James F. Trotter

James Fisher Trotter
James Fisher Trotter
United States Senator; from Mississippi
	In office; January 22, 1838 – July 10, 1838
Appointed by	Alexander McNutt
Preceded by	John Black
Succeeded by	Thomas H. Williams
Member of the Mississippi Senate
	In office; 1829-1833
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
	In office; 1827-1829
Personal details
Born	November 5, 1802; Brunswick County, Virginia, US
Died	March 9, 1866 (aged 63); Holly Springs, Mississippi, US
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Susan Trotter
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Judge, Teacher

James Fisher Trotter (November 5, 1802 – March 9, 1866) was a United States senator from Mississippi.

Early life

James Fisher Trotter was born on November 5, 1802, in Brunswick County, Virginia. He moved to eastern Tennessee,^[1] attended private schools, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1820.

Career

Trotter commenced practice in Hamilton, Mississippi, in 1823. He owned slaves.^[2] 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,^[3] having been appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Justice Daniel W. Wright, and then elected in 1839 to a six-year term.^[1] He resigned in 1842 and moved to Holly Springs, where he resumed the practice of law.^[1] 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.^[1] He was appointed circuit judge in 1866 and served until his death later that year.

Death

Trotter died on March 9, 1866, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. He was buried at the Hillcrest Cemetery.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Thomas H. Somerville, "A Sketch of the Supreme Court of Mississippi", in Horace W. Fuller, ed., The Green Bag, Vol. XI (1899), p. 508.
^ "Congress slaveowners", The Washington Post, 2022-01-19, retrieved 2022-07-09
^ Leslie Southwick, Mississippi Supreme Court Elections: A Historical Perspective 1916-1996, 18 Miss. C. L. Rev. 115 (1997–1998).

United States Congress. "James F. Trotter (id: T000380)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

James F. Trotter at Find a Grave

U.S. Senate
Preceded by John Black	U.S. senator (Class 1) from Mississippi January 22, 1838 – July 10, 1838 Served alongside: Robert J. Walker	Succeeded by Thomas H. Williams

[Green_Bag-1] Thomas H. Somerville, "A Sketch of the Supreme Court of Mississippi", in Horace W. Fuller, ed., The Green Bag, Vol. XI (1899), p. 508.

[2] "Congress slaveowners", The Washington Post, 2022-01-19, retrieved 2022-07-09

[Southwick-3] Leslie Southwick, Mississippi Supreme Court Elections: A Historical Perspective 1916-1996, 18 Miss. C. L. Rev. 115 (1997–1998).

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v t e United States senators from Mississippi
Class 1	Leake Holmes Ellis Reed Ellis Black Trotter T. Hickman Williams Henderson Speight Davis McRae S. Adams Davis Ames Pease Bruce George Money J. Williams Stephens Bilbo Stennis Lott Wicker
Class 2	T. Hill Williams Reed R. Adams Poindexter Walker Chalmers Foote Brooke Brown Revels Alcorn Lamar Walthall McLaurin Walthall Sullivan McLaurin Gordon Percy Vardaman Harrison Eastland Doxey Eastland Cochran Hyde-Smith