Townsend Dickinson (c. 1795 – February 1851)[1] was a justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court from 1836 to 1842, serving as one of the first three members of the court.[2]
Born in New York, Dickinson came to what would later be Arkansas Territory shortly after its acquisition by the United States, and settled at Batesville, Arkansas, in 1821.[1] [3] In 1823 he was elected to the territorial legislature, and was made by that body prosecuting attorney of his district.[3] In 1833, he was made U.S. Land Office Registrar for Batesville.[1] He was a delegate to the constitutional convention of 1836, and of the first state legislature, by which he was elected to the supreme bench that same year.[1] [3] After his term expired in 1842, he returned to practice in Batesville.[3]
A judge Byers of Batesville relayed an anecdote which illustrates Dickinson's legal acumen:
Dickinson died from drowning in a lake in Corpus Christi, Texas, at about age 55. He and a companion were attempting to cross the lake in a buggy at night, and missed their road, ending up in deep water.[4] [5]