William Thomas Scott

Full Name: William Thomas Scott
Date of birth: December 14, 1811
Date of death: November 1, 1887

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Counties in District
H	10	Jan 11, 1881 - Jan 9, 1883	17th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	Democrat	Scottsville / Harrison	Harrison
H	10	Jan 14, 1879 - Jan 11, 1881	16th ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾	Democrat	Marshall / Harrison	Harrison
S	8	Nov 8, 1853 - Nov 2, 1857	5th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁾ 6th ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾		Marshall / Harrison	Harrison
S	9	Nov 3, 1851 - Nov 7, 1853	4th ⁽¹¹⁾ ⁽¹²⁾ ⁽¹³⁾		Marshall / Harrison	Harrison, Upshur
S	3	Elected but never sworn	1st ⁽¹⁴⁾ ⁽¹⁵⁾ ⁽¹⁶⁾ ⁽¹⁷⁾		Marshall / Harrison	Harrison

(1) Democrat, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
(2) Scott elected as a democrat, p. 1, 11/17/1880. Galveston Daily News.
(3) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas, 1881.
(4) Democrat, 1/14/1879, p. 1. Galveston Daily News.
(5) Committee on credentials reported two claimants for the 10th district, W.T. Scott and John Hudson, and found W.T. Scott "prima facie entitled to be seated," 1/14/1879, pp. 5-6. House Journal.
(6) 6th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators (holdover Senator), 11/5/1855, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(7) 6th Legislature - Listed in the "19 members of the Senate [who] retained their seats from the 5th Legislature," p. 258. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
(8) Roster of members elect of the 5th Legislature, state elections, 1853. Texas State Gazette (Austin, Texas), 8/20/1853, p. 3, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(9) 5th Legislature - Senators elect M.M. Potter, Isaac L. Hill, William T. Scott, and James H. Durst "came forward, presented their credentials, were qualified and took their seats," 11/8/1853, p. 6. Senate Journal.
(10) 5th Legislature - "In part due to the redistricting and the increase in the number of members, the returning senators found themselves a minority of six: James H. Armstrong, Joseph H. Burks, Rufus Doane, Hardin Hart, William T. Scott, and M.D.K. Taylor," pp. 241, 243. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
(11) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Feb. 2, 1853, 4th Legislature, 1st C.S., ch. 4, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(12) 4th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators elect presented their credentials, qualified, and took their seats, 11/3/1851, pp. 3-4. Senate Journal.
(13) Election of 1851 - Democratic candidates William T. Scott, Dr. Joseph Taylor, and L.D. Camp of Upshur County (possibly L.B. Camp), pp. 162, 164. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
(14) Edward Clark, in special election 11/1/1847, sworn in 2nd Legislature, succeeded unexpired term of William T. Scott, resigned 6/5/1847. Clark elected but never sworn in 1st Legislature. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(15) 1st Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office and Classification of Senators, 3/3/1846, p. 60. Drew "second class" (4-year term). Senate Journal.
(16) 1st Legislature - Roll of Senators, oath of office administered, 2/16/1846, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(17) Description of drawing of terms for Senators, first-class two-year terms and second-class four-year terms, 3/3/1846, p. 180. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Resolutions and Journal entries

5th Legislature - Roll of Members, William T. Scott, age 41, native state Mississippi, emigrated from Mississippi in 1840, farmer, postoffice Marshall, Harrison County. House Journal.

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch, William Thomas Scott, p. 168. Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832-1845, 1942.
Biographical sketch in son P.R. Scott's article, p. 944. Biographical Souvenir of the State of Texas, Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and Many Early Settled Families, 1889.
Biographical sketch and portrait, Hon. William Thomas Scott, pp. 282-284. The Encyclopedia of the New West, 1881.
SCOTT, WILLIAM THOMAS (1811-1887). Handbook of Texas Online.
Obituary, Colonel W.T. Scott, The Galveston Daily News, 11/3/1887, p. 5, crediting Abilene Library Consortium. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
Biographical sketch, p. 254. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879.

Other Resources

William T. Scott, Sr., birth date 12/14/1811 in Wilkinson County, Mississippi, death date 11/1/1887 in Scottsville, Texas, burial in Scottsville Cemetery, Scottsville, Harrison County. Includes photos and "The Roses of Scottsville" article. Find a Grave.
Mentioned as Citizens Party candidate in CITIZEN'S PARTY OF HARRISON COUNTY. Handbook of Texas Online.
Mentioned in discussion of Harrison County religious life and denominations, pp. 102-103. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
Railroad promoter and State Senator, pp. 90-93; role in secession and state sovereignty, pp. 185-193; participation in Citizens Party meeting, 10/12/1878, p. 339; state representative, pp. 349, 353-361. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
Delegate to Secession Convention of Texas, 1861. Journal of the Secession Convention of Texas 1861. Edited from the original in the department of state by Ernest William Winkler, State Librarian. Texas Library and Historical Commission, the State Library. Austin: Austin Print. Co., 1912, pp. 20-22. Originally published serially in newspapers. Texas Constitutions Digitization Project (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin), 2009.
Biographical notes, p. 170. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.

Photographs

Photograph. W.J. Scott, 17th Legislature, Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

17th session composite photo of House members (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Committee Information top

17th R.S. - 1881 Constitutional Amendments Finance Public Debt (Chair) Rules (Chair)
16th R.S. - 1879 Constitutional Amendments Counties and County Boundaries Finance Public Debt Roads, Bridges and Ferries Sale of University Lands, Select
6th R.S. - 1855 Finance Internal Improvements Public Debt Public Lands (Chair)
5th R.S. - 1853 Counties and County Boundaries Finance (Chair) Private Land Claims Public Debt (Chair) Public Lands State Affairs Treasury Department, Select (Co-Chair)
4th R.S. - 1851 Education Engrossed Bills Finance Internal Improvements Land Titles West of the Nueces, Select Privileges and Elections (Chair)
1st R.S. - 1846 Affairs of State (Chair) Engrossed and Enrolled Bills (Chair) Finance

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