Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/517

SHAW, Thompson Hurrah, naval officer, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 20 Aug., 1801 : d. in German- town, PH., 2(i July. 1874. He entered the navy as a midshipman, 20 May, 1820, was commissioned lieutenant. IT May, 1828, and served in the West Indies in 1831-'2. He was transferred to the "Natchez" in April, 1833, and then to the "Lex- ington " as flag-lieutenant of the Brazil squadron, and subsequently as an officer of that ship until ls:!."i. He was on leave at Philadelphia for two years, and was then 1st lieutenant of the frigate " Constitution," of the Pacific squadron, in 1838-'41. Paring the Mexican war he commanded the schooner "Petrel," and was highly complimented for his conduct in engagements at Tampico, Vera Cruz, and Tuspan in 1846-'7. Upon his re- turn to Philadelphia a committee of citizens pre- sented him with a sword and epaulets. He was commissioned commander, 7 Aug., 1850, had charge of the naval rendezvous at Philadelphia in 1852-'4, and in 1854-'5 commanded the sloop " Palmouth " in the Home squadron. He was placed on the reserved list in 1855, but claimed that this did him an injustice, and was restored to his rank by a naval court in 1857. He was then on leave until the civil war began, when he took command of the steamer " Montgomery," in the Gulf block- ading squadron. lie was retired, 26 Feb., 1862, on his own application, after more than forty years' service. He was continued on special duty at New York, Philadelphia, and Boston in 18G3-'7, and was promoted to commodore on the retired list on 4 April, 1867, after which he was unemployed. See " Defence of Thompson Darrah Shaw before the Naval Court of Inquiry," by his counsel Robert K. Scott (Washington, 1857).

SHAW, William Smith, lawyer, b. in Haverhill, Mass., 12 Aug., 1778; d. in Boston. Mass., 25 April, 1826. He was graduated at Harvard in 1798, became private secretary to his uncle, Presi- dent John Adams, and at the close of the latter's administration began to study Jaw in Boston with William Sullivan. He was admitted to the bar in April, 1804, and in the same year became treasurer of the Anthology society, the nucleus of the Boston athenaium. He devoted much of his time to the collection of its library, and became known as " Athenieum Shaw." He was the first to suggest making the library public, and connecting with it a reading-room. After the incorporation of the institution he was its secretary and librarian till 1823, and its secretary alone till 1824. At his decease he left it collections of coins, pamphlets, and books to the value of $10,000. For many years after 1806 he was clerk of the U. S. district court, and he took part in politics as secretary of the state Federalist committee. Mr. Shaw was a fellow of the American academy, an original member of the American antiquarian society, and an officer of the Linniean society. Besides his connection with the "Monthly Anthology and Boston Review," the publication of the Anthology society, he was a pro- ni'iler of the "North American Review." His por- trait, by Gilbert Stuart, was painted by order of the trustees of the Athenaeum on his retirement from office. See " Memorials of William Smith Shaw," by Joseph B. Felt (Boston, 1852). His cousin, Lemuel, jurist, b. in Barnstable, Mass., 9 Jan., 1781 ; d. in Boston, Mass., 30 March, 1861. His father, the Rev. Oakes Shaw, was pastor of the West Parish of Barnstable from 17(10 I ill his death in 1807. The son was graduated at Har- vard in 1800, and, after serving for a yrar as usher in the Franklin school in Boston, began the study of law in that city. He had also been an assistant editor of the Boston " Gazette," and in 1802 pro- posals were issued for the publication by subscrip- tion of his translation of a French work on the "Civil and Military Transactions of Bonaparte." He completed the translation, but it met with no financial support. He was admitted to the bar in 1804, began practice in Boston, and rose gradually to eminence in his profession. He was several times a member of the legis- lature between 1811 and 1819, and in 1820 a delegate to the State constitutional con- vention. In 1821-'2 and 1828-'9 lie sat in the state senate. He draughted the char- ter of the city of Bos- ton, and held various minor town offices, but never allowed

these to interfere with

his legal practice. In January, 1829, at a meeting that was held in opposition to the recently estab- lished tariff, he was the head of a committee to draught a memorial to congress. In 1830, on the death of Chief-Justice Isaac Parker, of the Massa- chusetts supreme court, Mr. Shaw was appointed his successor, though he had never held any judicial office. He declined peremptorily at first, but finally accepted. He took his seat in September, 1830, and held it till his resignation, 31 Aug.. 1860. During this period he gained a high reputation for his judicial ability, and he is regarded as one of the foremost jurists that New England has pro- duced. Few men have contributed more to the growth of the law as a progressive science. Among other noted cases he presided at the trial of the convent rioters in 1834, and at that of Prof. John W. Webster for the murder of Dr. George Park- man. His charge to the jury in the latter case was widely condemned as harsh, but public opin- ion generally sustained him. In 1853 Judge Shaw visited England, where he was cordially re- ceived by members of the bar. He was an over- seer of Harvard for twenty-two years, and for twenty-seven years one of its corporation, and he held membership in many learned societies. His reported decisions fill a large part of fifty volumes, and include many in novel and complicated cases. Among his published addresses are a " Fourth-of- July Oration " (1815) ; " Inaugural Address " (1830) ; and " Address at the Opening of the New Court- House, Worcester" (1845).

SHAYS, Daniel, insurgent, b. in Hopkinton, Mass., in 1747; d. in Sparta, N. Y., 29 Sept., 1825. He served as an ensign at the battle of Bunker Hill, and attained the rank of captain in the Continental army, but “resigned his commission for reasons quite problematical.” He then resided at Pelham (now Prescott), and in 1786 took part in the popular movement in western Massachusetts for the redress of alleged grievances. This had begun as early as 1782, and had increased as popular discontent, incident on the unsettled condition of affairs at the close of the Revolution, became greater. Conventions were held in several western counties, lists of grievences were drawn up, committees of correspondence were established, and the same machinery was sought to be used against the state government that had been successful in overturning British rule in 1775. The complaints