John Patton Erwin (January 8, 1795 – August 27, 1857) was an American Whig politician. He served as the

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 ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

from 1821 to 1822, and from 1834 to 1835.

Early life

John Patton Erwin was born on January 8, 1795, in

Wilkes County, North Carolina Wilkes County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a part of the state's western western North Carolina, mountain region. The population was 65,969 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

. His father was Col. Andrew Erwin, a land speculator, and his mother, Jane Patton. He had nine siblings. His brothers-in-law included

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

, U.S. Senator from Tennessee, Lewis Williams, a U.S. Representative from North Carolina, and Thomas Lanier Williams, Justice of the

Tennessee Supreme Court The Tennessee Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of Tennessee. The Supreme Court's three buildings are seated in Nashville, Knoxville, and Jackson, Tennessee. The Court is composed of five members: a chief justice, and four justice ...

Career

In 1817, he became an alderman in Nashville and in 1820 he was admitted to the bar. He served as Mayor of Nashville from 1821 to 1822.Nashville Library
/ref> He also served as Principal Clerk of the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...

as well as editor of the '' Nashville Whig''.Lynn Hudson Parsons, ''The Birth of Modern Politics : Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the Election of 1828'', Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 12

/ref> He was opposed to

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

. In 1826, President

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...

appointed him United States Postmaster in Nashville. In 1827, he described

David Crockett Colonel David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American politician, militia officer and frontiersman. Often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier", he represented Tennessee in the United States Ho ...

as, "not only illiterate, but he is rough & uncouth, talks much & loudly, and is by far, more in his proper place when hunting a Bear" yet also "independent and fearless & has a popularity at home that is unaccountable."Glenn C. Altschuker
Michael Wallis' biography of David Crockett at once authentic, contrived
''

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...

'', 7/10/2011 Later, he served as Cashier at the Yeateman, Woods Bank. In 1830, he became Justice of the Peace for two terms. From 1834 to 1835, he served as Mayor of Nashville a second time.

Personal life

He married Frances Lanier Williams (1796–1872), a member of the Lanier family, in 1815.

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

, ''Lineage Book'', The Society, 1925, Volume 81, p. 6

/ref>Hannah Daviess Pittman, ''Americans of gentle birth and their ancestors: a genealogical encyclopedia, embracing many authenticated lineages and biographical sketches of the founders of the Colonies and their descendants found in all parts of the United States'', Genealogical Pub. Co., 1970, Volume 1, p. 13

/ref> They had four daughters, Ellen, Mary Caroline, Rebecca and Amelia. In his last years, he was paralyzed. In 1831, he bought the "Buena Vista" mansion.

Death and legacy

He died on August 27, 1857, and he is buried in the

Nashville City Cemetery Nashville City Cemetery is the oldest public cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of Nashville's prominent historical figures are buried there. It includes the tombs of 22,000 people, 6,000 of whom were African Americans. Overview Nashville ...

. After his death, his widow sold them "Buena Vista" mansion to the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erwin, John Patton 1795 births 1857 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Tennessee People from Wilkes County, North Carolina Tennessee Whigs Mayors of Nashville, Tennessee