Grafton Baker (c. 1806 – October 1881)"Judge Grafton Baker", ''Hinds County Gazette'' (October 12, 1881), p. 3. was the first chief justice of the Supreme Court of the New Mexico Territory, serving from 1851 to 1853. Born in

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, Baker moved to

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the only city in and the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,520 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia, Louisiana, Natchez was ...

in his young adulthood, representing

Jackson County, Mississippi Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 143,252, making it the fifth-most populous county in Mississippi. Its county seat is Pascagoula. The county was named for Andrew ...

, in the

Mississippi Legislature The Mississippi Legislature is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The bicameral Legislature is composed of the Lower house, lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, and ...

in 1848 and 1849. He was a leading member of the Whig Party."Judge Grafton Baker", ''The Baltimore Sun'' (October 3, 1881), p. 6. In 1851, President

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He was the last president to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House, and the last to be neither a De ...

appointed Baker to be the first regular chief justice of the Supreme Court of the New Mexico Territory."Bar Activities", ''ABA Journal'' (July 1958), Vol. 44, No. 7, p. 694.''The Weekly Mississippian'' (April 4, 1851), p. 2. ''The Weekly Mississippian'' observed that "Baker, in the canvass of 1848-9, contended, on the stump, that the ''lex loci'' of our Mexican territory would prevail, despite the Constitution; and we have no doubt his appointment was made with that view of tho question". Despite Baker's legal acumen, he "demonstrated an amazing lack of diplomacy in dealing with his associates and experienced difficulty in maintaining the dignity of his office in matters of personal decorum", including an "incident of indiscreet conduct on his part" that led to "a serious breach in relations between the early judiciary and papal dignitaries, particularly Bishop Lamy". After the end of his two year term, President Franklin Pierce chose to appoint James J. Deavenport to Baker's position on the court. Baker returned to Mississippi for a time, moving to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

, in 1857."We learn from the Memphis ''Eagle'' and ''Enquirer'' that the Hon. Grafton Baker, late of Jackson, Miss., accompanied by his lady, arrived in Memphis on Friday last, with a view to taking up his permanent residence there", ''Daily Nashville Patriot'' (April 1, 1857), p. 3. Baker died in

Washington County, Missouri Washington County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 23,514. The county seat and largest city is Potosi. The county was officially organized on ...

, at the age of 75. At the time, he was described as "the oldest practitioner in the Mississippi Bar".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Grafton 1800s births 1881 deaths Year of birth uncertain Justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court United States Article I federal judges appointed by Millard Fillmore Members of the Mississippi House of Representatives New Mexico Territory judges 19th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature