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Thomas White
JUDGE THOMAS WHITE, of Indiana, Indiana Co., Pa., president judge of the
“Old Tenth” Judicial district, then composed of the counties of
Armstrong, Cambria, Indiana, Somerset (soon transferred to another district)
and Westmoreland, was born Dec. 14, 1799, and died July 22, 1866.Thomas White read law in the office of William Rawle in the city of
Philadelphia, and after his admission to the bar, in 1821, located in Indiana
and commenced the practice of his profession. He was then aged about
twenty-one years, and was very soon in successful practice. He was also agent
of George Clymer, who owned a large quantity of land in Indiana county. He was
appointed president of the Tenth Judicial district in 1836, succeeding Judge
John Young (who resigned), and served his full term, until 1847. As the
constitution of the State then was, Judge White was appointed for life or, as
the technical expression of his commission is, “dum bene sese gesseret”
(while he behaves himself). But a new constitution was framed in 1838, which
changed the term of president judges to ten years. Under this change Judge
White�s term expired January, 1847. Francis R. Shunk, a Democrat, being
governor, refused to reappoint Judge White, who was a Whig, although a large
majority of the people of the district petitioned for his reappointment. The
Senate, however, having a Whig majority, rejected all the governor�s
nominees for the vacancy. When the Legislature adjourned no one was
commissioned to succeed Judge White. But Governor Shunk appointed, Jeremiah M.
Burrell for a year to hold the courts. This created legal controversy. To
avoid further controversy, and at the request of Judge White and his friends,
John C. Knox of Tioga county was appointed in the spring of 1848 to fill the
vacancy. Judge White was an eminent lawyer, a just judge, and presided over
the several courts of his district with distinguished ability. He was
instrumental in establishing the Indiana county Agricultural Society, was one
of its main projectors and supporters, and its president from its origin until
his death. He devoted much of his time to agricultural pursuits.Source: Page 952, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed December 1998 by Kathy Zagorac for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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