Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/370

 LAW

LAWLER

and practised in Milford. He w^as judge of the supreme court of the colony of Connecticut, 1715- 25, and in 1725 was appointed chief-justice and lieutenant-governor. He was governor of the colony, 1741-50. He was married to Anna, daughter of the Rev. Joseph Eliot of Guilford, and granddaughter of the Rev. John Eliot, Apos- tle to the Indians. Tlieir daughter, Ann Law, was grandmother to U.S. Senator Samuel Augus- tus Foote (q.v.). Governor Law died at Mil- ford. Conn., Nov. 9, 1750.

LAW, Lyman, representative, was born in New London, Conn., Aug. 19, 1770 ; son of Judge Richard and Ann (Prentiss) Law. He was grad- uated from Yale in 1791 ; studied law with his father, and practised in New London. He was a representative in the state legislature and speaker of the house, and was a Federalist representative in the 12th, 13th and 14th congresses, 1811-17. He was married to a daughter of Amasa and Grace (Hallum) Learned. He died in New Lon- don, Conn., Feb. 3, 1842.

LAW, Richard, delegate, was born in Milford, Conn., March 17, 1733 ; son of Gov. Jonathan and Anna (Eliot) Law. He was graduated from Yale A.B., 1751, A.M., 1754; studied law in the office of Jared Ingersoll, was admitted to the bar at New Haven, Conn., in 1754, and practised in Mil- ford, 1754-57, and in New London, Conn., after 1757. He was married to Ann, daughter of John Prentiss of New London. He was judge of the county court, a member of the general assembly, and one of a committee of fifteen who on Dec. 28, 1767, drew up a form of subscription, by which the use of certain enumerated articles subject to tax was condemned and relinquished by the people of New London. He was made a member and moderator of the committee of correspond- ence at the meeting held at New London, June 37, 1774 ; was a member of the governor's council, and was nominated as a delegate to the Conti- nental congress in 1776 ; but in June, 1776, at the period of appointment he was confined in a hos- pital with the smalli^ox, and thus was deprived of becoming a signer of the Declaration of Inde- pendence. He was a delegate to the Continental congress in 1778, when he was excused fi-om further service in the governor's council. He was again a delegate, 1781-84 ; was mayor of New London, 1784-1806; judge of the supreme court of Connecticut, 1784-89, and chief justice of the superior court in 1789. With the help of Roger Sherman, he revised and codified the statute laws of Connecticut. He was appointed by President Washington judge of the United States District Court of Connecticut in 1789, and he held the office until his death. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Yale college in 1802. He died in New London, Conn., Jan. 26, 1806.

LAWLER, Francis Xavier, educator, was born in county Craven, Ireland, June 22, 1822. He was brought to America by his parents in 1824, and lived in Franklin county, N. Y. He was educated for the priesthood, and was ordained, Dec. 25, 1845, by dispensation from the pope, not having arrived at canonical age. He was vice-president and manager of St. Mary's college, Marion, Ky., 1847-51 ; president of the college, 1851-55 ; master of discipline, Notre Dame university, 1856-58 ; superior of St. Pius seminary, Ky., 1858 ; in charge of a church at Laporte, Ind. , 1859-70 ; at Logans- port, Ind., 1870-78 ; at Lawrence and other places in Kansas, 1878-81 ; in the vicariate-apostolic of Dakota Territory, 1881-84, principally at Emmet, his first charge, and as superintendent of the Yankton Indian school. He was in charge of the church of Our Lady of Mercy, Alexandria, S.D., when he celebrated his golden jubilee. May 20, 1896, and at that time he was invested with the insignia of his office of Monseigneur and domestic prelate to Pope Leo XIII. He was also vicar-gen- eral of the diocese of Sioux Falls established in 1889, and a rural dean of the diocese. He died at Alexandria, S.D., Sept. 1, 1900.

LAWLER, Frank, representative, was born in Rochester, N.Y., June 25, 1842. He attended the public schools until 1855, when a serious accident to his father made it necessary for him to help support the family and he was a newsboy on the railroad, 1855-58 ; after that time he learned the trade of ship-builder and became president of the Ship-carpenters and Ship-calkers' association, taking an active part in organizing and maintain- ing trade and labor unions. He was employed in the post-office at Chicago, 111., 1869-77 ; was a member of the city council, 1876-85 ; and a rep- resentative, elected by the Democrats of the second district of Illinois, in the 49th, 50th and 51st congresses, 1885-91, serving on the commit- tee on levees and improvements of the Missis- sippi river. He died in Chicago, 111., Jan. 17, 1896.

LAWLER, Joab, representative, was born in North Carolina, June 12, 1796. While a boy he removed with his father to Tennessee, thence to Mississippi Territory in 1815, and settled in Shelby county, Ala., in 1820. He was jvidge of the county court ; was ordained to the Baptist min- istry in 1826 ; was a representative in the Ala- bama legislature, 1826-31 ; state senator, 1831-32, resigning during the latter year to accept from President Jackson, the office of receiver of public moneys for the Coosa district. He was a repre- sentative from Alabama in the 24tli and25tli con- gresses, from Dec. 7, 1835, to the time of his death. He established two Baptist churches in Talladega county, in which he officiated as pastor, 1826-35. He died at Washington, D.C., May 1838.