Hampton L. Carson (lawyer)

Hampton Lawrence Carson
Attorney General of Pennsylvania
In office January 21, 1903 – January 16, 1907
Preceded by	John P. Elkin
Succeeded by	Moses Hampton Todd
Personal details
Born	(1852-02-21)February 21, 1852 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	July 18, 1929(1929-07-18) (aged 77) Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
Spouse	Anna Lea Baker
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania

Hampton Lawrence Carson (February 21, 1852 – July 18, 1929) was an influential Pennsylvania lawyer, legal scholar and historian. In addition to his private practice, he served as professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania, state Attorney General, president of the American Bar Association, and president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Carson argued numerous cases before the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania and the United States. Noted cases included arguing (unsuccessfully) Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock and offering for probate the William Weightman will.

Carson was also noted for his extensive collection of legal papers, books, documents, and portraits.

Life and career

Carson's father was Dr. Joseph Carson, professor in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, whose grandfather had emigrated to Philadelphia in the 1740s. Carson's mother, born Mary Hollingsworth, was a descendant of Henry Hollingsworth, deputy surveyor for William Penn.

Carson was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1871, and its Law School in 1874, and then entered private practice. He edited the Legal Gazette. He was a professor with the Penn Law School, 1895–1901. He was appointed state Attorney General in 1903, serving until 1907.

Carson married Anna Lee Baker in 1880. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. One son, Joseph, became a lawyer and practiced law with his father.

Bibliography

• The Law of Criminal Conspiracies and Agreements, as found in the American cases. Philadelphia: Blackstone Publishing Company. 1887.
• The History of the Supreme Court of the United States. Philadelphia: P. W. Ziegler and Company. 1902.

Further reading

• "Hampton Lawrence Carson". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 54 (1): 85–88. 1930. JSTOR 20086727.
• "H. L. Carson dies; lawyer and author". New York Times. July 20, 1929. p. 7.
• Jordan, John W., ed. (1911). Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania: Genealogical and Personal Memoirs. Vol. 2. New York: Lewis Publishing Company.
• Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson (1912). Philadelphia: a History of the City and its People. Vol. IV. Philadelphia: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company.