CHIEF JUSTICES

OF

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

1698-2000

This information was compiled by Ramelle Sims Brown, South Carolina Supreme Court Librarian, in 1965, with invaluable assistance from Dr. Charles Lee and Mr. William L. McDowell of the South Carolina Archives, and Mrs. Joan Reynolds Faunt, South Carolina State Librarian. Janet F. Meyer, South Carolina Supreme Court Librarian, updated the information in 2000.

UNDER PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT
UNDER ROYAL GOVERNMENT
UNDER STATE GOVERNMENT

Note: In 1800, the position of Chief Justice was abolished, (Statutes at Large of South Carolina, Volume 7, 1840, page 288) and not recreated until 1859 (Statutes at Large of South Carolina, 1859, page647). Although there were bi chief justices from 1795 until 1824, there were "senior justices" or "senior associates" who, according to Biographical Sketches of the Bench and Bar of South Carolina by John Belton O'Neall, acted as chief justices.
From 1824 until 1835, there was a three-man Court of Appeals with a "presiding judge."
In 1836, for one year, there was a Court of Appeals composed of all law judges and chancellors sitting together.
From 1836 until 1859, there were three courts of appeals. There were separate courts of law and equity. The third court was the Court of Errors, the forerunner of the Supreme Court, which was composed of all law judges and chancellors.

SENIOR JUSTICES
Presiding Judges