Husband Hon. Jeremiah Murry Burrell 1
Born: 1 Sep 1815 - near Murrysville, Westmoreland Co, PA 2
Christened:
Died: 21 Oct 1856 - Greensburg, Westmoreland Co, PA 2
Buried:
Father: Dr. Benjamin Burrell (Abt 1791-1832) 3
Mother: Sarah Murry ( - ) 3
Marriage:
Wife Ann(a) Elizabeth Richardson 2
Born:
Christened:
Died: Aft 1905
Buried:
Father: William H. Richardson ( - ) 4 5
Mother: Henrietta D. Hubley ( - ) 2 5
Children
1 F Sarah Murry Burrell 2
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: O. J. Greer ( - ) 2
2 M William Richardson Burrell 2
Born:
Christened:
Died: Bef 1882
Buried:
3 F Henrietta Hubley Burrell 2 6 7
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Hon. George Franklin Huff (1842-1912) 8 9 10 11
Marr: 16 Mar 1871 12 13
4 M Benjamin Burrell 2
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
5 F Mary Richardson Burrell 2
Born:
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Died:
Buried:
Spouse: J. M. West, Esq. ( - ) 2
6 M Jeremiah Murry Burrell 2
Born:
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Died:
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General Notes: Husband - Hon. Jeremiah Murry Burrell
On the 27th of February, 1847, Judge White's term as judge of the Tenth Judicial District expired, and on that day Governor Shunk nominated Jeremiah M. Burrell, an attorney of the Greensburg bar, to the Senate for the vacancy. The Senate not confirming the nomination, the Governor then sent in the names of Mr. Gilmore and Mr. McCandles, but the Whig Senate refused to confirm any other than Judge White, the late incumbent. The Governor, however, would send no other names in; went beyond any precedent existing in the history of the State growing out of a disagreement of the two co-ordinate powers to fill such a vacancy, and early in 1847 commissioned Mr. Burrell.
The question whether the Governor had power to fill the vacancy, and which arose upon the contemplation of the Governor to commission Mr. Burrell, was amply discussed. There had been only two legal expositions of parallel cases under the Constitution of the United States, which in the clause prescribing the method of supplying certain vacancies was identical with the Constitution of Pennsylvania. These expositions and opinions had been given by Mr. Wirt and by Mr. Taney, attorneys-general of the United States. These legal views were all the legal precedents, although there had been at least three actual precedents set by Presidents identical with this case. Upon the opinion based upon the authorities cited, the Governor unhesitatingly filled the commission.
The record of the Common Pleas Court has this minute:
"Monday morning, 24th May, a.d. 1847. Jeremiah M. Burrell, Esq., appeared on the bench and presented his commission from the Governor of Pennsylvania, dated 27th March, 1847, appointing him president judge of the Tenth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, composed of the counties of Cambria, Indiana, Armstrong, and Westmoreland, which being read, the courts were opened at eleven o'clock; Hons. John Moorhead and James Bell, associate judges, being also on the bench."
