San Francisco County
Biographies
JUDGE NOBLE HAMILTON
JUDGE NOBLE HAMILTON, of San Francisco,
is a native of Indiana, born at
Lawrenceburg in 1822. His father, William Hamilton, came there in 1812; his
wife’s family name was Sparks, and
her father was a prominent lawyer, a Judge of the courts, and a Methodist
preacher. Judge Hamilton was reared and received his education in his native
State; also studied law there and was admitted to the bar in 1845. Soon after
war was declared with Mexico
he entered the army and served through the war. After his return in 1850 he was
elected Collector and County Treasurer
of Dearborn county,
Indiana, of which Lawrenceburg was the county seat. In 1852 he was a delegate
to the National Democratic Convention at Baltimore,
where President Pierce was nominated. The following year he came to the pacific
coast. After taking a trip through the mines, he formed a partnership with
Joseph Combs in the practice of law at Alvarado, then the county seat of Alameda
county; and Judge Hamilton says "slugs" were
more plentiful then than $20 pieces are now. In 1854 he was associated in
practice with J. B. Townsend. In December of that year he married Miss Lydia D.
Marston, of Maine.
He practiced law there until 1859, when he removed to San Leandro, which had then become the
county seat, and while there he was appointed by Governor Stanford to fill a
vacancy on the bench. Later he was nominated on the
Union ticket, and elected County Judge,
served four years and then resigned to engage in mining. This venture, however,
proved disastrous. In 1871 he removed to Oakland.
In 1881, under the provisions of the law to increase the number of Judges of
the Superior Court, he received the unanimous recommendation of the bar and was
appointed by Governor Perkins to the bench, and after serving two years he
received the nomination without opposition, and was elected by 2,400 majority,
running far ahead of his ticket, Governor Stoneman’s
majority on the same ticket being only 400. He remained on the bench until
January, 1888, and then resumed the practice of his profession in San
Francisco. Judge Hamilton is a Republican in his
political views, and active in the councils of his party. He is also connected
with the Masonic order and other fraternities.
Transcribed 1-2-06 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 283-284,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2005 Marilyn R. Pankey.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library