Joseph B. Crockett

Joseph Bryant Crockett (November 17, 1808 – January 15, 1884) was an American attorney who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California from December 1867 to January 5, 1880.

Joseph Bryant Crockett
Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
In office
December 1867 – January 5, 1880
Appointed byGovernor Henry Huntly Haight
Preceded byOscar L. Shafter
Succeeded byElections under new constitution of 1879
Personal details
Born(1808-11-17)November 17, 1808
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedJanuary 15, 1884(1884-01-15) (aged 75)
Fruit Vale, California, U.S.
Spouse(s)
Caroline Matilda Bryan
​
​
(m. 1832)​
Alma materUniversity of Tennessee at Nashville (no degree)

Biography

Crockett was born in Lexington, Kentucky to Martha Ferguson and Robert Crockett.[1] In 1827, he entered the University of Tennessee at Nashville, but stayed less than one year due to the expense.[1] At the age of 19, he moved to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and read law in the offices of Charles S. Morehead.[1] In 1830, he formed a partnership of Henry & Crockett, and with the departure of his partner after two years he took over the practice.[1] In August 1833, Crockett was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives from Christian County.[2][1] In 1836, he formed a firm with a young attorney, James F. Buckner, in the partnership of Crockett & Buckner, where he was joined by his brother, John W. Crockett.[1] In 1840, Crockett moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he edited a newspaper, the Intelligencer, and continued to practice law.[1] In 1850, he ran under the Whig Party for the Missouri House of Representatives.[3]

In 1852, he joined with Gwin Page, a fellow pupil from Morehead's law office, to come to San Francisco, California.[4][5] They formed a law partnership, and Crockett continued his involvement in Democratic Party politics.[6] In 1864, Crockett ran for the United States House of Representatives in California's 1st congressional district on the Democratic Party ticket, but lost to Republican Donald C. McRuer.[7] After Page's death in 1857, Crockett formed the firm of Crockett & Whiting, and was joined in 1867 by Joseph Naphtally as a name partner.[8][9][10]

In December 1868, Governor Henry Huntly Haight appointed Crockett as Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left the resignation of Oscar L. Shafter.[11] In October 1869, Crockett ran against William T. Wallace and Lorenzo Sawyer and was elected for the remainder of Shafter's term.[12] In 1879, a constitutional convention was held, and a new constitution was adopted that called for elections for all seats of the Supreme Court. Crockett did not run in the September 1879 election.[13]

On January 15, 1884, Crockett died at his home in Fruitvale, California.[14]

Clubs

Crockett was a member of the Bohemian Club.

Personal life

On November 15, 1832, Crockett married Caroline Matilda Bryan in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and they had eight children.[1][15]

References
  1. Perrin, William Henry (1884). County of Christian, Kentucky: Historical and Biographical. Louisville, KY: F. A. Battey Publishing Co. pp. 92–93, 113. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  2. Collins, Lewis; Collins, Richard H. (1998). History of Kentucky. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 773. ISBN 0806345640. Retrieved July 19, 2017. Members of Legislature, Christian County, Kentucky, 1833, Jos. B. Crockett.
  3. "St. Louis County, The Whigs of St. Louis have nominated the following ticket". Glasgow Weekly Times (Glasgow, MO). Library of Congress Historical Newspapers. June 6, 1850. p. 4. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  4. "Estate of Gwin Page, Deceased". Daily Alta California. 9 (213). California Digital Newspaper Collection. 20 November 1857. p. 4. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  5. "Suit by the Widow of Gwin Page". Sacramento Daily Union. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 9 July 1860. p. 4. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  6. "Judge Crockett". Daily Alta California. 36 (12330). California Digital Newspaper Collection. 17 January 1884. p. 4. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  7. "The Nomination of Downey's Successor". Daily Alta California. 16 (5335). California Digital Newspaper Collection. 11 October 1864. p. 1. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  8. "Supreme Court". Daily Alta California. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 2 June 1864. p. 1. Retrieved July 19, 2017. In the matter of the application of Aaron Bar (of San Francisco) for a writ of habeas corpus, it was on Tuesday ordered, on motion of Crockett & Whiting and filing petition, that the writ issue, returnable June 6, 1864.
  9. "Wedding at the Synagogue Emanu-El". Daily Alta California. 21 (6943). California Digital Newspaper Collection. 22 March 1869. p. 1. Retrieved July 20, 2017. Mr. Joseph Naphtaly (of the law firm of Crockett, Whiting & Naphtaly) and Miss Sarah Schmitt (second daughter of B. L. Schmitt, the well known stock-broker)
  10. Shuck, Oscar T. (1901). History of the bench and bar of California. Los Angeles, CA: Commercial Printing House. p. 908. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  11. "Vote for Two Justices". Los Angeles Herald. 1 (6). California Digital Newspaper Collection. 8 October 1873. Retrieved July 10, 2017. Judge O. L. Shafter elected in 1863, drew the long term for ten years which, of course, would expire in 1873; but he resigned in 1869, having four years of his term left. To this vacancy Judge Crockett was appointed by Governor Haight, and, subsequently, at the election in October, 1869, he was elected.
  12. "Pacific Coast News Summary". Sonoma Democrat (11). California Digital Newspaper Collection. 18 December 1869. p. 8. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  13. Johnson, J. Edward (1963). History of the California Supreme Court: The Justices 1850-1900, vol 1 (PDF). San Francisco, CA: Bender Moss Co. pp. 107–110. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  14. "San Francisco Items, Ex-Justice Joseph B. Crockett, of the Supreme Court, died". Sacramento Daily Union. 18 (124). California Digital Newspaper Collection. 17 January 1884. p. 2. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  15. "Died, CROCKETT— In this city. June 23, 1892, Dorothy, youngest daughter of Joseph B. and Caroline Crockett". San Francisco Call. 72 (27). California Digital Newspaper Collection. 27 June 1892. p. 8. Retrieved July 19, 2017.

See also
Political offices
Preceded by
Oscar L. Shafter		 Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
1867–1880		 Succeeded by
Elections under new Constitution of 1879
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