march december associate justice 16th governor kentucky served houses kentucky secretary state governor studied law briefly serving state legislature appointed governor serve alongside service court involved controversy state legislature unhappy court debt relief legislation attempted abolish court replace new court time courts operated simultaneously claimed court resort state supporters old court won control legislature abolished new court resigned years later returned state legislature served governor appointed secretary state resumed legal practice retired profession year nominated governor whig ticket defeated general election conservative policies able reduce state debt spite opposition large numbers kentucky citizens volunteered military service popularity declined sharply attempted remove secretary state successfully challenged removal court resigned protest actions charged practicing appointments term governor sought public office died december buried kentucky early life born march virginia thirteen children born william catherine cousin representative father anthony elder brother family relocated kentucky settling settlements crab orchard stanford english ancestry dedicated studies public schools area obtained better education peers march appointed adjutant time taught country school married students gill seventeen couple children time teacher studied surveying eventually deputy surveyor later served deputy sheriff father high sheriff capacity attracted attention offered use library opportunity read law opened legal practice political career began elected serving term governor appointed served alongside teacher soon appointment legislature reduced number justices court resigned seat elected state house vacancy occurred governor appointed court court crucial decisions tenure case commonwealth kentucky held right establish branches kentucky supreme_court united_states later overturned ruling second important decision participant case blair etc williams kentucky act law granted year grace period debts creditors accept notes colleagues opined law violation contract clause constitution decision extremely unpopular commonwealth citizens affirmed court opinion related case following decisions general_assembly attempted remove justices positions lacked thirds majority required assembly attempted abolish create new beginning controversy members existing court continued functioning role new court pro relief justices organized legislature time courts claimed court resort kentucky supporters won control legislature abolished having seen court controversy chief justice resigned december mills resigned attempt silence criticism defeated faction held seats defiance people supporters hoped men nominated confirmed legislature making charge credible accordingly newly elected governor submitted men legislature confirmation nominations defeated state senate ended tenure court time longest tenure justice returned legal practice case load soon compelled governor kentucky returned state house served state senate served presidential ascended governorship death appointed secretary state shortened term retired practice law purchased farm elected governor whig ticket defeating democrat vote fiscal conservative reduced state deficit slightly reluctant rebuild state damaged fire despite reluctance spend urged general_assembly increase funding public education money proclaimed left appropriate department legislature determine raising response assembly passed small tax benefit public education education progress tenure largely appointment public school superintendent credited architect kentucky educational system secretary war requested kentucky provide bolster forces new state texas refused request word request reached citizens state volunteered great numbers rushed reinforce taylor similarly responding troops service mexican american war joined fellow conflict war postal workers state opened letter delivering spread word federal government requested troops time formal volunteers entire regiment kentucky troops organized despite personal opposition war boasted report commonwealth raised volunteers times number requested later tenure marred conflict secretary state believed supporting gubernatorial election obtain influence choices appointments tensions worsened increasingly frustrated lack influence september removed cabinet charging abandoned duties reside challenged premise removal nominated replace state senate voted vacancy existed upheld decision resigned charging practicing kentucky constitution governor stripped power remove secretary state office following term governor retired farm kentucky lived death wife lived children died december buried cemetery kentucky named honor home early political career listed national_register_of_historic_places
William Owsley