LRL Home - Legislators and Leaders - Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Member profile

James Franklin Taylor Full Name: James Franklin Taylor Date of birth: February 25, 1812 Date of death: March 6, 1889 Terms of Service Biographical Notes Committee Information Terms of Service top Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District S 6 Nov 18, 1850 - Nov 3, 1851 3rd (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)     Marshall / Harrison   Harrison, Smith, Upshur S 6 Nov 5, 1849 - Oct 5, 1850 3rd (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)     Marshall / Harrison   Harrison, Smith, Upshur H Harrison Dec 13, 1847 - Nov 5, 1849 2nd (9)     Marshall / Harrison   Harrison, Panola, Upshur (1) District No. 6, represented Smith, Harrison, and Upshur Counties. Act approved Mar. 1848, 2nd Legislature, ch. 162, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950. (2) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act approved Jan. 16, 1850, 3rd Legislature, ch. 44. Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950. (3) James F. Taylor, resigned 10/5/1850, was reelected and was resworn 11/18/1850. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005. (4) Report of election in Harrison County on "Monday, the 28th ultimo (10/28/1850)" - "an election was held for Senator for the district of Harrison, Upshur and Smith, in the place of J.F. Taylor, resigned . . . Hon. J.F. Taylor is reelected Senator from Harrison, Upshur and Smith counties - the last named county having, unexpectedly, given him nearly a unanimous vote." Texas State Gazette, 11/16/1850, p. 3, crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries). (5) Roster of members elect of the 3rd Legislature, Matthewson, R.C., Texas State Gazette [Austin, Tex.], 9/29/1849, p. 6, crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries). (6) 3rd Legislature, 2nd Called Session, oath of office, 11/18/1850, p. 1. Senate Journal. (7) 3rd Legislature, Regular Session - 11/5/1849, p. 3. Listed in "roll of Senators being called by Districts, the following gentlemen presented their credentials, took the oath prescribed by the Constitution and their seats." Senate Journal. (8) Description of Democratic-Whig conflict in Harrison County, subsequent resignations of Representative J.M. Clough (September 1850) and Senator James F. Taylor, re-election of Taylor and election of L.T. Wigfall in November 1850, pp. 160-162. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983. (9) Roster of members of the 2nd Legislature, Texas Democrat, 12/15/1847, p. 2, crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).   Biographical Notes and Resources top Biographical Sketches TAYLOR, JAMES FRANKLIN (1812-1889). Handbook of Texas Online. Biographical sketch included in obituary of son, Dr. James Howard Taylor, August 1915, p. 256. Dr. Taylor was "reared to manhood on his father's plantation six miles west of the city [Marshall] . . . Colonel James F. Taylor was a pioneer planter and large slave owner of East Texas, in the early days of the State's history. He served in both branches of the State Legislature in the day of great men in Texas statesmanship . . ." Texas State Journal of Medicine, 1905. Other Resources James F. Taylor (1812-1889), husband of Mary B. Holman, interment in Marshall Cemetery, Marshall, Harrison County. Find a Grave. "Harrison's state senator, James F. Taylor . . .," p. 161; one of the "old-line Opposition leaders" at an "organizational meeting of the newly forming Constitutional Union Party in Marshall on April 14 [1860, after his service in the Legislature]," p. 173; organizer of a committee of public safety for Harrison County, once an "Opposition leader," p. 202; describes "in mid-September, 1878, a handbill circulated . . . signed by James F. Taylor, a former Whig and Constitutional Union Party leader," p. 338. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983. Included on list of "Texas Whigs Named in Newspapers and Identified From the Census of 1850," Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 30-33. Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Historical marker, James F. Taylor Lodge No. 169, A.F. & A.M., Hallsville, Harrison County, "named for James F. Taylor (1812-1889), a leading citizen, state legislator, and Mason." Texas Historic Sites Atlas (Texas Historical Commission). Mentioned in 3rd Legislature, p. 196. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990. Committee Informationtop 3rd R.S. - 1849 County Boundaries   Engrossed Bills   Governor's Message, Select   Joint Rules, Select   Roads, Bridges and Ferries (Chair)  2nd R.S. - 1847 County Boundaries   Finance   Jury Fund

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.

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.