John Hampton Watson facts for kids

John Hampton Watson (December 31, 1804 – August 16, 1883) was an American doctor, lawyer, and judge. He lived and worked in different states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kansas.

Early Life and Medical Career

John Hampton Watson was born on December 31, 1804, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His family were Quakers, and they had come to America with William Penn.

He started studying when he was 21 years old. In 1829, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a medical degree. He then began working as a doctor in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

In June 1829, John married Hannah Lester. They were married until she passed away in 1879. They had several children together. One of their daughters, Anna Margaret (Watson) Randolph, became well-known. She cared deeply about ending slavery, women's right to vote, and stopping the sale of alcohol.

In the spring of 1835, John and his family moved to Warren County, Ohio. He continued to work as a doctor there for five more years.

A New Path: Law and Activism

After practicing medicine, John decided to change his career. He began to study law and became a lawyer in 1844.

Because he was both a doctor and a lawyer, he became a well-known leader. He strongly opposed slavery in Ohio. The issue of slavery was also very important in Kansas. People there were deciding if Kansas would allow slavery or not. This inspired John to move his family from Ohio to Kansas.

Over the winter of 1857 and into 1858, Watson built a five-room stone house. He also planted what is thought to be the first Wisteria plant in Kansas. He had brought the plant with him from Ohio.

Legal Work in Kansas

John practiced law in Kansas from 1858 until 1862. At that time, the chief justice position on the supreme court became open. The previous chief justice, Thomas Ewing Jr., had joined the military.

In September 1862, John Watson's name was on the voting list in Emporia for several important jobs. These included governor, lieutenant governor, and judge.

On November 4, 1862, he was elected to be the chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. He won by a large number of votes. He received 9,176 votes, while his opponent received 6,016. However, the election was later canceled due to a problem with the election rules. So, he never officially took the job.

Many people were surprised when the new court session began. It was not Watson who presented to the court as chief justice. Instead, it was Nelson Cobb, who had been appointed by Governor Charles L. Robinson. Some people even called the situation unfair.

A few months later, in April 1863, Watson tried to claim his right to the Chief Justice position. But in October, the court decided in favor of Judge Cobb. This meant new elections would be held later that year. Even though people encouraged him to run again, Watson decided not to.

Watson later played an active role with the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railway. This railway later became known as the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

From 1864 to 1872, Watson was also elected twice as a judge. He served in the 5th Judicial District, which included Emporia, Kansas, where he lived. After serving his two terms as a judge, Watson retired from his professional work.

Later Years

John Watson passed away at his home in Emporia on August 16, 1883. He died just after 9 PM, after being sick for two weeks. All of his children survived him, including two sons and three daughters.