Background
Abraham Nott was born on February 5, 1768 in Saybrook, Connecticut, United States. He was the second son of Deacon Josiah Nott and Zerviah Clark and the grandson of Abraham Nott, a prominent Congregational clergyman.
Abraham Nott was born on February 5, 1768 in Saybrook, Connecticut, United States. He was the second son of Deacon Josiah Nott and Zerviah Clark and the grandson of Abraham Nott, a prominent Congregational clergyman.
Nott received his early education from the Reverend John Devotion of Westbrook Parish in Saybrook and, with the intention of becoming a minister, entered Yale College. He graduated from that institution in 1787, but finding in himself no distinctly religious convictions he felt that it would be sacrilegious for him to enter the pulpit.
In 1789 he removed to South Carolina where he studied law in the office of Daniel Brown, another Yale graduate, at Camden, and was admitted to the bar in Charleston in 1791.
As Nott was not in good health, in 1788 he went to a plantation on Sapelo River, McIntosh County, Georgia, where he found employment as a tutor in the family of the father of George M. Troup, the future governor being one of his pupils.
After his admission to the bar he settled at Union Court House where he practised law for three years.
In 1794 he moved to a plantation on the Pacolet River where he continued the practice of his profession.
In the fall of 1804 Nott moved to Columbia, South Carolina, where he practised his profession with distinct success until 1810 when he was elected as a Law Judge to succeed Samuel Wilds. In 1816 the South Carolina legislature initiated a constitutional amendment giving to itself the power to fix the time and meetings of the Constitutional Court of the state and, in anticipation of the ratification of the amendment by the people, proceeded to enact a law ordering the judges to clear the dockets at Charleston and Columbia. Nott, together with his associates, declared this law unconstitutional on the ground that it was passed before the authority to enact it had been completely established. This decision, especially one of its statements, "that which was conceived in sin must be brought forth in iniquity, " aroused a storm of protest and almost resulted in his removal from the court. In 1817 the salaries of the judges of the state were increased and when he resigned in order to obtain the benefit of the increase by reëlection he was returned to his position by a very narrow majority. He recovered his popularity, however, and in 1824 when the court of appeals was organized he was placed at its head by an overwhelming vote. In this position he remained for the rest of his life and doubtless hastened his death by his industry in the discharge of his duties.
Nott was a Federalist member of the Sixth Congress (1799 - 1801). In the momentous struggle for the presidency in 1800 he at first voted for Aaron Burr but finally abstained from voting and thus assisted in the election of Jefferson.
Nott's opinions both in law and equity bear comparison with those of any judge in the state. In the courtroom he enjoyed anecdotes and frequently "broke the tedium of an argument by some playful, witty, question. " He was small and somewhat unimposing in person, but his face was well-featured and highly intellectual.
In August 1794 Nott married Angelica Mitchell. His two sons, Henry Junius and Josiah Clark Nott, also had distinguished careers.