Tennessee's First JPs (Justices of the Peace)

J. Mark Lowe

With statehood looming, the Legislature appointed the Justices of the Peace for the respective counties in state of Tennessee. These men would serve as the representative of the people in the county legislative body, and provide local judgment in criminal/civil affairs. They would also appoint all positions for the state legislative body. I have provided links related to the first two appointed from Blount County.
All of these men served in critical roles. Many had been Soldiers and Officers during the Revolutionary War and others served as political leaders back East. These men and their families deserve our study.

[spelling as printed in text]
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1796.
Met according to adjournment. Ordered, that the following message be sent to the senate :
Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen, This house have appointed the following persons justices of the peace for the several counties hereafter mentioned:
For the county of Blount. Andrew Bogle, Joseph Black, William Davidson, Andrew Miller, William Lowry, George Ewing. William Wallace, Samuel Houston, James Greenaway Mathew Wallace, William Hamilton, John Cochran, John Tremble, Thomas Galahor, and John Wallace.
For the county of Carter. Nathaniel Taylor, David M'Nabb, Landon Carter, Andrew Greer, Zachariah Campbell ,Guthridge Garland, John Vaught, Joseph Sands, and Reuben Thornton.
For the county of Davidson. James Robertson, James Mulherin, Thomas Molloy, John Nichols, Thomas Smith, Joseph Phillips, Samuel Barton, James Hoggatt, Robert Hays, Elijah Robertson, and John Gordan.
For the county of Grainger. Thomas Henderson, Elijah Chisum, James Blair, John Estis, Phelps Reed, Benjamin M'Carty, James Moore, John Bowen, John Kedwell, John Simms, William Thompson, and Major Lea.
For the county of Greene. Joseph Hardin, sen. John Wear, Elisha Baker, John Newman, sen. John Morris, Hugh Neilson, William Rankin, Joseph Lusk, Thomas Gillis, Alexander Galbreath, James Penny, Hugh Brown, James Hays, Mathew Cox, James Mahan, Thomas Praetor, David Copelane, James Anderson, Samuel Wilson, and William Wilson.
For the county of Hawkins. George Maxwell, John Long, Nathaniel Henderson, William Armstrong, Joseph M'Min, Alexander Nelson, Thomas Jackson, John Gordon, David Larkin, James Berry, Mark Mitchell, Thomas Lea, James Lathim, William M'Carty, James Armstrong, Benoni Caldwell, Absalom Looney, John Mitchell, and David Kinkead.
For the county of Jefferson George Doherty, James Roddye, Josiah Jackson, Thomas Snoddy, Garret Fitzgerald, Parmenas Taylor, John Blackburn, Andrew Henderson, Abednigo Inman, John M'Nabb, Abraham M'Coy, Adam Peck, William Cox, James Wilson, William Lillard, David Stuart, Ebenezer Leath, Joseph M'Culla, Samuel Jack, Adam Meek, George Evans, James Lea, Alexander Outlaw, and John Goore.
For the county of Knox. James White, Joseph Greer, John M'Clellan, John Adair, George M'Nutt, John Hacket, David Campbell, John Menefee, Nicholas Gibbs, John Sawyers, Samuel Doke, James Cozby, Samuel Flanagan, Jeremiah Jack, and William Doke.
For the county of Montgomery. George Bell, Robert Duning, Amos Bird, Morgan Brown, Robert Nelson, George Nevills, William Prince, Robert Prince, Haydon Wells, Timothy Anderson, and William Mitcheson.
For the county of Robertson. William Fort, Isaac Phillips, Charles Miles, William Miles, Benjamin Menefee, John Phillips, Martin Duncan, Bazel Bowen [Boren], Hugh Henry, Zebulon Hubbard, and James Crabtree, sen.
For the county of Sullivan. Samuel Smith, John Anderson, Joseph Wallace, John Scott, David Perry, George Vincent, William Delany, William King, Robert Allison, John Vance, William Nash, Richard Gammon, James Gains, George Rutledge, Samuel M'Corkle, John Spurgin, Walter Johnson, Robert Easly, John Yancey and James King.
For the county of Sumner David Wilson, Thomas Donald, James Winchester, James Reese, Edward Douglass, William Cage, Stephen Cantrel, Isaac Walton, Thomas Martin, James Guin, Withral Lattimore, James Douglass, and David Shelby.
For the county of Sevier. John Clack, William Henderson, jun. Robert Calvert, Joshua Gest, Abraham M'Clery, Andrew Cowen, Joseph Vance, Robert Pollock, Adam Wilson, Jamea Riggin, Alexander Montgomery, Jesse Griffin, James D. Puckett, and Isam Gain.
For the county of Washington. Jamea Stuart, John Tipton, John Wear, John Adams, John Strain, Henry Nelson, Joseph Young, Joseph Crouch, William Nelson, Robert Blair, John Norward, Jessee Payne, Isaac Depugb, Charles M 'Cray, Samuel Wood, Jacob Brown, John Alexander, John Hammer, and Joseph Britton.

Source:Journal of the Proceedings of the Legislative Council of the Territory of United State of America, South of the River Ohio.
Printed by George Roulstone, Nashville, 1796. Reprinted by McKennie & Brown, True Whig Office,Knoxville, 1852.