John Ireland (politician)
John Ireland | |
|---|---|
Mayor of Seguin, Texas | |
| In office 1858–1858 | |
| Preceded by | John D. Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Joseph F. Johnson |
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 27th district | |
| In office January 13, 1874 – April 18, 1876 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas H. Baker |
| Succeeded by | Wells Thompson |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 27th district | |
| In office January 14, 1873 – January 13, 1874 | |
| Preceded by | James F. McKee[1] |
| Succeeded by | Sidney Drake Jackman[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 1, 1827 Hart County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | March 15, 1896 (aged 69) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Signature |  |
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John Ireland (January 1, 1827 – March 15, 1896) was the
Early years
Ireland was born on January 1, 1827[3][4] in Hart County, Kentucky to Irish immigrants Patrick Ireland and the former Rachel Newton.[5][6] Although he had little formal education, when he was 18 he was appointed deputy sheriff of the county. At 24 years of age he decided to study law, and was admitted to the bar.[6][7]
In 1852, Ireland moved to Texas, where he settled in Seguin and practiced law.[7] Two years later, he married Mathilda Wicks Faircloth. She died in 1856, and the following year Ireland married Anna Maria Penn. They had three children together.[5] Ireland was elected the mayor of Seguin in 1858.[5]
A firm believer in slavery, Ireland campaigned for greater efforts to reclaim slaves who had run away to freedom in Mexico. He was an ardent secessionist and served as a delegate of Seguin to the 1861 Secession Convention.[6][8] He enlisted in the Confederate States Army as a private and eventually worked his way through the ranks to that of lieutenant colonel.[6]
Throughout the
Following the war, Ireland participated in the Reconstruction Convention of 1866 and was soon elected judge of the Seguin District. He was removed from his position the following year when Radical Republicans seized power.[7]
State politics
Ireland reentered politics in 1872, when he was elected to the
In late 1875, Ireland decided to run for the
In 1882, Governor
Construction began on the new Texas State Capitol building during Ireland's tenure. At his insistence, the building was constructed of Texas pink granite instead of imported Indiana limestone.[5]
In 1887 Ireland attempted again to run for a U.S. Senate seat, but lost the race, ending his political career.[6]
Later years
After retiring from politics, Ireland returned to Seguin to practice law. His profits were invested in land and railroad stocks, and during the Panic of 1893, he lost all of his holdings. He died on March 15, 1896,[10] and is interred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
The small community of Ireland, Texas in Coryell County is named after Ireland.
Notes
- ^ "James F. McKee". Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ "Sidney Drake Jackman". Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ Texas State Library Archives
- ^ The Bench and Bar of Texas
- ^ a b c d e f g h Elliott, Claude, John Ireland, Handbook of Texas, retrieved February 5, 2015
- ^ a b c d e f g h John Ireland Papers Accession #468, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
- ^ a b c d Hendrickson (1995), p. 109.
- ISBN 0-8032-7036-4. p. 235–237.
- ^ a b c d Hendrickson (1995), p. 111.
- ^ a b c d Hendrickson (1995), p. 112.
- ^ "Fence Cutting". The Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
References
- Hendrickson, Kenneth E. Jr. (1995), The Chief of Executives of Texas: From Stephen F. Austin to John B. Connally, Jr., ISBN 0-89096-641-9
External links
- Entry for John Ireland from the Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas published 1880, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
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