Ohio County, West Virginia - Biography of Judge James Paull

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Submitted by Valerie Crook.


The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
pg. 614
Ohio

JUDGE JAMES PAULL was one of the most prominent mem-
bers of the old Wheeling bar and enjoyed a widespread
reputation as one of the profound jurists and able public
men of West Virginia. He was born in Belmont County,
Ohio, in 1818, the son of George and Elizabeth Paull.
George Paull was a member of the Twenty-seventh Regi-
ment of U. S. Infantry (Ohio troops) in the War of 1812,
and served bravely under General Harrison in the Northwest
Army. He was a son of Col. James Paull, who was a soldier
of the Revolutionary war and who also served under Wil-
liam Crawford in his disastrous encounter of the 5th of
June, 1872, on the plains of Sandusky, Ohio.

Judge James Paull was thoroughly educated in childhood
and youth, and after completing preparatory studies in
Cross Creek, Pennsylvania, he entered Washington College
in that state, at which he was graduated in June, 1835. He
then came to Wheeling and, choosing law as his profession,
rented the office of Z. Jacob and finished his legal studies
in the law department of the University of Virginia. Nearly
the whole of his career as a lawyer and public man was
spent at Wheeling, where he was locally esteemed as an
estimable citizen. In 1872 he was elected a judge of Su-
preme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, a high position
which he filled with honor and credit, performing its la-
borious duties with an industry and application that fatally
impaired his health. His decisions rank with the permanent
and valuable contributions to the law of the state. Judge
Paull also represented Ohio County during two terms in the
State Legislature of Virginia. He died May 11, 1875, be-
ing at that time a resident of Wellsburg, Brooks County, to
which place he had removed eighteen months before.

Judge Paull was twice married, first, to Jane A., daugh-
ter of the late Judge Joseph L. Fry, an eminent lawyer
from 1831-1852 and Circuit Judge of the First Judicial
District of Virginia.   His great-grandfather was Col.
Joshua Fry, an English gentleman of worth and education,
who held many distinguished offices under the Colonial Gov-
ernment, was a civil engineer, professor at Williams and
Mary College, commissioner of the Crown, one of the com-
missioners at the treaty of Logstown and was appointed
commander of the Virginia forces by Governor Dinwiddie
in 1754. The highest honors of the Colony were within the
grasp of Col. Joshua Fry when his death at Willes Creek,
en route to Fort Cumberland, closed his career and placed
Lieutenant-Colonel George Washington in command. (See
Sparks Life of Washington, page 104-126.) The three sons
born to Judge James and Mrs. Paull are: Archibald W.,
Joseph F. and Alfred, all citizens of Wheeling. By his sec-
ond wife, Eliza J. Ott, daughter of Samuel Ott, deceased, of
Wheeling, Judge Paull had five children, as follows: James,
Elizabeth, Harry W., Samuel O., and Margaret Susan,
deceased.