Edward B. Watson

Infobox Judge
name = Edward B. Watson


imagesize = 175px
caption = Watson circa 1910
office = 12th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
termstart = 1882
termend = 1884
nominator =
appointer =
predecessor = William Paine Lord
successor = John B. Waldo
office2 = 28th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
termstart2 = 1880
termend2 = 1884
nominator2 =
appointer2 =
predecessor2 = Paine Page Prim
successor2 = W. W. Thayer
birthdate = October 7 1844
birthplace = Garnavillo, Iowa
deathdate = death date and age|1915|2|1|1844|10|7|mf=y
deathplace = Portland, Oregon
spouse = Eleanor Kubli

Edward Byers Watson (October 7 1844-February 1 1915) was an American jurist in the state of Oregon. He was the 12th Chief Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court. Watson served for four years on the state’s highest court, and his brother served for two years on the court.

Early life

Watson was born on October 7 1844, in Garnavillo, Iowa, as the child of James Watson and Emily Adams Franklin Watson.Corning, Howard M. "Dictionary of Oregon History". Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.] His older brother James Watson who would also serve on the Oregon Supreme Court was born in 1840. The family moved to Oregon Territory in 1853 and settled in Douglas County. In Oregon Edward Watson received an education in the public schools and at Wilbur Academy. Then in June 1866 he graduated with a bachelors of art from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. He then studied law and began practicing in 1868 in Jacksonville, Oregon. Watson studied the law under the supervision of his brother. [Ralph James Mooney; Raymond H. Warns, Jr. Governing a New State: Public Law Decisions by the Early Oregon Supreme Court. Law and History Review, Vol. 6, No. 1. (Spring, 1988), pp. 25-93.]

Legal career

While in Southern Oregon Watson served as a county judge for Jackson County from 1872 to 1876. Next he served as county clerk from 1878 to 1880. Then in 1880 Watson was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court to Paine Page Prim. [http://www.bluebook.state.or.us/state/elections/elections27.htm Oregon Blue Book: Supreme Court Justices of Oregon.] Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved January 10 2008.] His four year term expired in 1884 and he left the court. During his tenure he served as chief justice from 1882 to 1884.

Later life

After leaving the bench Edward Watson returned to private practice, but moved to Portland, Oregon. He had married Eleanor Kubli in Jacksonville, and the two had two daughters. Edward B. Watson died in Portland on February 1 1915.

References