Wood Boulden

Wood Boulden (January 20, 1811 – October 10, 1876) was born in Charlotte County, Virginia. In his early youth, he attended a private school in Richmond and later entered New London Academy in Bedford County, Virginia. After teaching school for a year, he moved to Halifax County, Virginia and studied law under William Leigh, an outstanding Virginia jurist. He was admitted to the Virginia Bar and moved to Charlotte Courthouse to begin practice. Seeking a larger practice, he moved to Richmond in 1842 and entered a law partnership with Robert Stanard, who was then a Judge of the Court of Appeals. In 1853 he purchased a plantation on Staunton River and practiced law in Charlotte, Halifax and Mecklenburg Counties. During the Civil War, he worked in the legislature and he was among those who were in the courtroom when the floor collapsed shortly after the war. He sustained no serious injury but was severely shocked and took a short rest. In 1872, he was elected to the Court of Appeals but his judicial career was relatively short as he died on October 10, 1876.