G.B. Erath

George Bernard Erath

Full Name: George Bernard Erath
Date of birth: January 1, 1813
Date of death: May 13, 1891

Terms of Service top

Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
S 19 Jan 13, 1874 - Apr 18, 1876 14th (1) (2) (3)   Democrat Waco / McLennan   Bosque, Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Coryell, Hamilton, McLennan, Runnels
S 28 Nov 4, 1861 - Jan 14, 1862 9th (4) (5) (6)     Waco / McLennan   Bosque, Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Coryell, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, McLennan, Runnels, Taylor
S 23 Nov 2, 1857 - Nov 4, 1861 7th (9) (10)   8th (7) (8)     Waco / McLennan   Bell, Falls, McLennan, Milam, Williamson
H Milam Feb 17, 1846 - Dec 13, 1847 1st (11) (12)     Unknown / Milam   Milam

(1) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Ordinance adopted by Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas, 1875. Remained in effect from its passage until first reapportionment after 1880 Census. University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History. Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(2) 14th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of Senators elect, oath of office administered, 1/13/1874, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(3) "Because of the adoption of the new constitution [of 1876], any member of the 14th Legislature who wished to continue to serve had to run for reelection," p. 220. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.
(4) George Burney, sworn 2/2/1863, succeeded George B. Erath, resigned. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(5) 9th Legislature, Regular Session - Classification of Senators (drawing for terms of office) - drew "the short term" (two years), 11/12/1861, p. 42. Senate Journal.
(6) 9th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators, oath of office administered, 11/4/1861, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(7) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Feb. 6, 1860, 8th Legislature, ch. 45, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(8) 8th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators (holdover senators), 11/7/1859, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(9) Listed in "New Senators elected: Democrats." Civilian and Gazette. Weekly. (Galveston, Texas), 9/8/1857, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(10) 7th Legislature - Roll of Senators elected since the last adjournment called by Districts, oath of office administered, 11/2/1857, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(11) Not present at organization of the House on 2/16/1846. Erath and Millican sworn on 2/17/1846, p. 7. House Journal.
(12) Democrat. Table of members of the 1st Legislature, The Texas Democrat (Austin, Texas), 5/20/1846, p. 3, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Terms of Service top

Senate District 19
Jan 13, 1874 - Apr 18, 1876
Legislatures: 14th (1) (2) (3)  
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Waco / McLennan
Counties in district: Bosque, Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Coryell, Hamilton, McLennan, Runnels
Senate District 28
Nov 4, 1861 - Jan 14, 1862
Legislatures: 9th (4) (5) (6)  
Home City/County: Waco / McLennan
Counties in district: Bosque, Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Coryell, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, McLennan, Runnels, Taylor
Senate District 23
Nov 2, 1857 - Nov 4, 1861
Legislatures: 7th (9) (10)   8th (7) (8)  
Home City/County: Waco / McLennan
Counties in district: Bell, Falls, McLennan, Milam, Williamson
House District Milam
Feb 17, 1846 - Dec 13, 1847
Legislatures: 1st (11) (12)  
Home City/County: Unknown / Milam
Counties in district: Milam

(1) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Ordinance adopted by Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas, 1875. Remained in effect from its passage until first reapportionment after 1880 Census. University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History. Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(2) 14th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of Senators elect, oath of office administered, 1/13/1874, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(3) "Because of the adoption of the new constitution [of 1876], any member of the 14th Legislature who wished to continue to serve had to run for reelection," p. 220. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.
(4) George Burney, sworn 2/2/1863, succeeded George B. Erath, resigned. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(5) 9th Legislature, Regular Session - Classification of Senators (drawing for terms of office) - drew "the short term" (two years), 11/12/1861, p. 42. Senate Journal.
(6) 9th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators, oath of office administered, 11/4/1861, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(7) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Feb. 6, 1860, 8th Legislature, ch. 45, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(8) 8th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators (holdover senators), 11/7/1859, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(9) Listed in "New Senators elected: Democrats." Civilian and Gazette. Weekly. (Galveston, Texas), 9/8/1857, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(10) 7th Legislature - Roll of Senators elected since the last adjournment called by Districts, oath of office administered, 11/2/1857, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(11) Not present at organization of the House on 2/16/1846. Erath and Millican sworn on 2/17/1846, p. 7. House Journal.
(12) Democrat. Table of members of the 1st Legislature, The Texas Democrat (Austin, Texas), 5/20/1846, p. 3, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Biographical Information top

Resolutions and Journal entries

  • Member roster, 9th Legislature, Regular Session: name, district, resident county, post office, state of nativity, occupation, and age. Senate Journal.

Biographical Sketches

Military Service Notes

  • Confederate States Army, Captain, Company I, 15th Texas Infantry. Military grave marker, George B. Erath, birth date 1/1/1813, death date 5/13/1891, burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Waco, McLennan County. George Bernhard Erath, birth date 1/1/1813 in Vienna, Austria, death date 5/13/1891 in Waco, Texas, grave marker with Lucinda Chalmers Erath. Includes portraits, biographical information, and news articles from the Waco Tribune Herald. Find a Grave.
  • Texan Volunteers, Private, Company C, 1st Regiment, Texas Revolution. Confederate States Army, 15th Texas Infantry. Commander, Major, Second Frontier District. Handbook of Texas Online.
  • "In July, 1835, he joined the Texas troops, and continued to serve the country faithfully in the war of Independence and in various Indian campaigns. He was in the battle of San Jacinto . . . served on the frontier as a Ranger in 1836, 1837, 1838, in most every grade. In 1839, he was elected Captain, and commanded on the frontier, West of the Brazos and East of the Colorado, till late in 1841. He went in Somerville's campaign in 1842. Came off from battle, with guard in 1843." Capt. Geo. B. Erath. Texas Album of the Eighth Legislature, 1860.
  • Confederate States Army, Captain, Company I, 15th Texas Infantry; Commander of Second Frontier District. George Bernard Erath. Texas Burial Sites of Civil War Notables: A Biographical and Pictorial Field Guide, 2002.

Photographs

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

Committee Information top

14th R.S. - 1874
Agriculture  
Counties and County Boundaries  
Federal Relations  
Finance  
Land Office  
Private Land Claims (Chair) 
Public Lands  
Removal of Judge J.B. Williamson, 6th Judicial District  
Travis County Jail, Select  
9th R.S. - 1861
Counties and County Boundaries  
Court of Claims  
Finance  
General Land Office  
Governor's Veto Message  
Indian Affairs (Chair) 
Militia and Military Affairs  
Privileges and Elections  
Public Lands (Chair) 
8th R.S. - 1859
Apportionment  
Counties and County Boundaries  
Court of Claims  
Indian Affairs (Chair) 
Judicial Districts  
Land Office  
Militia  
Private Land Claims  
Public Debt  
Public Lands  
State Penitentiary, Location of a Branch, Select  
Stock and Stock Raising  
Ways and Means for the Protection of the Frontier, Select  
7th R.S. - 1857
Counties and County Boundaries  
Indian Affairs  
Land Office  
Militia  
Petition of Citizens on the Frontier, Relative to Indian Depredations  
Private Land Claims  
Public Debt  
Public Lands  
San Saba County, Memorials Regarding Indian Depredations  
Tax Laws and Payment of Taxes Upon Real Estate  
1st R.S. - 1846
County Boundaries  
Land Office  
Militia  
Public Lands  
Rules  

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.