Franklin, Benjamin Cromwell, 1805-1873

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Franklin was a judge in Galveston, Texas.

From the description of Letters to Benjamin C. Franklin, 1846-1848. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702138000

Benjamin Cromwell Franklin (1805–1873) was a lawyer, legislator, and the first judge in the Republic of Texas. He was educated at Franklin College, Athens, Georgia. Franklin was admitted to the bar in 1827, and moved to Texas in 1835 to fight against Indians and to go to war against Mexico.

Franklin fought in the Texas Revolution, 1836, as a private in Captain Robert J. Calder's company. He also fulfilled a role as victory messenger, traveling to Galveston Island to inform President Burnet of the victory at San Jacinto. As compensation for his services, Franklin received a land grant for 320 acres and became one of the first people to buy land at the site that would become Houston, Texas. Later in 1836, President Sam Houston appointed Franklin judge of the Second (or Brazoria) Judicial District, making Franklin a member of the Supreme Court of the Republic.

In 1839 Franklin resigned and moved to Galveston to practice law. He went on to represent Galveston County in the House of Representatives of the Third, Fifth, and Eighth state legislatures. In 1870, Governor E. J. Davis asked him to serve as commissioner, to revise the laws of Texas, but Franklin declined the offer. Franklin died on December 25, 1873, after a long battle with rheumatism, and was buried in Galveston. Although not certain, it is widely accepted that Franklin County, Texas, was named for Benjamin Cromwell Franklin.

Source : Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Franklin, Benjamin Cromwell, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/FF/ffr2.html (accessed May 20, 2010).

From the guide to the Franklin, Benjamin Cromwell Papers 63-154., 1805-1915, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

Benjamin Cromwell Franklin (1805-1873) was a lawyer, legislator, and the first judge in the Republic of Texas.

He was educated at Franklin College, Athens, Georgia. Franklin was admitted to the bar in 1827, and moved to Texas in 1835 to fight against Indians and to go to war against Mexico. Franklin fought in the Texas Revolution, 1836, as a private in Captain Robert J. Calder's company. He also fulfilled a role as victory messenger, traveling to Galveston Island to inform President Burnet of the victory at San Jacinto. As compensation for his services, Franklin received a land grant for 320 acres and became one of the first people to buy land at the site that would become Houston, Texas. Later in 1836, President Sam Houston appointed Franklin judge of the Second (or Brazoria) Judicial District, making Franklin a member of the Supreme Court of the Republic.

In 1839 Franklin resigned and moved to Galveston to practice law. He went on to represent Galveston County in the House of Representatives of the Third, Fifth, and Eighth state legislatures.

In 1870, Governor E. J. Davis asked him to serve as commissioner, to revise the laws of Texas, but Franklin declined the offer. Franklin died on December 25, 1873, after a long battle with rheumatism, and was buried in Galveston. Although not certain, it is widely accepted that Franklin County, Texas, was named for Benjamin Cromwell Franklin.

From the description of Franklin, Benjamin Cromwell Papers, 1805-1915 (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 658926132

Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Austin, Stephen F. (Stephen Fuller), 1793-1836 person
associatedWith Burnet, David Gouverneur, 1789-1870 person
associatedWith Clingman, T. L. (Thomas Lanier), 1812-1897 person
associatedWith Collinsworth, James, 1806-1838 person
associatedWith Crescent Lumber Company corporateBody
associatedWith Dykers, Thomas M. person
associatedWith Franklin, Benjamin Cromwell, 1805-1873 person
associatedWith Franklin, Robert M. person
associatedWith Franklin, Robert M. person
associatedWith Gulf and Inter-State Railway Company corporateBody
associatedWith Houston, Sam, 1793-1863 person
associatedWith Lubbock, Francis Richard, 1815-1905 person
associatedWith Powers & Whittle (Macon, Ga.) corporateBody
associatedWith Rusk, Thomas J. (Thomas Jefferson), 1803-1857 person
associatedWith Texas. Army. corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Supreme Court. corporateBody
associatedWith Wilson, James Theodore Dudley, 1820-1902 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Athens (Ga.)
Austin (Tex.)
Texas
Galveston County (Tex.)
Galveston (Tex.)
Brazoria (Tex.)
Austin (Tex.)
Macon (Ga.)
Galveston County (Tex.)
Velasco (Tex.)
Texas
Galveston (Tex.)
Houston (Tex.)
Brazoria (Tex.)
United States
Macon (Ga.)
Deer Park Region (Tex.)
Athens (Ga.)
Velasco (Tex.)
Houston (Tex.)
United States
Texas
Subject
Judges
Judges
Land titles
Military
Military
Politics
Politics
Reconstruction (U. S. history, 1865-1877)
San Jacinto, Battle of, Tex., 1836
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1805-04-25

Death 1873-12-25

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