Hopkins L. Turney Explained

Hopkins Lacy Turney
Image Name:Hopkins Lacey Turney (3x4b).jpg
Jr/Sr1:United States Senator
State1:Tennessee
Party:Democrat
Term Start1:March 4, 1845
Term End1:March 3, 1851
Preceded1:Ephraim H. Foster
Succeeded1:James C. Jones
State2:Tennessee
District2:5th
Term Start2:March 4, 1837
Term End2:March 3, 1843
Preceded2:John B. Forester
Succeeded2:George W. Jones
Office3:Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Term3:1828
Birth Date:3 October 1797
Birth Place:Smith County, Tennessee, U.S.
Death Place:Winchester, Tennessee, U.S.
Profession:Politician, Lawyer

Hopkins Lacy Turney (October 3, 1797August 1, 1857) was a Democratic U.S. Representative and United States Senator from Tennessee.

Biography

Turney was born in the Smith County settlement of Dixon Springs, Tennessee. As a youth, he was apprenticed to a tailor. He served in the Seminole War in 1818. Subsequent to this he studied law, and passed the bar examination and began a practice in Jasper, Tennessee. Later he moved to Winchester, Tennessee, continuing the practice of law. He owned slaves. He was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1828.

He married Teresa Francis, the daughter of Miller Francis and Hannah Henry, in 1826. She was born December 9, 1809, and died September 5, 1879. Hopkins and Teresa were the parents of nine children.

Their son Peter Turney (September 22, 1827October 19, 1903) was Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1870 to 1893; and served as governor of the U.S. state of Tennessee from 1893 to 1897.[1]

He was then elected to the U.S. House, serving three terms in that body from 1837 to 1843, the 25th through 27th Congresses. Subsequent to this he was elected by the Tennessee General Assembly to the U.S. Senate, returning to Washington, D.C., after a two-year hiatus and serving one six-year term in that body, where he was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Retrenchment for four years and the U.S. Senate Committee on Patents and the Patent Office for two before returning to his law practice, which he engaged in until shortly before his death. He is buried in Winchester.

Notes and References

  1. News: Death List Of The Day - Peter Turney . New York Times . 2011-12-02 . October 20, 1903.