the law firm. He married Lois Kellogg in 1893. * Edward Swift Isham Jr. (1868–1927), who graduated from Yale and married Laura Miller, and was the father of three. * Frances Isham (1872–1970), who married Henry Tweedy Shelton (1862–1950), a

Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by '' U.S. News & Worl ...

graduate. Isham was a charter member of the

Chicago Club The Chicago Club, founded in 1869, is a private social club located at 81 East Van Buren Street at Michigan Avenue in the Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Its membership has included many of Chicago's most prominent ...

and drafted its incorporation papers in 1869. He died suddenly of heart disease on February 16, 1902, while at the

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schult ...

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. After a funeral at the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York, he was buried at Dellwood Cemetery in

Manchester, Vermont Manchester is a town in, and one of two shire towns (county seats) of, Bennington County, Vermont. The population was 4,484 at the 2020 census. Manchester Village, an incorporated village, and Manchester Center are settlement centers within t ...

References

;Notes ;Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Isham, Edward Swift 1836 births 1902 deaths Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives People from Bennington, Vermont People from Manchester, Vermont Harvard Law School alumni Williams College alumni 19th-century American politicians