Chambers, Thomas Jefferson, 1802-1865

In 1834 Thomas Jefferson Chambers became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. In payment for this office, Chambers was granted thirteen leagues of land which he selected from the site of present day Austin. The state of Texas failed to reimburse Chambers or his estate for large tracts of Austin land condemned in 1839 to establish the capital. This led to a long series of legal contests by Chambers' heirs who eventually won monetary compnesation by an act of the Texas legislature in 1925.

Thomas Jefferson Chambers (1802-1865), an accomplished lawyer, land speculator, army general and politician in Texas, served under the rule of Mexico, the Republic, the Union and the Confederacy. Born in Virginia, he moved to Mexico City in 1826. In 1829 he was appointed the surveyor general of Texas. Through purchase and land grants, Chambers obtained title to 16 leagues of land located in present day Ellis, Navarro, Chambers and Hays counties. In 1830, Chambers received Mexican citizenship and license to practice law. He was state assessor briefly in 1834 and authored the Chambers Jury Law which brought jury trial to Texas. Also in 1834, he became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. In payment for this office, Chambers was granted thirteen leagues of land which he selected from the site of present day Austin. During the Texas Revolution, Chambers received a commission to raise the Army of the Reserve on his own credit and was reimbursed with 1,280 acres of land in 1846. He entered and lost four political elections between 1839 and 1861. These years also brought the loss of much of his land due to lawsuits in 1855 and 1862. In 1861 he represented Chambers County at the state secession convention. As a volunteer aid to an officer in Hood's Texas Brigade, Chambers was wounded during the Seven Days' Battles. In 1865, Chambers was shot and killed by an unknown assassin at his home in Anahuac while holding his daughter Kate on his lap.

The state of Texas failed to reimburse Chambers or his estate for large tracts of Austin land condemned in 1839 to establish the capital. This fact led to a long series of legal contests by Chambers' heirs who eventually won monetary compensation by an act of the Texas legislature in 1925.