Draft:Milton A. Shumway

Milton A. Shumway (August 30, 1848 – October 20, 1923) was a justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court from 1917 to 1918.

Born at Danielson, Connecticut, a borough of the Town of Killingly, to Noah and Elizabeth Hill (Stiness) Shumway.

Shumway was an unsuccessful candidate for a probate judge seat in 1876. In 1890, he defeated two opponents to win election to the Connecticut State Senate as a Republican, with 53 percent of the vote.

Shumway was born in Danielson August 30, 1848, son of Noah and Elisabeth Hill Stinnes Shumway. Ha studied the public schools here and later at Phillips Exeter Academy. He entered Harvard University in 1869, later studying law in the office of Judge Albert Mason of the superior court of Massachusetts at Plymouth and then with Earl Martin of the superior court of Connecticut at Danielson.

He traced his ancestry back to Peter Shumway, a French Huguenot, who settled at Topsfield, Massachusetts, between 1660 and 1675.

Judge Shumway received his early education in the district school at Danielson and at Phillips Exeter Academy. He entered Harvard University in 1869, but did not complete the course, leaving there to take up the study of law in the office of Judge Albert Mason of the Massachusetts Superior Court, at Plymouth. He afterward prepared for the Connecticut bar examinations in the office of Judge Earl Martin at Danielson. He was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1874 and remained in active practice at Danielson until his elevation to the bench. For three years he was acting State's Attorney for Windham County, during the incapacity of the then incumbent of that office, the late John G. Penrose.

Early in his career he took an active interest in politics, and for twenty years was a prominent figure in the Republican party in eastern Connecticut. In 1886 and 1887 he represented Killingly in the General Assembly. During the first session he was chairman of the committee on cities and boroughs and a member of the judiciary committee. In the session of 1887 he was house chairman of the judiciary committee and house leader. He represented his district in the Senate in the famous deadlock session of 1891.

In 1893 the General Assembly appointed him, upon nomination of Governor Luzon B. Morris, a Judge of the Superior Court for a term of eight years from January 14th, 1894. He was reappointed upon Governor George P. McLean’s nomination, in 1901, and again, upon the nomination of Governor George L. Lilley, in 1909. On February 16th, 1917, upon the nomination of Governor Marcus H. Holcomb, he was appointed an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Errors, which office he assumed on March 15th of that year, and which he filled until August 30th, 1918, when he retired under the constitutional age limit. He then became a State Referee, and as such was active until his death which occurred at his home in Danielson on October 20th, 1923, after an illness of only one day.

Personal life and death

On March 7, 1876, Shumway married Mary A. Woodward, of Brooklyn.

Shumway died at his home from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 75. His wife survived him only twelve weeks.

References

Category:1848 births Category:1923 deaths Category:Justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court

This open draft remains in progress as of August 8, 2024.