James F. Trotter
Encyclopedia
James Fisher Trotter was a United States Senator from Mississippi
.
Born in Brunswick County, Virginia
, he moved to eastern Tennessee
, attended private schools, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar
in 1820 and commenced practice in Hamilton, Mississippi
in 1823. From 1827 to 1829 he was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
and a member of the Mississippi Senate from 1829 to 1833. In 1833 he was judge of the circuit court
of Mississippi; he was later appointed as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Black
and served from January 22 to July 10, 1838, when he resigned.
From 1839 to 1842, Trotter was judge of the Mississippi Supreme Court; he resigned in 1842 and moved to Holly Springs
, where he resumed the practice of law in 1840. He was vice chancellor
of the northern district of Mississippi from 1855 to 1857, and was professor of law at the University of Mississippi
from 1860 to 1862. He was appointed circuit judge in 1866 and served until his death that year in Holly Springs. Interment was in Hill Crest Cemetery.
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Born in Brunswick County, Virginia
Brunswick County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,419 people, 6,277 households, and 4,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile . There were 7,541 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, he moved to eastern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, attended private schools, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1820 and commenced practice in Hamilton, Mississippi
Hamilton, Mississippi
Hamilton is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Mississippi, United States. It was the original county seat until was split with the formation of Lowndes County to the south; the county seat of Monroe County was then moved north to Aberdeen.**...
in 1823. From 1827 to 1829 he was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi....
and a member of the Mississippi Senate from 1829 to 1833. In 1833 he was judge of the circuit court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
of Mississippi; he was later appointed as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Black
John Black (U.S. Senator)
John Black was a politician from the U.S. state of Mississippi, most notably serving in the United States Senate as a Whig from 1832 to 1838.-Biography:...
and served from January 22 to July 10, 1838, when he resigned.
From 1839 to 1842, Trotter was judge of the Mississippi Supreme Court; he resigned in 1842 and moved to Holly Springs
Holly Springs, Mississippi
Holly Springs is a city in Marshall County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. A short drive from Memphis, Tennessee, Holly Springs is the site of a number of well-preserved antebellum homes and other structures and...
, where he resumed the practice of law in 1840. He was vice chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the northern district of Mississippi from 1855 to 1857, and was professor of law at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
from 1860 to 1862. He was appointed circuit judge in 1866 and served until his death that year in Holly Springs. Interment was in Hill Crest Cemetery.
External links
- James F. Trotter at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...