Hon. Josiah Scott

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Husband Hon. Josiah Scott ^{1 2}

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           Born: 1 Dec 1803 - near Canonsburg, Chartiers Twp, Washington Co, PA 1 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 15 Jun 1879 1
         Buried: 

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         Father: Alexander Scott (1763-1848) 2 4 5 6
         Mother: Rachel McDowell (1773-1825) 2 4 6

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Wife

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Children

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General Notes: Husband - Hon. Josiah Scott

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He was a distinguished scholar and jurist and for many years a judge of the Supreme court of Ohio.

JOSIAH SCOTT, son of Alexander Scott and Rachel McDowell, was born near Cannonsburg, Washington County, Pennsylvania, Dec. 1, 1803. While yet a youth he entered Jefferson College\emdash walking from home every day and back\emdash and graduated in 1823. After this he spent nearly six years in teaching\emdash two years in Newtown, Berks County, Pennsylvania, two years near Richmond, Virginia, and two years as tutor in his Alma Mater. While engaged in teaching, he studied law privately, borrowing books for that purpose. He commenced the practice of law in Bucyrus, Crawford County, Ohio, in the spring of 1829. Some ten years after this he was a member of the Ohio Legislature, and, in 1844, was the elector for his district on the Henry Clay ticket for President. In 1850, he removed to Hamilton, Ohio, and in 1856 was elected to the Supreme Bench of the State, and twice afterward re-elected, positively declining a re-nomination. In 1868, he returned to reside in Bucyrus, and, in 1876, Gov. Hayes appointed him as the head of the Supreme Judicial Commission, on which he served for the three full years of his appointment. He died June 15, 1879, about three months after his term of service had expired. Mr. Scott never sought any official position to which he was chosen or appointed. The office sought the man, and not the man the office. Although a man of great and varied talent, he was constitutionally modest and diffident. He was a man of extensive learning\emdash a fine scholar in all the branches of an academic course. He excelled both as a linguist and mathematician. He could translate the Greek and Latin authors with great ease and accuracy. He learned to read the Hebrew Bible without a lexicon, grammar or instructor. He was a complete master of mathematics, and it is said never failed to solve any problem given him that was solvable. He was the author of the rules for the formation of "perfect magic squares." As a lawyer he was logical, eloquent, brilliant, humorous, pathetic or sarcastic, as the circumstances dictated. As a Judge, he was learned, profound, concise, and thoroughly conscientious. As a Christian he was humble, devout, thoroughly familiar with the Scriptures, and a fine theologian. He was a ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church for nearly forty years. He had an unusually large head and brain, and without effort could concentrate his mind upon all questions he was called upon to consider. His moral character was above reproach.
"His life was gentle, and the elements
So mixed in him, that nature might stand up
And say to all the world, this was a man."

1 —, History of Crawford County and Ohio (Chicago, IL: Baskin & Battey, Historical Publishers, 1881), Pg 808.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 393, 430.

3 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 393.

4 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 870, 953.

5 Jeff McBride, Descendants of Thomas A. Forster (Laurel, Md: Web-published, 2012).

6 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 85.