Legislative Reference Library

Texas Legislators: Past & Present

William Henry Burges

W.H. Burges
Full Name: William Henry Burges, Sr.
Other surnames: Burgess
Birth date: January 8, 1838
Death date: June 24, 1898

Terms of Service

(1) 2-year term; entire Senate went up for reelection in 1882 due to redistricting. Act passed May 3, 1882, 17th Legislature, C.S., ch. 13, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950 1950.
(2) Democrat. Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas: List of Senators and Representatives .
(3) Democrat, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News .
(4) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas 1881.
(5) Roster of senators and representatives of the 20th Legislature with their postoffice address, Austin Weekly Statesman, "Governmental," 12/30/1886, p. 6. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries) .
(6) W.H. Burgess, Senate District 25. List of Senators of the 21st Legislature, "The State Senate: Members-Elect in the Different Districts - Austin Local Notes," Galveston Daily News, 11/20/1888, p. 6, crediting Abilene Library Consortium. "There are two independents in the list. The rest are democratic nominees." Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries) .
(7) 20th Legislature - Roll call of new members, oath of office administered, 1/11/1887, p. 1. Senate Journal .
(8) 17th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of newly elected Senators, oath of office administered, 1/11/1881, p. 1. Senate Journal .

Biographical Notes and Resources

Resolutions and Journal entries

  • W.H. Burgess, 31st District in 17th Legislature; W.H. Burges, 25th District in 20th Legislature and Index of 21st Legislature. Senate Journal . 17th 20th
    • 21st
  • Senate President Pro Tempore in the absence of Lieutenant Governor George C. Pendleton, 1/13/1891-1/20/1891, 22nd R.S., pp. 1-52. Senate resolution by Tyler, thanks "tendered to the Hon. W.H. Burges, president pro tem. of the Senate, for the courtesy and fairness with which he has presided over the Senate. . .," 1/20/1891, p. 51. Senate Journal .

Photographs

Other Resources

  • Describes the Burges-Jefferson Family papers, including correspondence of William Henry Burges, Sr. and a first-hand account of the Battle of Fredericksburg. Confederate Military Manuscripts: Series C: Holdings of the Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin 2003.
  • Mentioned in "Early History of Guadalupe County," p. 430. Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas 1900.
  • W.H. Burges, birth date 1/8/1838, death date 6/24/1898, "A Member of 4 Texas Infantry Hood's Brigade," burial in Riverside Cemetery, Seguin, Guadalupe County. Includes portrait. Find a Grave .
  • "Representative Convention at Seguin," 8/27/1884, p. 3. "Hon. J.N. Stagner, of Caldwell, was elected chairman, and Sterling Fisher, of Hays, secretary." Nomination of J.M. Jolly [sic: Jolley], of Caldwell, and Dr. J.H. Coombs [sic: Combs], of Hays. Account of speech by Hon. W.H. Burges, "to explain why the Democratic majority was reduced in the last election . . . " Sterling Fisher assumed Democrat - all other members present were Democrats. Galveston Daily News .
  • Opening of 22nd Legislature, R.S. - Burges served as Senate President Pro Tempore and called the Senate to order. ". . . no bills will pass the senate until the lieutenant governor is inaugurated, as there is some doubt as to the legal status of the body presided over by the constitutionally elected president pro tem, but one whose successor is a member of the senate, has been qualified and occupies a seat in the body." "Milner, Of Course . . . Bill Burgess Was There" and "Lieut. Governor Pendleton's Committees," 1/14/1891, p. 1. Galveston Daily News .
  • BURGES, RICHARD FENNER (1873-1945). Relatives: William Henry Burges, Sr. - father; Richard Fenner Burges - son. Handbook of Texas Online .
  • Mentioned in biographical sketch of son Richard F. Burges, Volume IV, pp. 439-440. History of Texas; Fort Worth and the Texas Northwest Edition 1922.
  • Biographical sketch, William Henry Burges, pp. 67-68. Born 1/8/1838 in Madison County, Tennessee. Democratic elector on the presidential ticket in the State of Texas, 1876. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 20th Legislature 1887.
  • Biographical sketch, William Henry Burges, pp. 171-172. Personnel of the Texas State Government with Sketches of Distinguished Texans, 21st Legislature 1889.
  • Mentioned in "Through the Years - San Saba Representatives in Legislative History," 4/1/1948, p. 9. San Saba News .
  • Biographical sketch, Colonel W.H. Burges, pp. 446-447. Born 1/8/1838 in Madison County, Tennessee. "He represented the thirty-first senatorial district in the Texas legislature in 1880-1, and made a faithful and useful member of that body." The Encyclopedia of the New West 1881.
  • Confederate States Army, Company D, 4th Texas Infantry, commanded by Colonel (afterwards General) John B. Hood. Includes list of battles, p. 447. The Encyclopedia of the New West 1881.
  • William Henry Burges, Sr., served in Texas State Senate. Burges-Perrenot Family Papers, 1890-1986, MS 262, C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department. The University of Texas at El Paso Library .
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