Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 5th ed., 1887, Franklin Co. JOHN M. HEWITT was born December 29, 1793, on his father's estate of Hopeland, in Stafford County, Va. The father, William Hewitt, inherited large wealth and held the honorable office of high sheriff, but died suddenly at the early age of forty-two, leaving his affairs greatly involved. The subject of this sketch was the youngest of a numerous family, and had not received a name at his father's death. Chief Justice Marshall, a schoolmate and friend of the widow, whose maiden name was Catherine Edmonds, was exceedingly kind in assisting her in the settlement of the estate and in saving a competency for the family. As a grateful compliment, she called the unnamed little boy John Marshall. At thirteen years of age he was sent to school to a noted teacher by the name of Tackett, boarding with him at Dr. Joel Peyton's, who took great interest in the youth. In two years he passed from the lowest form to the highest class in a large and excellent school. He afterward attended college a few months, then studied law with his gifted brother, Thomas, who was afterward a distinguished lawyer of Alexandria, but who was then living at Dumfries. About this time the war of 1812 began, and John Marshall Hewitt, through the influence of some wealthy kindred, obtained a commission as ensign in the United States Army. He was stationed at Washington, Richmond and Petersburg. In June, 1814, his regiment was disbanded, and he returned to his brother at Dumfries. In March 1815, having finished his studies and obtained license to practice law, he sold his little patrimony and immigrated to Kentucky. He visited Bowling Green, Lexington, Frankfort, and finally reached Nicholasville. Here he met his fate, and on the 1st of February, 1818, he married Miss Eliza Shreve, daughter of Judge William Shreve, of Jessamine County. He was an exceedingly successful and prosperous lawyer, and for ten years was employed in nearly every important case in the counties adjacent. In 1833 he was appointed, by Gov. Breathitt, judge of the Louisville Circuit Court, or of the circuit court which included Louisville. The appointment was made without solicitation on his part, and gave great offense to the Louisville bar. The consequence was that he met with factious opposition and insolent bravado, but his coolness, undaunted courage and perfect knowledge of the law conquered every difficulty; his fearless vindication of his authority is a matter of legal history. In the meantime his wife had died and he had married again; the second was Miss Mildred Holloway, of Woodford County, Ky. Frankfort was now considered the most commanding situation for the practice of law in the higher courts, and in 1836 Judge Hewitt resigned his judgeship and removed to the capitol, where he at once attained a leading position at the bar, and where, for twenty-five years, he conducted a lucrative and honorable practice, being engaged in many celebrated cases and associated on equal terms with the highest talent of the State. Be he was an ardent political partisan and an uncompromising Democrat, when Kentucky was almost a solid Whig State and Henry Clay her idol. This suited his combative disposition. He was chief founder of the Kentucky Yeoman, and for years chief contributor of political leaders to its columns. As the signs of sectional warfare became more and more ominous, he threw aside the old issues with the old animosities, and earnestly advocated measures to save the Union, though a sincere believer in State rights; but he believed it wisest to make the contest according to law and not by force. With the outbreak of civil war and amid the fearful strife, his energies failed; the political excitement and the death of his wife, in 1862, seemed to crush him. In 1863 he was stricken with paralysis while speaking before the court of appeals. From that time he was an invalid until his death in 1869, which occurred at the residence of his son-in-law, Col. W. W. Berry, at Nashville, Tenn. He was honest, honorable and truthful to the last degree; his mind was clear, his judgment of law perfect, but he was too sincere to be a politician. He was ever open to the appeals of distress, tender and sympathetic to the weak, but stern and severe to the dishonest, the deceitful and evil-minded. Hewitt Marshall Edmonds Tackett Peyton Shreve Holloway Berry = Jessamine-KY Bowling-Warren-KY Lexington-Fayette-KY Hopeland-Stafford-VA Nicholasville-Jessamine-KY Louisville-Jefferson-KY TN http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/franklin/hewitt.jm.txt