William Sprigg
Encyclopedia
William Sprigg was a Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, the Superior Court of the Orleans Territory
and the highest court of the Illinois Territory
.
to Joseph Sprigg and Hannah Lee. His uncle, Thomas Sprigg
, was a Member of Congress from Maryland from 1793–1797 and his half-brother, Samuel Sprigg
was Governor of Maryland
from 1818-1820.
, then the Northwest Territory
. When Ohio
became a state in 1803, the state legislature appointed Sprigg to the Ohio Supreme Court. He served as a justice on the Supreme Court from April 1803 to April 1806 and again from 1808 to 1810. During the interim period, Sprigg was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson
to serve on the highest court in the Territory of Orleans. In 1809, Sprigg was appointed by Governor Ninian Edwards
a judge in the newly-formed Illinois Territory
.
Sprigg served on the Illinois Court for many years and when Illinois
became a state, he became the center of a great controversy about the relative relationship between the judicial and legislative branch in Illinois. The result was that by April, 1818 Judge Sprigg was either removed or had resigned from the bench.
When Illinois became a state in December 1818, Sprigg sought the Illinois House of Representatives
nomination for Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Illinois. He failed to win their approval, and moved to Hagerstown, Maryland
, where he died September 9, 1827.
in Adams County, Ohio is named for Judge Sprigg.
Orleans Territory
The Territory of Orleans or Orleans Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from October 1, 1804 until April 30, 1812, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Louisiana....
and the highest court of the Illinois Territory
Illinois Territory
The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. The area was earlier known as "Illinois Country" while under...
.
Early life
Sprigg was born in 1770 in Prince George's County, MarylandPrince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
to Joseph Sprigg and Hannah Lee. His uncle, Thomas Sprigg
Thomas Sprigg
Thomas Sprigg was an 18th century American politician. He represented the fourth district of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 to 1797....
, was a Member of Congress from Maryland from 1793–1797 and his half-brother, Samuel Sprigg
Samuel Sprigg
Samuel Sprigg served as the 17th Governor of the state of Maryland in the United States from 1819 to 1822.-Background:...
was Governor of Maryland
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
from 1818-1820.
Career
Sprigg was an early pioneer and an attorney in Adams County, OhioAdams County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,330 people, 10,501 households, and 7,613 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 11,822 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
, then the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
. When 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...
became a state in 1803, the state legislature appointed Sprigg to the Ohio Supreme Court. He served as a justice on the Supreme Court from April 1803 to April 1806 and again from 1808 to 1810. During the interim period, Sprigg was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
to serve on the highest court in the Territory of Orleans. In 1809, Sprigg was appointed by Governor Ninian Edwards
Ninian Edwards
Ninian Edwards was a founding political figure of the state of Illinois. He served as the first and only governor of the Illinois Territory from 1809 to 1818, as one of the first two United States Senators from Illinois from 1818 to 1824, and as the third Governor of Illinois from 1826 to 1830...
a judge in the newly-formed Illinois Territory
Illinois Territory
The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. The area was earlier known as "Illinois Country" while under...
.
Sprigg served on the Illinois Court for many years and when Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
became a state, he became the center of a great controversy about the relative relationship between the judicial and legislative branch in Illinois. The result was that by April, 1818 Judge Sprigg was either removed or had resigned from the bench.
When Illinois became a state in December 1818, Sprigg sought the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
nomination for Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Illinois. He failed to win their approval, and moved to Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
, where he died September 9, 1827.
Memorials
Sprigg TownshipSprigg Township, Adams County, Ohio
Sprigg Township is one of the fifteen townships of Adams County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,639 people in the township, 1,638 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
in Adams County, Ohio is named for Judge Sprigg.