James Archibald Meriwether (September 20, 1806 – April 18, 1852) was a

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, jurist and lawyer from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. His uncle was U.S. Representative

James Meriwether James Meriwether (1789–1854) was a United States Representative and lawyer from Georgia. His father was David Meriwether and his nephew was James Archibald Meriwether. Early years and education Meriwether was born near Washington, Georgia, W ...

Early years and education

Meriwether was born near

Washington, Georgia Washington is the county seat of Wilkes County, Georgia, United States. Under its original name, Heard's Fort, it was for a brief time during the American Revolutionary War the Georgia state capital. It is noteworthy as the place where the Co ...

, on September 20, 1806, to James and Susannah Hatcher Meriweather. He graduated from the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

(UGA) in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

with a Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree in 1826.

Legal career and military service

After studying law and gaining admittance to the state

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

, he practiced law in

Eatonton, Georgia Eatonton is a city in and the county seat of Putnam County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 6,307. It was named after William Eaton, an officer and diplomat involved in the First Barbary War. The n ...

. He was also captain of a volunteer unit during the

Seminole Wars The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminoles that took place in Florida between about 1816 and 1858. The Seminoles are a Native American nation which co ...

Political service

From 1831 to 1836 and again in 1838, Meriwether served in the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

as a representative of Clarke County. From 1845 to 1849, he served as a judge of the superior court for the

Eatonton Eatonton is a city in and the county seat of Putnam County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 6,307. It was named after William Eaton, an officer and diplomat involved in the First Barbary War. The n ...

(Ocmulgee) district . In 1840, he was elected as a Whig Representative from Georgia to the

27th United States Congress The 27th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., between March 4, ...

and served one term from March 4, 1841, until March 3, 1843. He returned to the Georgia House in for one term in 1843. In 1851 he was once again elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, and served as

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

of that body in 1852.

Personal life

Meriwether married Rebecca Carleton McKigney, and together the couple had eight children who survived past childhood.

Death

Meriwether died on April 18, 1852, in Eatonton and was buried in that city's Union Cemetery.

References

External links

*
Letter dated April 25, 1852 reporting the sudden death of Judge James Archibald Meriwether

''History of the University of Georgia'', Thomas Walter Reed, Imprint: Athens, Georgia : University of Georgia, ca. 1949, pp. 215–216
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meriwether, James 1806 births 1852 deaths Members of the Georgia House of Representatives Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges University of Georgia alumni American people of the Seminole Wars People from Wilkes County, Georgia Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) People from Eatonton, Georgia 19th-century Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges 19th-century American lawyers Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly