John Lathrop (February 8, 1835 – August 24, 1910) was an associate justice of the

Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously func ...

Early life and education

Lathrop was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 8, 1833 to Rev. John P. Lathrop and Maria Margaretta ( Long) Lathrop. His father was the minister of the

Allin Congregational Church Allin Congregational Church is a historic United Church of Christ church in Dedham, Massachusetts. It was built in 1818 by conservative breakaway members of Dedham's First Church and Parish in the Greek Revival style. History The preaching of ...

Dedham, Massachusetts Dedham ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,364 at the 2020 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest b ...

. Other ancestors, also with the name John Lathrop, were among the original pilgrims of Plymouth Colony and

the minister ''The Minister'' (french: L'Exercice de l'État) is a 2011 French-Belgian political drama film directed by Pierre Schöller. Plot French Transport Minister Bertrand Saint-Jean arrives at the scene of a serious bus crash with many fatalities. ...

Second Church, Boston The Second Church (1649–1970) in Boston, Massachusetts, was first a Congregational church, and then beginning in 1802, a Unitarian church. The congregation occupied a number of successive locations around town, including North Square, Hanover ...

. Lathrop attended the

Dedham Public Schools The Dedham Public School System (Dedham Public Schools) is a PK– 12 graded school district in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is the oldest public school system in the United States. History On January 2, 1643, the Town Meeting set aside land for ...

and then Burlington College in New Jersey, receiving a degree in 1853. He then attended

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 was graduated in 1855. He received an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1906 from

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 ...

Career

After graduation, Lathrop entered the law offices of Charles C. Francis and William Caleb Loring in Boston. He was admitted to the bar in 1856. In 1862, after the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

, Lathrop joined the Dedham Company of the

35th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment The 35th Massachusetts was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 35th Massachusetts was organized at Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts, trained at Camp Stanton from August 1–22, 1862, a ...

as a captain. He fought at the

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain—known in several early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap—was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for posse ...

, at

Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

, and at the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Bur ...

. In the fall of 1863 he contracted

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...

and resigned on November 13, 1863. In 2020, the letters he and his brothers, who also served in the Union Army, sent to their mother were transcribed and published by the

Dedham Historical Society The Dedham Museum and Archive (formerly known as the Dedham Historical Society and Museum and the Dedham Historical Society), is an historical society dedicated to preserve and establish a greater sense of appreciation for the history of Dedham, ...

. Lathrop returned to the law and specialized in maritime law. In March 1874, Governor

Emory Washburn Emory Washburn (February 14, 1800 – March 18, 1877) was a United States lawyer, politician, and historian. He was Governor of Massachusetts for one term (from 1854 to 1855), and served for many years on the faculty of Harvard Law School. His ...

appointed him as the reporter of the Supreme Judicial Court. In this position, he began the custom of reporting decisions as they were handed down, and not in the order in which they were heard. In 1888, he was appointed as a judge of the

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civ ...

by Governor Oliver Ames and was placed on the Supreme Judicial Court by Governor William E. Russell in 1891. Lathrop resigned as justice on September 11, 1906 as a result of failing health. He was also a lecturer at Harvard and

Boston University School of Law Boston University School of Law (Boston Law or BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an el ...

Personal life

Lathrop was a member of the

Union Club of Boston __NOTOC__ The Union Club of Boston, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest gentlemen's clubs in the United States. It is located on Beacon Hill, adjacent to the Massachusetts State House. The clubhouse at No. 7 and No. 8 Park Street was origin ...

and the

St. Botolph Club The St. Botolph Club is a private social club in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1880 by a group including many artists. Its name is derived from the English saint Botwulf of Thorney. Among the club's other activities in its quarters at 2 Newb ...

, serving as president of the former from 1905 to 1907. He died August 24, 1910 in Dedham and his ashes are buried in

Brookdale Cemetery Brookdale Cemetery is an historic cemetery in Dedham, Massachusetts. More than 28,000 people are buried there. Mother Brook runs behind it. History For nearly 250 years after it was established, Old Village Cemetery was the only cemetery in Dedha ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lathrop, John Lawyers from Dedham, Massachusetts Military personnel from Dedham, Massachusetts Justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Harvard Law School alumni Boston University School of Law faculty People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War Union Army officers 1835 births 1910 deaths Burials at Brookdale Cemetery 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers