Edward G. Loring

Edward G. Loring

Edward Greely Loring (January 28, 1802 – 1890) was a Massachusetts judge who ignited controversy in Massachusetts and the North by ordering escaped slaves Thomas Sims and Anthony Burns to be returned to slavery under the federal Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. Because of public opposition to his decisions, confirmed by a Bill of Address passed by the state legislature, in 1857 Loring was removed from office by Governor Nathaniel Prentice Banks. In 1858 President James Buchanan appointed Loring to the United States Court of Claims, where he served until retiring in 1877.