Lemuel Shaw, an American jurist, born in Barnstable, Mass., Jan. 9, 1781, died in Boston, March 30, 1861. He graduated at Harvard college in 1800,. and became an usher in the Franklin (now Brimmer) school in Boston, and assistant editor of the "Boston Gazette." He was admitted to the bar in September, 1804; and was a representative to the state legislature from 1811 to 1815, and again in 1819. In 1820 he was a member of the convention for revising the constitution of the state. In 1821 and 1822 he was a member of the senate, and again in 1828 and 1829. The charter of the city of Boston was drafted by him. He was appointed chief justice Aug. 23, 1830, and resigned Aug. 31, 1860. His reported decisions are found in the last 16 volumes of Pickering's reports, and in those of Metcalf, Cush-ing, and Gray; in all, upward of 50 volumes. He received the honorary degree of LL. D. from Harvard university in 1831, and from Brown university in 1850. He was a member of the corporation of Harvard college for 27 years.