William Henry Seaman

The Honorable
William Henry Seaman
The Honorable William Henry Seaman
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
	In office; March 1, 1905 – March 8, 1915
Appointed by	Theodore Roosevelt
Preceded by	James Graham Jenkins
Succeeded by	Evan Alfred Evans
Judge of the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit
	In office; March 1, 1905 – December 31, 1911
Appointed by	Theodore Roosevelt
Preceded by	James Graham Jenkins
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
	In office; April 3, 1893 – March 1, 1905
Appointed by	Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	James Graham Jenkins
Succeeded by	Joseph V. Quarles
21st Mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin
	In office; April 1881 – April 1882
Preceded by	Francis Geele
Succeeded by	Michael Winter
Personal details
Born	November 15, 1842; New Berlin, Wisconsin Territory
Died	March 8, 1915 (aged 72); Coronado, California, U.S.
Resting place	Wildwood Cemetery, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary A. Peat (m. 1868⁠–⁠1915)
Children	Arelisle, Charles, Mary
Parents	William Seaman (father); Arelisle (Crane) Seaman (mother);
Education	read law
Profession	lawyer, judge
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army; Union Army
Years of service	1861–1866
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	1st Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry; Army of the Cumberland;
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Perryville; Battle of Stones River; Chickamauga campaign; Atlanta Campaign;

William Henry Seaman (November 15, 1842 – March 8, 1915) was an American lawyer, jurist and Wisconsin pioneer. He served 22 years as a United States federal judge, first as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (1893–1905), and then as a judge of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (1905–1915). Prior to his judicial service, he was the 21st mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and served in the Union Army for nearly the entire American Civil War.

Early life and education

William Henry Seaman was born in New Berlin, Wisconsin Territory, on November 15, 1842.^[1] His father, William Seaman, had brought the family to the Wisconsin Territory from Buffalo, New York, the previous year. His mother, Arelisle (Crane) Seaman, was descended from some of the earliest Puritan settlers at the Massachusetts Bay Colony. His paternal grandfather, Williams Seaman, was a Democratic state senator in the New York State Legislature.^[2]

His father had intended to bring goods to the territory and set up a store, but the supplies were lost in a shipwreck. Instead, they settled in what was then western Milwaukee County and built a saw mill and log cabin, where our William H. Seaman was born. Unfortunately, in the winter after his birth, the saw mill burned down and the family had to relocate again. This time they moved to village of Milwaukee, where his father became a harness maker. The next year they moved to Ceresco, and finally, in 1845, to Sheboygan, where his father was finally able to prosper as a merchant.^[2]

Seaman was educated in the public schools of Sheboygan until age 16, when he began working as a printer. He began studying law under Crosby W. Ellis in the nights after work, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the American Civil War.^[2]

Civil War service

On September 19, 1861, Seaman volunteered for service in the Union Army and was enrolled as a private in Company H, 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. After a year, he was promoted to Corporal, and eventually Sergeant. When the regiment mustered out in October 1864, Sergeant Seaman continued his service as a quartermaster on the staff of General George Henry Thomas through the end of the war.^[2]

Legal career

Seaman returned to Sheboygan in September 1866, and resumed his legal studies under the tutelage of state senator John A. Bentley. In June 1868, Seaman was admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin and entered into a partnership with Bentley, forming the law firm Bentley & Seaman. The partnership continued until 1876, when Bentley was appointed United States Pension Commissioner. Seaman subsequently partnered with Francis Williams, in 1882, in the firm Seaman & Williams, which endured for the next eleven years.^[2]

Seaman served in many local offices, including city council, school board, and, in 1881, he was elected Mayor of Sheboygan. He was a staunch Democrat, was chosen as chairman of the 1888 Wisconsin Democratic Party convention, and was a delegate for Wisconsin to the 1888 Democratic National Convention.^[3] In 1891, he was appointed to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin.^[2]

Federal judicial service

Seaman was nominated by President Grover Cleveland on March 27, 1893, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin vacated by Judge James Graham Jenkins. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 3, 1893, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 1, 1905, due to his elevation to the Seventh Circuit.^[2]^[3]

Seaman was nominated by President Theodore Roosevelt on February 25, 1905, to a joint seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit vacated by Judge James Graham Jenkins. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 1905, and received his commission the same day. On December 31, 1911, the Circuit Courts were abolished and he thereafter served only on the Court of Appeals. He served until his death in 1915.^[3]

Personal life and family

Judge Seaman was a member of the Congregational church, the Knights Templar, the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and the Grand Army of the Republic.^[2]

He married Mary A. Peat on December 17, 1868. They had one son and two daughters.

He died on March 8, 1915, while on vacation in Coronado, California, with his daughter.^[1]^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b "Judge William H. Seaman". The New York Times. Chicago. March 9, 1915. p. 9. Retrieved March 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Berryman, John R., ed. (1898). History of the Bench and Bar of Wisconsin. Vol. 2. Chicago: H. C. Cooper, Jr. pp. 13–15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d William Henry Seaman at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

Sources

William Henry Seaman at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
"Seaman, William Henry 1842 - 1915". Wisconsin Historical Society. August 8, 2017.

Political offices
Preceded by Francis Geele	Mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin April 1881 – April 1882	Succeeded by Michael Winter
Legal offices
Preceded by James Graham Jenkins	United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin 1893 – 1905	Succeeded by Joseph V. Quarles
	Judge of the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit 1905 – 1911	Succeeded by Seat abolished
	Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 1905 – 1915	Succeeded by Evan Alfred Evans

[NYT-1] "Judge William H. Seaman". The New York Times. Chicago. March 9, 1915. p. 9. Retrieved March 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

[bench-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Berryman, John R., ed. (1898). History of the Bench and Bar of Wisconsin. Vol. 2. Chicago: H. C. Cooper, Jr. pp. 13–15.

[auto-3] William Henry Seaman at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

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