Francis Wade Hughes, born August 20, 1817, in Upper Merion township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. He commenced the study of law 1834, in the office of the late George W. Farquahar, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and the following winter entered the office of John B. Wallace, of Philadelphia. In August, 1837, he was admitted as a member of Schuylkill county bar, and commenced the practice of his profession in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where he passed his life. His success was immediate, brilliant and continuous; his practice extended to all branches of the profession, and his cases were important. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Silliman, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, April, 1839, the ceremony by Rev. A.A. Miller.

He was appointed Deputy Attorney-General by Hon. Ovid F. Johnson, then Attorney-General. He resigned three times, but was subsequently re-appointed, and held the position altogether eleven years; his knowledge of criminal law was consequently thorough, but the great bulk of his practice had always been in the civil courts. He ranked among the first of the few great land-lawyers; was a fine equity practitioner, and understood patent and commercial law.

At no period of his life was he willingly concerned for the prosecution in homicide cases, and for twenty-five years refused such engagements. He had, however, very frequent engagements for the defense, with invariable success to the extent of preventing a conviction of murder in the first degree. He gave the subject of criminal jurisprudence a great deal of thought, and whilst he could not be said to be opposed to capital punishment to the extent, or for the same reasons, which influenced its opponents generally, yet he doubted the efficacy of capital punishment in any point of view. Nevertheless, when what are known as "Molly Maguire" cases came on for trial, he took an active part in the prosecution in Carbon, Schuylkill and Columbia counties. Through the efforts of Mr. Franklin B. Gowen, and the instrumentality of the Pinkerton detective agency, the requisite proofs and knowledge of the criminals was obtained. Capital punishment in their case seemed the only remedy for the ills under which the community suffered. Acting under this belief, Mr. Hughes actively, earnestly and successfully took part in the prosecutions. The result justified the efforts made; the lesson had been taught that punishment, if delayed for years, will follow crime, and life and property in the coal regions are again under the protection of the law. In 1843 he was elected to the State Senate in Schuylkill county. After serving in the Legislature one year he resigned his position, and returned to the practice of law. In 1851 he was appointed by Governor Bigler Secretary of the Commonwealth. This office he filled until 1853, when he succeeded Judge James Campbell as Attorney-General.

As Secretary of the Commonwealth, he was superintendent of common schools, and took great interest in the organization of the common school system of Pennsylvania, which, with slight modifications, is still maintained. He was the author of the Common School Act of 1854, and his decisions as superintendent of common schools, relative to the construction of the law, are regarded as authority. He was earnest in his advocacy of the rights of women; he did not advocate their right to vote, but always claimed that the sphere of their employment should be enlarged, and their pay made commensurate with their services.

He regarded a civil war with dread, and hoped until the last to avertit; when, however, the resort to arms was inevitable, his support of the Union was prompt, energetic and valuable. He denied utterly any right of seccssion; he claimed that the government was one of the whole people, not a confederation of States. [Swedish Holsteins in America]

Francis Wade Hughes, born August 20, 1817, in Upper Merion township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. He commenced the study of law 1834, in the office of the late George W. Farquahar, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and the following winter entered the office of John B. Wallace, of Philadelphia. In August, 1837, he was admitted as a member of Schuylkill county bar, and commenced the practice of his profession in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where he passed his life. His success was immediate, brilliant and continuous; his practice extended to all branches of the profession, and his cases were important. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Silliman, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, April, 1839, the ceremony by Rev. A.A. Miller.

He was appointed Deputy Attorney-General by Hon. Ovid F. Johnson, then Attorney-General. He resigned three times, but was subsequently re-appointed, and held the position altogether eleven years; his knowledge of criminal law was consequently thorough, but the great bulk of his practice had always been in the civil courts. He ranked among the first of the few great land-lawyers; was a fine equity practitioner, and understood patent and commercial law.

At no period of his life was he willingly concerned for the prosecution in homicide cases, and for twenty-five years refused such engagements. He had, however, very frequent engagements for the defense, with invariable success to the extent of preventing a conviction of murder in the first degree. He gave the subject of criminal jurisprudence a great deal of thought, and whilst he could not be said to be opposed to capital punishment to the extent, or for the same reasons, which influenced its opponents generally, yet he doubted the efficacy of capital punishment in any point of view. Nevertheless, when what are known as "Molly Maguire" cases came on for trial, he took an active part in the prosecution in Carbon, Schuylkill and Columbia counties. Through the efforts of Mr. Franklin B. Gowen, and the instrumentality of the Pinkerton detective agency, the requisite proofs and knowledge of the criminals was obtained. Capital punishment in their case seemed the only remedy for the ills under which the community suffered. Acting under this belief, Mr. Hughes actively, earnestly and successfully took part in the prosecutions. The result justified the efforts made; the lesson had been taught that punishment, if delayed for years, will follow crime, and life and property in the coal regions are again under the protection of the law. In 1843 he was elected to the State Senate in Schuylkill county. After serving in the Legislature one year he resigned his position, and returned to the practice of law. In 1851 he was appointed by Governor Bigler Secretary of the Commonwealth. This office he filled until 1853, when he succeeded Judge James Campbell as Attorney-General.

As Secretary of the Commonwealth, he was superintendent of common schools, and took great interest in the organization of the common school system of Pennsylvania, which, with slight modifications, is still maintained. He was the author of the Common School Act of 1854, and his decisions as superintendent of common schools, relative to the construction of the law, are regarded as authority. He was earnest in his advocacy of the rights of women; he did not advocate their right to vote, but always claimed that the sphere of their employment should be enlarged, and their pay made commensurate with their services.

He regarded a civil war with dread, and hoped until the last to avertit; when, however, the resort to arms was inevitable, his support of the Union was prompt, energetic and valuable. He denied utterly any right of seccssion; he claimed that the government was one of the whole people, not a confederation of States. [Swedish Holsteins in America]