Benjamin Franklin Burkitt (July 5, 1843 – November 18, 1914) was an American newspaper editor and politician from the state of

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

Biography

Burkitt was born in

Lawrenceburg, Tennessee The city of Lawrenceburg is the county seat of Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States, The largest city on the state's southern border between Chattanooga and Memphis, it lies on the banks of Shoal Creek. The population was 11,633 at the 2 ...

, in 1843 to Henry Lemuel Burkett and Louise Howell. Henry Burkett's ancestors had moved to

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

before the American Revolution, where Henry grew up before moving to Tennessee. Burkitt served in the 9th Battalion Tennessee Cavalry of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. After the war had ended, he taught in

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

for two years, and moved to

Houston, Mississippi Houston is a city and one of two county seats of Chickasaw County, in northeastern Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,623 at the 2010 census. History Native American groups had long used the future Chickasaw County for millennia ...

, in 1867, becoming the editor of the Houston ''Messenger'' in 1872. He moved the paper to

Okolona, Mississippi Okolona is a city in and one of the two county seats of Chickasaw County, Mississippi, Chickasaw County, Mississippi, United States. It is located near the eastern border of the county. The population was 2,692 at the 2010 United States Census, ...

, in 1876 and renamed it the ''Peoples' Messenger'', becoming active with the Mississippi State Grange. Burkitt was elected president of the

Mississippi Press Association The Mississippi Press Association (MPA) is a trade association located in the capital city of Jackson, Mississippi, which represents newspapers and newsrooms from Mississippi. It was founded in 1866 and is the sixth-oldest press association in th ...

in 1883. Burkitt also began to practice law in 1872.

Political career

Burkitt began his political career when he was elected to the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

in 1885, serving four terms. He was a delegate to the 1890 constitutional convention. In 1891, he joined the newly-formed

Populist Party Populist Party may refer to: Asian and European political parties and movements *Croatian Popular Party (1919), a Croatian right-wing party also known as Croatian Populist Party * Indonesian National Populist Fortress Party, an Indonesian populist ...

, and ran as that party's candidate for

Mississippi's 4th congressional district Mississippi's 4th congressional district covers the southeastern region of the state. It includes all of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, stretching ninety miles between the Alabama border to the east and the Louisiana border to the west, and extends n ...

in 1892, losing to Democrat

Hernando Money Hernando De Soto Money (August 26, 1839September 18, 1912) was an American politician from the state of Mississippi. Biography Money was born in Holmes County, Mississippi, the son of Peirson and Triphena Money. He was named after the Spanish ex ...

and receiving 39% of the vote. Burkitt was appointed as a Democratic elector for the

1892 presidential election Year 189 ( CLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silanus and Silanus (or, less frequently, year 942 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 189 for th ...

, but resigned in order to support the Populist ticket. He ran for

Governor of Mississippi The governor of Mississippi is the head of government of Mississippi and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Mississippi National Guard, military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either appro ...

in the 1895 gubernatorial election, losing to Democrat

Anselm J. McLaurin Anselm Joseph McLaurin (March 26, 1848 – December 22, 1909) was the 34th Governor of Mississippi, serving from 1896 to 1900. Life and career McLaurin was born on March 26, 1848, in Brandon, Mississippi, the son of Ellen Caroline (née Tullus) ...

and receiving 28% of the vote. He rejoined the Democratic Party in 1900, and was elected again to the House in 1907. Burkitt was elected to the

Mississippi State Senate The Mississippi State Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the Lower house, lower Mississippi House of Represen ...

in 1910, and served until his death on November 18, 1914, in Okolona.

Personal life

Burkitt married Mattie Schrimsher on December 30, 1866, and they had four children: Jennie Lee Cary, James Howell, Mary Louise King, and Bennie Dossett. He again married on December 30, 1906, this time to Mary Elizabeth Mitchell.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burkitt, Frank 1843 births 1914 deaths People from Houston, Mississippi People from Lawrenceburg, Tennessee Confederate States Army soldiers Democratic Party Mississippi state senators Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives Mississippi Populists People from Okolona, Mississippi 19th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature 20th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature