James Kingsley (6 January 1797 – 10 August 1878) was an attorney and

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

from 1855 to 1856. Attorney James "Honest Jim" Kingsley, who came to Ann Arbor in 1826, was the first member of the

Washtenaw County Washtenaw County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 372,258. The county seat and largest city is Ann Arbor. The county was authorized by legislation in 1822 and organized as a county ...

Bar, a

probate judge A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as orphans' courts o ...

, and a member of both the territorial and later the

state legislature A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of ...

, as well as

's second mayor and a regent of the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. Kingsley Street in Ann Arbor is named after him.

Sources

James Kingsley
Ann Arbor District Library
History of the University of Michigan
By Burke Aaron Hinsdale Published by the University of Michigan, 1906; p. 182
Kingsley Family Papers, 1830-1901

Bentley Historical Library The Bentley Historical Library is the campus archive for the University of Michigan and is located on the University of Michigan's North Campus in Ann Arbor. It was established in 1935 by the regents of the University of Michigan. Its mission ...

. 1797 births 1878 deaths Mayors of Ann Arbor, Michigan Regents of the University of Michigan Members of the Michigan Territorial Legislature Michigan state senators Members of the Michigan House of Representatives 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American judges Politicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan 19th-century members of the Michigan Legislature {{Michigan-mayor-stub