Robert Justice was an early statesman in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. He began his political career in 1840 after being elected to the position of county recorder

Recorder of deeds

Recorder of deeds is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property.-Background:...

 of Holmes County

Holmes County, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,943 people, 11,337 households, and 9,194 families residing in the county. The population density was 92 people per square mile . There were 12,280 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...

. Following the end of his term in 1843 he was elected as auditor of that same county. He served as a state senator

State Senator

A state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...

 for Ohio representing the counties of Holmes, Wayne

Wayne County, Ohio

Wayne County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States, and is named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. As of the 2010 census, the population was 114,520. Its county seat is Wooster....

, Knox

Knox County, Ohio

Knox County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 60,921. Its county seat is Mount Vernon and is named for Henry Knox, an officer in the American Revolutionary War who was later the first Secretary of War....

, and Morrow

Morrow County, Ohio

Morrow County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Shawnee people used the area for hunting purposes before white settlers arrived in the early 19th century. Morrow County was organized in 1848 from parts of four neighboring counties and named for Jeremiah Morrow, Governor of...

 in 1866.

Robert Justice is best known for his nine consecutive terms which he served as justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 in Holmes County.

Personal life

Robert Justice was born in Hookstown

Hookstown, Pennsylvania

Hookstown is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 152 at the 2000 census.-History:Hookstown was the birthplace of Robert Justice...

 in Beaver County

Beaver County, Pennsylvania

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 on March 15, 1809. He was the son of Joseph Justice and his wife Elizabeth Catherine Ball. Elizabeth was an immigrant from County Donegal

County Donegal

County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

 in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. Shortly after his birth, Robert, his parents, and his older sister, Catherine, moved to Columbiana County, Ohio

Columbiana County, Ohio

Columbiana County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 107,841. It is named for Christopher Columbus and the county seat is Lisbon....

, where they lived for the rest of his childhood.

In 1833 he moved to Millersburg

Millersburg, Ohio

Millersburg is a village in Holmes County, Ohio, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 3,326. It is the county seat of Holmes County.-Geography:Millersburg is located at , along Killbuck Creek...

, Holmes County, Ohio where he began work as a schoolteacher and later served for six years as a school examiner.

On May 14, 1883 Robert married Martha Robeson the daughter of Charles Robeson. They were married in Washington Township

Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio

Washington Township is one of the fourteen townships of Holmes County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,614 people in the township, 1,419 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...

 in Holmes County. The couple had two daughters: Virginia and Elizabeth C. Virginia married Dr. William Morrison Ross a prominent member of the Millersburg community who had also served in the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 as a captain. Martha died in 1866.

Virginia and her husband had five children, of whom only one survived to adulthood. Her surviving daughter married the grandson of Daniel Parkhurst Leadbetter

Daniel Parkhurst Leadbetter

Daniel Parkhurst Leadbetter was a state senator in Ohio during the 1840s.He retired from office before the end of the decade, although he had support to run again. Later, he served in the American Civil War as a captain...

 making Robert Justice and Leadbetter related through marriage.

Death

Robert Justice died on October 2, 1889 in Holmes County. He was survived by his two daughters and by one granddaughter. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Millersburg.

Sources

• Commemorative Biographical of the Counties of Wayne and Holmes, Ohio 1889
• Dickinson, Marguerite "Obituaries Abstracted From Holmes County, Ohio Office Papers in Farmer HUB Office" (Holmes County Historical Society and Western Reserve Historical Society).
• Birth and Death Records for Holmes County 1878-1893 in Probate Court in Millersburg.
• 1870 U.S. Federal Census
• Records extracted from Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio
• McNamara, Walter L. and Elizabeth Ross McNamara "Baby's Record of Virginia McNamara." 1902.
• Letter by David R. McNamara to his son Walter, June 8, 1904
• Will of Mary Leadbetter
• Will of Robert Justice
• Walmer, Margaret B. "100 Years at Warrington, York County, Pennsylvania Quakers." (1989 Heritage Books Inc.).