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Revision as of 17:55, 7 March 2013
| John Hemphill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator from Texas | |
| In office March 4, 1859 – July 11, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Houston |
| Succeeded by | Morgan C. Hamilton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1803-12-18)December 18, 1803 South Carolina |
| Died | January 4, 1862(1862-01-04) (aged 58) Richmond, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
John Hemphill (December 18, 1803 – January 4, 1862) was Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, and a United States Senator.
Early life
Hemphill's father, Rev. John Hemphill, emigrated to the United States from County Tyrone, Ireland. His mother, Jane Lind, was a native of Pennsylvania. Hemphill was born in South Carolina and educated at Jefferson College, graduating in 1825. Admitted to the bar in South Carolina in 1829, he moved his practice to Texas in 1838.
Career
Hemphill served as Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court for eighteen years while Texas was an independent republic and in the period of statehood before the Civil War. He was called the 'John Marshall' of Texas for the role he played in the development of Texan law. He became known for an incident in which he fought Indian warriors who had attacked him in a courtroom while his court was in session.
Hemphill was considered an expert on Spanish and Mexican law, and is remembered for expanding women's rights and supporting homestead rights. Hemphill replaced Sam Houston as United States Senator from Texas when Houston would not support the right of states to secede from the United States.
Expelled
As Texas was one of the first seven states to secede, Hemphill was among the fourteen United States Senators expelled by congressional resolution in 1861. He was subsequently chosen as a Texas delegate to the Provisional Confederate Congress, a position he held until his death in Richmond, Virginia.
Legacy
Hemphill County, Texas, and Hemphill, Texas, are both named in his honor.
Familial connections
John Hemphill was a cousin of Charles Hare Hemphill, Lord Hemphill through his father the Rev. John Hemphill.
Further reading
- Timothy S. Huebner, The Southern Judicial Tradition: State Judges and Sectional Distinctiveness, 1790–1890 (1999).
References
External links
- John Hemphill from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Biographical Directory of the US Congress
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded bySam Houston | U.S. senator (Class 2) from Texas 1859–1861 Served alongside: Matthias Ward, Louis T. Wigfall |
Succeeded byvacant |
| Confederate States House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded bynone | Representative to the Provisional Confederate Congress from Texas 1861–1862 |
Succeeded bynone |
- Note: Texas seceded from the Union in 1860. Seat declared vacant until Morgan C. Hamilton was elected after Texas' readmission into the Union.
| United States senators from Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 |  | |
| Class 2 | ||
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- 1803 births
- 1862 deaths
- American people of Irish descent
- Texas Supreme Court justices
- United States Senators from Texas
- Expelled United States Senators
- Deputies and delegates of the Provisional Confederate Congress
- Washington & Jefferson College alumni
- Burials at Texas State Cemetery
- Democratic Party United States Senators
- Texas Democrats