Sam Hanna Bell Samuel Beckett John Hewitt Bernard (Barney) Hughes James Joseph Magennis VC Frances Elizabeth Clarke Stewart Parker William Carleton Rosamond Praegar

William Paterson (1745 - 1806):
Supreme Court Justice USA


William Paterson was born in the town of Antrim. Two years later his family emigrated to America and settled in Princeton, New Jersey. He was educated at Princeton University and chose to follow a legal career. In 1775 he was elected to the New Jersey Provincial Congress and became its Secretary. He was later appointed First Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, a position that he held until 1783. In 1787 he represented New Jersey at the Philadelphia Convention, in 1788 he was elected to serve in the Senate of the United States and in 1791 he was elected Second Governor of the State of New Jersey. In 1793 he was appointed Justice of the United States Supreme Court and in 1795 he declined to become Secretary of State. He was given an honorary degree by Harvard University and became a Trustee of the College of New Jersey.

Born: 24 December 1745
Died: 9 December 1806
Kate Newmann