District of Massachusetts / Appointed 1865 / Served to 1879

John Lowell

Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Appointed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and confirmed by voice vote, John Lowell was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1845. He previously served on the U.S. Circuit Courts for the First Circuit. Sources ↓

Lived
1824–1897
Appointed by
Abraham Lincoln, 1865
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
Harvard College 1843 · Harvard Law School 1845
Succeeded
Peleg Sprague

Federal judicial service

YearCourtAppointed byVote
1865District of Massachusetts
succeeded Peleg Sprague
Lincoln (R)Voice vote
1878U.S. Circuit Courts for the First CircuitHayes (R)Voice vote

Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.

Confirmation vote

Voice vote

The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.

Education

Questions & answers

Who appointed John Lowell?
President Abraham Lincoln appointed John Lowell to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 1865.
Was John Lowell appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
John Lowell was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was John Lowell's confirmation vote?
John Lowell was confirmed by voice vote on March 11, 1865. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was John Lowell on?
John Lowell was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Sources

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13 years on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Data as of 2026-08-10. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).