Thomas W. Bartley
For thirty years prior to 1864, Thomas W. Bartley was a prominent figure in the city of Mansfield. He was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1812; graduated at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, studied law in Washington City and at the age of twenty-two commenced the practice of his profession in what was then the village of Mansfield. At the time Judge Bartley read law in Washington, his father, Governor Mordecai Bartley, was a member of Congress from this district, which he represented for four successive terms. He with his family came to Richland County shortly after the close of the War of 1812, in which he served as a captain under Gen. Harrison. His illustrious son was then an infant, and was reared, educated and grew to fame as a child of old Richland. Mansfield is proud of her sons who in civil life or amidst the roar of battle stood in the front lines and with true manhood performed every duty, not only faithfully but so well that all join in commendations. Judge Bartley did this. He was prosecuting attorney for two terms; United States district attorney for the northern district of Ohio for four years, by appointment of President Pierce; Representative and Senator in the Ohio Legislature; President of the Senate; Governor of the state, and Judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio. In each position he so acquitted himself as to cause his fellow townsman to mention his name with pride, and Ohioans everywhere to recognize in him a noble son who had acted well his part. Judge Bartley was only thirty-two years old when, by the resignation of Gov. W. Shannon, he became Governor of Ohio, the youngest Governor our state has yet had. At the expiration of his term in 1844 the Democratic Party nominated him for Governor and the Whig party nominated Mordecai Bartley, the father of the Judge, as a candidate for the same office. Strange things occur in politics, but seldom, indeed, will it again happen that father and son, will be opposing candidates for the highest office in the gift of a great state, as was the case in the memorable contest of 1844. The father was elected and Mordecai Bartley succeeded his son as Governor of Ohio. In 1851 Thomas W. Bartley was elected a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio. This was the first election under the new constitution, by which the number of Judges was increased to five. Judges Bartley, Ranney and Thurman were elected members of that court -- three jurists who would have honored the highest judicial tribunal of any land and in any age. While these eminent men were on the bench every lawyer felt a pride in the high estimation in which the opinions of that court were held. Eminent judges have been on that bench since the days of Bartley, Ranney and Thurman, and since the days of a Brinkerhoff and a Swan, but it has been too seldom that they have constituted a majority of the court. Judge Bartley was re-elected to the Supreme Bench and at the close of his second term in February, 1859, resumed the practice of law in Mansfield. In 1864 he removed to Cincinnati, where he engaged in the practice of his profession, but he remained in Cincinnati only a few years, when he took up a permanent residence in Washington City and remained there in the active practice of law until his death on the 20th. day of June, 1885. He married a sister of Mr. John C. Larwill, and after her death, Senator Sherman's sister, who was a daughter of Judge Sherman, who once graced our Supreme Bench, became his second wife. Mrs. S.E. Jenner is a daughter of Judge Bartley. Hon. John W. Jenner, S.E. Jenner, Capt. A.C. Cummins, S.G. Cummings and Andrew Stevenson read law in his office after his retirement from the Supreme Bench. The Judge was a most dignified, cultured, and courteous gentleman, who will never be forgotten by those who were honored by his friendship and intimate acquaintance.
From Richland Shield & Banner: 23 June 1894, Vol. LXXVII, No. 6
In chronicling the death of Judge Thomas W. Bartley, which occurred on Saturday evening at 8 o'clock at his residence at Washington City, it is proper that we give a brief sketch of the life of him whom Richland County feels proud to claim as one of her own. Gov. Mordecai Bartley removed to Richland County when the subject of this sketch was but a small boy. During the school days of Thomas, his father was elected to Congress from this district and represented it for several successive terms. Thomas became a student at Georgetown where he completed his studies, when he returned to Mansfield and commenced the practice of law at the early age of twenty-one years. After practicing his profession for a few years he was elected prosecuting attorney, which office he filled for two terms. He was next appointed by President Polk U.S. District Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, which office he held during that administration. In 1842 he was elected a state Senator and upon the convening of the Legislature he was elected Speaker. Shortly after this Gov. Shannon, the Governor of Ohio, was appointed Minister to Mexico, and Thomas W. Bartley became the Governor, which office he held until the election of his father, Mordecai Bartley, who by the way, was a member of the opposite political party, and the son had the honor of inducting his father into the Governor's chair, something that has never occurred before or since in any State of the Union. After his retirement from the Governor's office he again resumed the practice of law in Mansfield, which he continued until his election as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of Ohio, in 1851. He remained on the Supreme bench for two terms, his associates on the bench being Judges Ranney, Caldwell, Corwin and Thurman, and a portion of the time Brinkerhoff and Bowen. The Supreme Court of Ohio during the time Judge Bartley was on the bench, is generally conceded by lawyers to be the equal in ability to any court of last resort in the Union, and their decisions are cited, as authority, throughout the United States. Upon his retirement from the Supreme bench he again resumed the practice of law in Mansfield. He removed from Mansfield to Cincinnati in 1863, and again removed in 1867 to Washington city, where he continued the practice of his profession up to the time of his death. His daughter, Mrs. S.E. Jenner, went to Washington last week and was present during his last hours. Mr. Jenner expected to go to his funeral, but the telegram announcing his death was not received by him, owing to the telegraph office being closed until late Sunday morning, too late for him to reach Washington. Judge Bartley was an ardent Democrat, and in 1881 commenced the publication of the American Register, a Democratic journal. This proved a financial failure, and the Judge spent, in his efforts to establish the paper, large sums of money that he had before accumulated by his professional labors. Judge Bartley was born February 22d., 1812, at Steubenville, Ohio. Judge Bartley was thrice married. His first wife was Miss Julia M. Larwill, a sister of John C. Larwill, of Loudonville. She was the mother of Mrs. Jenner. His second, Miss Susan Sherman, a sister of General and Senator Sherman, and his third, who survives him, Mrs. McCoy, widow of Col. McCoy of Gen. Sherman's staff. He will be buried in Washington City by the side of his second wife and little daughter, Daisey.
From MANSFIELD HERALD: 25 June 1885, Vol. 35, No. 32
