Historical Justices

Town Justice of the Peace Project                              

The Canandaigua Town Board has given me both permission and encouragement to devote a wall in our Courtroom for the display of the Town justices who have served over the last 200 years. This wall of photos and names would not only honor our judges but also speak to our pride in our historical past.

If you know of any of our past judges, we would appreciate a photo of them. The Town will process the photo, frame it, and place a bronze plate with name and years of service. If you know of any additional information or anecdotes on any of the judges, please advise so we can include it in our historical records.

I am also posting a copy of the terms of those who served. If you can add or make corrections to our information, please inform us.

As we move forward as the Town of Canandaigua in the 21st Century, we wish to honor those who brought us to this moment of greatness. Thank you, in advance, for your help and prompt response.              

Ray Henry, Town Historian
April 9, 2014
(585) 944-1506
rhenry@townofcanandaigua.org

Note: The minutes of the Town Board were the source for these records of years of service where available in the Town Hall starting in 1846.  From said minutes it is apparent that from 1846 until 1862, only an annual meeting was held that had minutes recorded, and also reported election results. That meeting was on the first Tuesday of April. The agenda included normal buisiness items, and then at some time  (not recorded) the meeting was adjourned and polls for elected officials opened. At the end of the afternoon, gennerally at dark, the polls were closed and the meeting was resumed with a report of the canvassing of polls according to George S. Conover’s “Hsitory of Ontario County”, 1893, p204:

“The first town meeeting (of which there is any record) was held on the first Tuesday of Apri, 1791, and was “opened and superintended” by Israel Chapin. Esquire.  At the first town meeting just referred to, the following town officers were elected: Supervisor, Israel Chapin; Town Clerk, James D. Fish; assessors, John Call, Enos Boughton, Seth Reed, Nathan Comstock, James Austin, Arnold Potter, and Nathanial Norton; collectors, Phineas Bates and John Codding; overseers of the poor, Israel Cahpin and Nathanial Gorham; commissioners of highways . . . . . .”  No Justices were mentioned.

Up until 1956 the Town Justices served on the Town Board, so the Town Board consisted of the Town Supervisor, anywhere from 2 to 6 Town Justices, and the Town Clerk. In November 1955, Town Justices Dryer and Repard ran for and were elected Councilmen. Thence until ca. 1977/1978, Board consisted of Town Supervisor, 2 Town Justices, 2 Councilmen, and the Town Clerk. In 1977/1978, it was deemed that Justices could not hold Deputy Supervisor/or Councilman position? This is to be verified.