Ireland, John, 1827-1896

Born to Patrick Ireland and Rachel Newton near Millerstown, Kentucky, John Ireland (1827-1896) moved to Seguin, Texas, after studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1852. In 1857, he married Ann Maria Penn, with whom he had three daughters. A year later, Ireland was elected mayor and became a delegate to the Secession Convention in 1861. In 1862, he enlisted in the Confederate Army as a private and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Following the Civil War, Ireland was appointed district judge and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1866. Additionally, he was elected a senator and representative of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Legislatures, respectively. After serving as associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court from 1875 through 1876, Ireland was elected governor in 1882, a position he held until 1887. During his tenure, he facilitated the development of a number of state institutions, including the University of Texas. In 1887, Ireland returned to his law practice, working as an attorney until his death in 1896.

Source:

Elliott, Claude. Ireland, John. Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed June 20, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fir01 .

Born to Patrick Ireland and Rachel Newton near Millerstown, Kentucky, John Ireland (1827-1896) moved to Seguin, Texas, after studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1852.

In 1857, he married Ann Maria Penn, with whom he had three daughters. A year later, Ireland was elected mayor and became a delegate to the Secession Convention in 1861. In 1862, he enlisted in the Confederate Army as a private and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Following the Civil War, Ireland was appointed district judge and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1866. Additionally, he was elected a senator and representative of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Legislatures, respectively. After serving as associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court from 1875 through 1876, Ireland was elected governor in 1882, a position he held until 1887. During his tenure, he facilitated the development of a number of state institutions, including the University of Texas. In 1887, Ireland returned to his law practice, working as an attorney until his death in 1896.

John Ireland was a man known for his public service and political activism. The son of Patrick and Rachel Newton Ireland, John was born in Millerstown, Kentucky, on 1827 January 21. As a young man, Ireland engaged in local enforcement, serving as both the constable and sheriff of his home county. Ireland began studying law in 1851 at the age of twenty-four, passed the bar exam, and came to Texas, where he established a law firm in Seguin. Ireland's reputation grew in Seguin to such a degree that within five years of his arrival, he had secured the position of mayor. As the representative of that town, Ireland attended the Secession Convention of 1861 and supported a break from the Union. An ardent Southerner, Ireland left his political and legal careers and volunteered as a private in the Confederate Army the following year. He eventually advanced to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was stationed on the Texas coast at the end of the war in 1865.

After the war, Ireland served as a member of the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1866 and became a district judge from 1866 to 1867. Despite his removal from this position for impeding Reconstruction, John was elected to the House of Representatives in 1872 and then to the Senate of the Fourteenth Legislature. He served as an associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court until the Constitution of 1876 reduced the size of this judicial body. He failed in his attempts to win a seat in the U.S. Senate (1876) as well as the U.S. House of Representatives (1878).

Ireland was elected governor of Texas in 1882 and reelected in 1884. His administration was defined by the fence-cutting war of 1883 and strikes organized by the Knights of Labor in 1885 and 1886. It was also during his administration that the University of Texas was established and construction on the Texas State Capitol was begun. In 1887, Ireland once again lost his bid to serve in the U.S. Senate. After retiring from the political sphere, Ireland practiced law in Seguin until he died on 1896 March 18.

This collection deals primarily with Ireland's properties in Jones County, Texas, (2,573 acres) and the execution of his will. Problems arose from the fact that Ireland was the legal guardian of his grandson, Ireland Graves. Graves was only a fifteen year old minor when Ireland passed away. A dispute in the courts arose as to whom would be best suited to assume Ireland Graves' guardianship and administer the land that he inherited.