Witherell, Benjamin Franklin Hawkins

8/4/1797

Fairhaven, Vermont

Justice of the Peace, 1824
City Recorder, 1828
Judge of Probate, 1834-1835
Prosecuting Attorney, 1835-1839 (several conflicting dates found)
Delegate to Second Convention of Assent, 1836
Senator, 1840-1842
Representative, 1842
District Judge of Criminal Court, 1843-1851
Member, Board of Regents, University of Michigan, 1848-1852
Delegate to Constitutional Convention, 1850
Detroit City Historiographer, 1855-?
Justice of Supreme Court, 1857
Democrat
President of the Detroit New England Society
President of the State Historical Society
Held military office titles of Judge Advocate General, Brigadier General, Major General of the state militia
Presidnet of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument Association at the time of his death

-Private school in Troy, New York with Dr. Beamen.
-Studied law in the office of Territorial Secretary WIlliam Woodbridge in Detroit
-Admitted to the bar, 1819

Lost election for Mayor of Detroit in 1842 to Zina Pitcher 793 votes to 479.

Owned land in multiple parts of Southeast Michigan. Section 29 of Ypsilanti Township in Wastenaw County, section 33 of Township 5N16E or St. Clair Township in St. Clair County, and sections 35 and 35 of Warren Township in Macomb County. Also, one of the first to buy land in Lynn Township in St. Clair County.

He was a trustee for several lots of land on which Methodist Churches were located in downtown Detroit.

There is a Detroit Advertiser article dated March 21, 1864 (which can also be found reprinted in the Chicago Tribune on March 26, 1864) which details the tragic death of his third wife Cassandra S. Brady. Entitled "Sad Accident" it describes how she was filling a kerosene lamp when it suddenly exploded, throwing flames everywhere.

Judge, attorney. Legal and Political

He wrote for the Detroit Free Press on local history under the pen name "Hamtramck."

Reminiscences of the North-west
BFH Witherell - 1857

Judge James W. Witherell

Amy Hawkins

1) Mary Sprague, m. 1824, 2) Delia A. Ingersoll, m. 1837, 3) Cassandra S. Brady

1) by Mary
James B.
Martha E.
Harriet C.M.
Julia A.

2) by Delia
Charles I.

American