Jewett, Hugh Judge

Extract

Jewett, Hugh Judge (01 July 1817–06 March 1898), lawyer, railroad president, and Democratic politician, was born at his family’s homestead, “Landsdowne,” in Deer Creek, Harford County, Maryland, the son of John Jewett and Susannah Judge, farmers. A graduate of Hopewell Academy in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Jewett attended Hiram (Ohio) College and studied law in the office of Colonel John C. Groome in Elkton, Maryland. In 1838 he was admitted to the Maryland bar and moved to St. Clairsville, Ohio. Jewett was married in 1841 to Sarah Jane Ellis of St. Clairsville, with whom he had four children. After briefly practicing law with Judge William Kennon, he removed to Zanesville, Muskingum County, in 1848. In Zanesville Jewett gained a reputation as an honest but astute lawyer with an ability to handle cases involving complex financial questions. Jewett’s talent for financial problem solving impressed local banking interests and led to his election as president of the Muskingum County branch of the State Bank of Ohio in 1852. After the death of his first wife, Sarah Jane, Jewett married Sarah Elizabeth (Guthrie) Kelly in 1853, with whom he had three children....