Jeremiah Murry Burrell was born near Murrysville, in Westmoreland County. He was an only son. His parents were wealthy, and he received a liberal education. He was prepared for college by a learned Scotchman, Thomas Will, at the Greensburg Academy, and finished his education at Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa. He studied law with the Hon. Richard Coulter, afterwards one of the Supreme judges of the State, and opened a law-office in Greensburg after his admission to the bar on the 14th of July, 1835. Some time about 1839 he bought the Pennsylvania Argus, and became its editor. He was an active politician, and he secured the paper for political purposes. He made the paper even more Democratic than it had been. In the hot political campaign of 1840 he established his name as a writer of high ability, and made a state reputation for the paper. Some of his articles on political topics were copied in other papers all over the Union. Horace Greeley in the Log Cabin, on the side of the opposition, took issue with some of the articles, and gave them still wider circulation by replying to them in the fulminating style which later made him one of the most celebrated political journalists of the age. In the campaign of 1844 he was one of the most efficient speakers and writers in the State in behalf of Col. Polk, his political friends pitting him against such men as Thomas Williams, who was afterwards selected by Congress to deliver the eulogium upon Abraham Lincoln. He was subsequently elected to the State Assembly. Here he soon distinguished himself, and there was a heated rivalry between him and Thomas Burnside, Jr., a son of Judge Burnside of the Supreme Court, and a son-in-law of Simon Cameron, then a Democrat, for the position of leader of the Democratic party in the House. In this competition Burrell was victorious, and it is admitted by both friends and political opponents that he was the ablest partisan and the most eminent orator in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
At that time in Pennsylvania the nominations for the judiciary were made by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, and a vacancy occurring in Burrell's district, the Governor sent in his name to the Senate for president judge. After a contest he was, as we have before said, rejected in that body through political motives and probably through some personal dislikes. It was deemed expedient to vacate this appointment, which being done, John C. Knox, of Tioga, was appointed, confirmed by the Senate, and commissioned in his stead. [HWC 1882, 307]
He was born in Murrysville, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Dr. Benjamin Burrell, who came from an eastern county and settled in Murrysville in the practice of his profession, and in 1814 married Sarah Murry, daughter of Jeremiah Murry, Esq., a merchant and large landholder. Jeremiah was the only child of this marriage, and after receiving such elementary education as the village school afforded, entered a classical school taught by a Rev. Mr. Gill about three miles from his native village, and in which he studied Latin and the mathematics and prepared for entering college. After a full course of collegiate training at Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Washington County, Pennsylvania, he graduated with honor. His father having died, and young Burrell having decided to enter into the legal profession, his mother removed to Greensburg, where he entered the office of Richard Coulter, afterwards a judge of the Supreme Court of the State, and after the due course of reading was admitted to the bar, and rapidly made progress into a good practice, which became a large one. He possessed splendid powers of oratory, which impressed his audiences in the very beginning of his career. While studying law he had stumped the county as a Democratic politician, commanding great admiration, and making countless profitable acquaintanceships, which served him when he entered upon professional practice. He conducted the practice of the law with assiduity, faithfulness, and constantly increasing success for some years, meanwhile paying attention to politics, and at about thirty years of age was elected to the State Legislature, and continued therein, serving three successive terms, the last the sessions of 1847-48.
In 1847 he was appointed judge of the Tenth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and in February, 1852, took his seat as judge of the same court under election, and held the post until 1855, when he was appointed by President Pierce judge of the Territorial District of Kansas. Leaving his family in Greensburg, he went to Kansas and entered upon his professional duties in a time of great excitement over the slavery question. Judge Burrell entertained what was known as Douglas' "Squatter Sovereignty" policy in regard to that Territory, and which involved the proposition of the right of citizens of any State to take with them into the Territories south of the Missouri Compromise line, without interference or opposition by others, whatever was regarded as property in their own state. If this policy was a mistaken one, it must be remembered that it was entertained by many able statesmen of the times, which were those of great political distress in the land, when no man was found wise and prophetic enough to foresee what one of the several conflicting propositions or policies of that day would prove the best or most expedient for the country, or be, all things considered, actually the most just. Judge Burrell's instincts and education inclined him to refined consideration for the rights of all men, and nothing but a supreme reverence for the Constitution of his country could have allured him to lose sight for the moment of the great question of positive and equal justice to and among all races of men.
Suffering from malarial fever in Kansas, Judge Burrell returned to Greensburg in 1856, and after a sickness of some months' duration, died at his home, surrounded by his family, on the 21st day of October of that year. [HWC 1882, 333]
His early training was in the old school Presbyterian faith. When quite a young man he married and a few years after his marriage he built a handsome residence in Greensburg, which was surrounded by large grounds, most tastefully laid out. He was a man gifted with high social qualities, rare tastes and refinement, and was of a generous nature, passionately fond of his library and of music. He played with singular skill upon both the flute and violin. [HWC 1906 i, 333]