Robert Wash | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Missouri Supreme Court Justice | |
| In office 1825–1837 | |
| Preceded by | Rufus Pettibone |
| Succeeded by | John Cummins Edwards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 29, 1790 Louisa County, Virginia, US |
| Died | November 30, 1856 (aged 66) St. Louis, Missouri, US |
| Resting place | Bellefontaine Cemetery |
| Spouse(s) | Frances Christy Berry Eliza Catherine Lewis Taylor (1837–1856) |
Robert Wash (November 29, 1790 – November 30, 1856) served on the Supreme Court of Missouri from September 1825 to May 1837.[1] During his term, the pro-slavery judge, who owned slaves himself,[2] wrote the dissenting opinion on several important freedom suits, including Milly v. Smith, Julia v. McKinney and Marguerite v. Chouteau.[3] However, he did join in the unanimous finding for the plaintiff in the landmark Rachel v. Walker case.
Judge Wash's decision to split up a family of slaves he owned was the impetus for Polly Wash's freedom suit and her daughter Lucy's memoir.[4]
- ^ Van Ness Bay, William (1878). Reminiscences of the Bench and Bar of Missouri: with an appendix containing biographical sketches of the judges and lawyers who have passed away: together with many interesting and valuable letters never before published of Washington, Jefferson, Burr, Granger, Clinton, and others ... St. Louis: F. H. Thomas and Company. p. 244. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850". FamilySearch. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
- ^ Wong, Edlie L. (July 2009). Neither Fugitive nor Free. NYU Press. p. 140. ISBN 9780814794555.
- ^ Delaney, Lucy A. (2001). From the Darkness Cometh the Light or Struggles for Freedom. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. p. 3.edition=Electronic