# Moses Sherburne *American politician and jurist; Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court justice (1853–1857)* Moses G. Sherburne (January 25, 1808 – March 23, 1868) was an American politician and jurist. He sat on the [[Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court]] from 1853 to 1857 by appointment of President [[Franklin Pierce]]. He was also a member of the Minnesota Constitutional Convention of 1857, and [[Sherburne County, Minnesota]] is named for him.[^1] Before coming to Minnesota, Sherburne built his career in Maine. He was admitted to the bar there in 1831 and was elected as a Democrat to the Maine House of Representatives in 1842 and to the Maine State Senate in 1845. He held the post of Maine Bank Commissioner in 1850.[^1] In 1852 he ran as a Democrat for the [[United States House of Representatives]].[^1] His Minnesota career began with the 1853 appointment to the territorial supreme court, where he remained until 1857.[^1] The sources in this record do not establish the reasons for his appointment or the content of his rulings. ## Early life and career in Maine Sherburne was a native of Mount Vernon in Kennebec County, Maine, and attended the academy at China, Maine. After reading law, he gained admission to the Maine bar in 1831.[^1] He practiced in Phillips, Maine, a town he also served as postmaster. He sat in the Maine Legislature and later made his home in Franklin County.[^1] His Franklin County offices included justice of the peace and, later, probate judge. He also held the rank of major general in the Maine militia.[^1] His legislative service as a Democrat took him to the Maine House in 1842 and the Maine Senate in 1845. He was the state's Bank Commissioner in 1850. Two years later he was the Democratic candidate for a seat in the U.S. House.[^1] ## Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court In 1853 Pierce named Sherburne a justice of the territorial supreme court, and he sat on that court through 1857.[^1] The sources in this record include no opinions, docket entries or commission documents from his tenure. ## Minnesota Constitutional Convention of 1857 In 1857 Sherburne was a member of the Minnesota Constitutional Convention.[^1] The sources in this record do not document his votes or positions there. ## Later life After his judicial service Sherburne remained in Minnesota, where he practiced law and worked in real estate. He died on March 23, 1868, at his home in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]].[^1] Sherburne County takes its name from him.[^1] ## See also - [[Minnesota]] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Moses Sherburne* (revision 1365691033, retrieved 2026-10-26; CC BY-SA 4.0) — biographical summary covering Sherburne's Maine career, his 1853–1857 territorial court service, his membership in the 1857 constitutional convention, his death in Saint Paul, and the naming of Sherburne County. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Sherburne