Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Welch, John

WELCH, John, jurist, b. in Harrison county, Ohio, 28 Oct., 1805. He was graduated at Franklin college in 1828, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1833. He was prosecuting attorney from 1834 till 1839, sat in the Ohio senate in 1846-'7, and in 1850 was elected to congress, serving one term. He was a member in 1852 of the national convention that nominated Winfield Scott for the presidency, and in 1856 was an elector on the Frémont ticket. He was a judge of the court of common pleas in 1863-'5, and was then raised to the supreme bench, serving thirteen years. He resumed practice, but retired after seven or eight years, and has since devoted himself to literary pursuits. The degree of LL.D. was given him by Franklin college in 1867. Judge Welch has invented a new method of computing interest, and is the author of “Mathematical Curiosities” (Athens, Ohio, 1883); “Index-Digest of Ohio Decisions” (Cincinnati, 1886); and lectures and essays on “Thomas Ewing,” “Mob Law,” “History of Ohio University,” and other subjects. - His brother, Johnson, b. in Harrison county, Ohio, 15 Sept., 1809; d. in New Athens, Ohio, 1 April, 1837, became a minister of the Presbyterian church, adhering to the Scotch, or Seceding party, and at the time of his death was the president of Franklin college.