1st Mississippi Legislature
| 1st Mississippi Legislature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Overview | |||
| Jurisdiction | Mississippi, United States | ||
| Term | October 6, 1817 – February 6, 1818 | ||
| Election | September 17, 1817 | ||
| Mississippi State Senate | |||
| Members | 8 | ||
| President | Edward Turner | ||
| Mississippi House of Representatives | |||
| Members | 24 | ||
| Speaker | Thomas Barnes | ||
The 1st Mississippi Legislature met between October 6, 1817 and February 6, 1818, first in Washington and then in Natchez, Mississippi.
Background
Elections were held on September 17, 1817.[1] Senators and representatives first convened in Washington, Mississippi, between October 6 and October 9, 1817.[2] They then met in Natchez, Mississippi, on December 8, 1817.[2] The Senate adjourned on February 4, 1818.[2]
Senators were to be elected to staggered three-year terms.[3] Lots were drawn to determine how many years each senator's term would last (including the first session) before re-election.[4][2]
Senate
Two senators, Duncan Stewart and David Dickson, resigned during the recess in between October and December.[2] Joseph Johnson was sworn in to replace Stewart (who had been elected lieutenant governor) on December 9, 1817.[2] Stewart, who was sworn in on December 9, 1817, became the ex officio president of the Senate.[5] Nathaniel Wells was sworn in to replace Dickson on January 2, 1819.[2] The House adjourned on February 6, 1818.[5]
| Counties | Senator(s) | Term Years before Next Election[6] |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | Henry Postlethwaite | 2 |
| Amite | David Lea | 2 |
| Jefferson | Hezekiah J. Balch | 1 |
| Wilkinson | Duncan Stewart (Oct-Dec. 8, 1817) | 3 |
| Joseph Johnston (Dec. 1818–1819) | ||
| Franklin, Pike | David Dickson (Oct-Dec 8, 1817) | 1 |
| Nathaniel Wells (January 2, 1819) | ||
| Lawrence, Marion, Hancock | Charles Stovall | 1 |
| Warren, Claiborne | Daniel Burnet | 3 |
| Wayne, Greene, Jackson | Josiah Skinner | 2 |
House
The House met alongside the Senate on October 6, 1817.[5] On that day, Thomas Barnes of Claiborne County was elected Speaker of the House.[5] Then, non-representatives Peter A. Vandorn and John Lowry were elected to the offices of House clerk and doorkeeper respectively.[5] One representative, Benjamin Bullen, resigned in between the October and December meetings.[2][5] Cowles Mead was sworn in to replace Bullen on December 8, 1817.[5]
| County | Representative(s) |
|---|---|
| Adams | Philander Smith |
| Joseph Sessions | |
| Edward Turner | |
| Charles B. Green | |
| Amite | David Davis |
| Hardy Coward | |
| Angus Wilkinson | |
| Claiborne | Thomas Barnes |
| Henry G. Johnston | |
| Franklin | Joseph Winn |
| Greene | George B. Dameron |
| Hancock | Noel Jourdan |
| Jackson | Archibald McManis |
| Jefferson | Benjamin M. Bullen (Oct-Dec. 1817) |
| Cowles Mead (Dec. 1817–1818) | |
| Edward Duggan | |
| Lawrence | Harman Runnels |
| Marion | George M. Nixon |
| Pike | Elbert Burton |
| David Cleveland | |
| Warren | Jacob Hyland |
| Wayne | William Patton |
| Wilkinson | Thomas M. Gildart |
| Abram M. Scott | |
| John Joor |
References
- ^ "Article clipped from Mississippi Free Trader". Mississippi Free Trader. August 17, 1817. p. 3. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mississippi. Legislature. Senate (October 6, 1817). "First Session of the First General Assembly". Journal of the Senate of the State of Mississippi: 5, 29, 32, 38, 89, 111, 218 – via eGROVE.
- ^ "The Mississippi Constitution of 1817 -". mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ "Classification". Natchez Gazette. December 20, 1817. p. 2. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Journal of the House of Representatives of the state of Mississippi". Journal of the House of Representatives of the state of Mississippi. Oct. 1817-Feb. 1818, 1st Sess.: 3–5, 7, 22–23, 35–36, 407 – via LLMC Digital.
- ^ "Mississippi Council/Senate Journals, 1798-: Oct 1817-18 1st Sess — LLMC". discover.llmc.com. Retrieved January 2, 2026.