Toulmin was born 1766 Apr. 7, in Taunton, England, to Rev. and Mrs. Joshua Toulmin. Toulmin was educated in England, married Ann Tremlett, and became a dissenting minister at Chorobert, Lancashire, until 1793, when he came to the U.S. He established a seminary at Norfolk, Va., and the following year became president of Transylvania University until 1796, when he retired, at least partially because some of the Presbyterian trustees suspected him of having Unitarian sentiments, particularly as Toulmin befriended Thomas Jefferson. In 1796 Toulmin became Ky. Sec. of State. He remained at that post until 1804, when he was appointed judge of the Superior Court of the Miss. Territory by President Jefferson. Toulmin subsequently became the first federal judge of what was then called the Tombigbee District. He first settled at Fort Stoddert, Washington Co., Miss. Territory (now Ala.) and his first court was held in the Fall of 1804, in New Wakefield. Toulmin also served as distributing postmaster for all mails arriving in the area, and as a minister and a physician. He married Martha Johnson in that county also. His judicial functions ceased in 1819, when the Miss. Territory was divided. He then moved to Washington Court House, Baldwin Co., Ala. Territory, where he helped create the Ala. state constitution.
He wrote several books on the law, including "Laws of Mississippi," 1807; and "Digest of the Laws of the State of Alabama," 1823. He and his first wife had ten children. He died on 1824 Dec. at Washington Court House.
From the description of Letters, 1813-1818. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145407206
