Hugh H. Bownes
American judge (1920–2003)
Hugh Henry Bownes (March 10, 1920 – November 5, 2003) was an American federal judge who served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, after previously serving as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire.
Education and career
Born in New York City, New York, Bownes graduated from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1941, and after serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, graduated from Columbia Law School with a Bachelor of Laws in 1948. Bownes then moved to New Hampshire, where he practiced law for more than 15 years. He served as a city council member and then as mayor of Laconia, New Hampshire. In 1966, he was selected as a member of the Superior Court of New Hampshire, on which he served for two years.
Military service
Bownes participated in the invasion of Guam. Wounded by mortar fire, he developed gangrene and nearly died. For his service, he received the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
Federal judicial service
Bownes was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 17, 1968, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire vacated by Judge Aloysius Joseph Connor. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 25, 1968, and received commission on July 25, 1968.
The public source identifies “Hugh H. Bownes” as american judge (1920–2003). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Hugh, Bownes and American.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Hugh H. Bownes”, the useful work is to connect “american judge (1920–2003)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5930995. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1920, 2003, 1941 and 1948.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Hugh H. Bownes”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Hugh H. Bownes primary sources, Hugh H. Bownes archive and Hugh research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Hugh H. Bownes”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Hugh H. Bownes” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.