Home County: Greene
Term of service at the Supreme Court of Missouri: January 1873 - December 1902
Judge Thomas Adiel Sherwood was born June 7, 1834, in Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia.[i] He was educated at Mercer University in Georgia, and Shurtleff College in Alton, Illinois.[ii] “In 1852 he came to Missouri and settled in Cape Girardeau.[iii] In April 1857, Thomas Sherwood graduated from the Cincinnati Law School, in Ohio,[iv] and in May of that year was admitted to the bar in Missouri.[v] In 1858, he moved to Neosho and practiced law there until 1859.[vi] From 1859 until 1863, he continued his law practice in southwest Missouri, in Mount Vernon.[vii] In 1863, Sherwood, and his family, moved to Springfield, Greene County, where he practiced law in many counties in southwestern Missouri.[viii]
As the state of Missouri evolved so did the Supreme Court of Missouri, “In 1872 the membership of the court was increased to five judges, and the term to ten years.”[ix] During the November election of 1872, the voters decided that Thomas Adiel Sherwood should fill one of the newly created judgeship positions, for a ten year term, that began in January of 1873.[x] Judge Sherwood was re-elected in November 1882 for a ten year term,[xi] and again re-elected in 1892 to serve for another 10 years.[xii] During his time with the Supreme Court, Judge Sherwood, served as the Chief Justice from January 1, 1876 until January 1, 1883.[xiii] Judge served with the Court until December of 1902.[xiv] He returned to Springfield to practice law.[xv]
Judge Thomas Sherwood died in Long Beach, California on November 23, 1918.[xvi]
[i] Howard L. Conard, ed., Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, A Compendium of History and Biography for Ready Reference, Vol. V, (St. Louis, MO: The Southern History Company, 1901), 588.
[ii] Howard L. Conard, ed., Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, A Compendium of History and Biography for Ready Reference, Vol. V, (St. Louis, MO: The Southern History Company, 1901), 588. See also: Potosi Journal Staff, “Former Judge Dies,” Potosi Journal, (Potosi, Missouri), Wednesday, December 4, 1918, image 3, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri), image courtesy of Chronicling America website, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90061371/1918-12-04/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1918&index=2&rows=20&words=Sherwood+Thomas&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=191
[iii] R. I. Holcombe, ed., “Hon. T.A. Sherwood,” History of Greene County, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of It’s Townships, Towns, and Villages, (St. Louis, MO: Western Historical Company, 1883), 580, information courtesy of Archive.org, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://archive.org/details/historyofgreenec00holc/page/580
[iv] R. I. Holcombe, ed., “Hon. T.A. Sherwood,” History of Greene County, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of it’s Townships, Towns, and Villages, (St. Louis, MO: Western Historical Company, 1883), 580, information courtesy of Archive.org, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://archive.org/details/historyofgreenec00holc/page/580
[v] R. I. Holcombe, ed., “Hon. T.A. Sherwood,” History of Greene County, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of it’s Townships, Towns, and Villages, (St. Louis, MO: Western Historical Company, 1883), 580, information courtesy of Archive.org, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://archive.org/details/historyofgreenec00holc/page/580
[vi] R. I. Holcombe, ed., “Hon. T.A. Sherwood,” History of Greene County, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of it’s Townships, Towns, and Villages, (St. Louis, MO: Western Historical Company, 1883), 580-581, information courtesy of Archive.org, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://archive.org/details/historyofgreenec00holc/page/580
[vii] R. I. Holcombe, ed., “Hon. T.A. Sherwood,” History of Greene County, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of it’s Townships, Towns, and Villages, (St. Louis, MO: Western Historical Company, 1883), 581, information courtesy of Archive.org, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://archive.org/details/historyofgreenec00holc/page/580
[viii] R. I. Holcombe, ed., “Hon. T.A. Sherwood,” History of Greene County, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of it’s Townships, Towns, and Villages, (St. Louis, MO: Western Historical Company, 1883), 581, information courtesy of Archive.org, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://archive.org/details/historyofgreenec00holc/page/580
[ix] Horace W. Fuller, The Green Bag Vol. 3 (Boston, Mass: Boston Book Co., 1891), 160.
[x] Missouri State Legislature, “Resolutions,” Laws of the State of Missouri Passed at the Adjourned Session of the Twenty-Sixth General Assembly, (Jefferson City, MO: Regan & Edwards, 1872), 3-4. See also: Horace W. Fuller, The Green Bag, Vol. III, (Boston, Mass: Boston Book Co., 1891), 160.
[xi] Howard L. Conard, ed., Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, A Compendium of History and Biography for Ready Reference, Vol. V, (St. Louis, MO: The Southern History Company, 1901), 588. See also:
[xii] Missouri Legislature, Souvenir of the Missouri Legislature (Thirty-Ninth General Assembly.) State Officers, Etc. 1897-8. (Jefferson City, Mo: Scroggs & Davis, 1897).
[xiii] R. I. Holcombe, ed., “Hon. T.A. Sherwood,” History of Greene County, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of it’s Townships, Towns, and Villages, (St. Louis, MO: Western Historical Company, 1883), 581, information courtesy of Archive.org, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://archive.org/details/historyofgreenec00holc/page/580
[xiv] St. Louis Republic Staff, “Supreme Court Criticises Trial Methods; Grants Meysenburg a New Hearing, Judge Sherwood in Rendering his Last Opinion from the Bench, Reviews Work of Circuit Attorney Folk,” Wednesday, December 17, 1902, image 15, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri), image courtesy of Chronicling America website, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1902-12-17/ed-1/seq-15/#date1=1902&index=5&rows=20&words=Sherwood+Thomas&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=1902&proxtext=Thomas+Sherwood&y=13&x=14&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
[xv] Scott County Kicker Staff, “Sherwood Resumes Law Practice,” Scott County Kicker (Benton, Missouri), February 6, 1904, image 2, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri (Springfield, Missouri), image courtesy of the Chronicling America website, accessed June 26, 2019, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89066234/1904-02-06/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1903&index=19&rows=20&words=Sherwood+Thomas&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=1918&proxtext=Thomas+Sherwood&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
[xvi] The Butler Weekly Times and the Bates County Record Staff, The Butler Weekly Times and the Bates County Record, (Butler, Missouri), Thursday, November 28, 1918, image 5, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri), image courtesy of Chronicling America website, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063289/1918-11-28/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1918&index=3&rows=20&words=Sherwood+Thomas&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=1918&proxtext=Thomas+Sherwood&y=12&x=11&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
See also: Potosi Journal Staff, “Former Judge Dies,” Potosi Journal, (Potosi, Missouri), Wednesday, December 4, 1918, image 3, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri), image courtesy of Chronicling America website, accessed on June 26, 2019, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90061371/1918-12-04/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1918&index=2&rows=20&words=Sherwood+Thomas&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=191
Biographical information authored by Mr. Maxwell Beffa, 2019, University of Missouri-Columbia.