Johnson Wren

Full Name: Johnson Wren
Date of birth: 1805
Date of death: Deceased, date unknown

Terms of Service top

Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
S 2 Nov 2, 1857 - Nov 7, 1859 7th (1) (2) (3) (4)     Black Jack Grove / Hopkins   Hopkins, Lamar
S 2 Nov 16, 1855 - Nov 2, 1857 6th (5) (6) (7)     Black Jack Grove / Hopkins   Hopkins, Lamar
S 2 Nov 14, 1853 - Nov 5, 1855 5th (8) (9)     Black Jack Grove / Hopkins   Hopkins, Lamar
H 19 Nov 3, 1851 - Nov 7, 1853 4th     Black Jack Grove / Hopkins   Hopkins
H 8 Nov 5, 1849 - Nov 3, 1851 3rd (10)     Black Jack Grove / Hopkins   Hopkins, Hunt
H Lamar Dec 13, 1847 - Nov 5, 1849 2nd (11) (12) (13)     Unknown / Lamar   Hopkins, Lamar

(1) Members of the Seventh Legislature, Biographical Notes - Members, April 1937 issue. Southern Historical Research Magazine, 1937.
(2) Listed in "Senators holding over: Democrats." Roster of 7th Legislature, "Texas Legislature Complete for 1857-8," Civilian and Gazette. Weekly. (Galveston, Texas), 9/8/1857, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(3) 7th Legislature - Not present at organization of the Senate, pp. 1, 4. First mentioned in appointments to Senate committees, 11/4/1857, p. 10. Senate Journal.
(4) 7th Legislature - Listed in "large cadre of returning senators," p. 276. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
(5) "In Lamar, a number of the candidates are in the field for the Senate . . . probably Hon. Johnson Wren," "Candidates for the Legislature," Galveston Weekly News, 5/29/1855, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(6) 6th Legislature, Regular Session - Qualified and took his seat, 11/16/1855, p. 78. 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 - Presented his credentials, qualified, and took his seat, 11/14/1853, p. 44. Senate Journal.
(10) Roster of members elect of the 3rd Legislature, Matthewson, R.C., Texas State Gazette (Austin, Texas), 9/29/1849, p. 6, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(11) HOPKINS COUNTY. "Hopkins County was created from parts of Lamar and Nacogdoches counties in March 1846 by the first Texas state legislature." Handbook of Texas Online.
(12) W.H. Bourland and Johnson Wren, Lamar County. House Journal.
(13) Roster of members of the 2nd Legislature, The Texas Democrat (Austin, Texas), 12/15/1847, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Terms of Service top

Senate District 2
Nov 2, 1857 - Nov 7, 1859
Legislatures: 7th (1) (2) (3) (4)  
Home City/County: Black Jack Grove / Hopkins
Counties in district: Hopkins, Lamar
Senate District 2
Nov 16, 1855 - Nov 2, 1857
Legislatures: 6th (5) (6) (7)  
Home City/County: Black Jack Grove / Hopkins
Counties in district: Hopkins, Lamar
Senate District 2
Nov 14, 1853 - Nov 5, 1855
Legislatures: 5th (8) (9)  
Home City/County: Black Jack Grove / Hopkins
Counties in district: Hopkins, Lamar
House District 19
Nov 3, 1851 - Nov 7, 1853
Legislatures: 4th  
Home City/County: Black Jack Grove / Hopkins
Counties in district: Hopkins
House District 8
Nov 5, 1849 - Nov 3, 1851
Legislatures: 3rd (10)  
Home City/County: Black Jack Grove / Hopkins
Counties in district: Hopkins, Hunt
House District Lamar
Dec 13, 1847 - Nov 5, 1849
Legislatures: 2nd (11) (12) (13)  
Home City/County: Unknown / Lamar
Counties in district: Hopkins, Lamar

(1) Members of the Seventh Legislature, Biographical Notes - Members, April 1937 issue. Southern Historical Research Magazine, 1937.
(2) Listed in "Senators holding over: Democrats." Roster of 7th Legislature, "Texas Legislature Complete for 1857-8," Civilian and Gazette. Weekly. (Galveston, Texas), 9/8/1857, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(3) 7th Legislature - Not present at organization of the Senate, pp. 1, 4. First mentioned in appointments to Senate committees, 11/4/1857, p. 10. Senate Journal.
(4) 7th Legislature - Listed in "large cadre of returning senators," p. 276. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
(5) "In Lamar, a number of the candidates are in the field for the Senate . . . probably Hon. Johnson Wren," "Candidates for the Legislature," Galveston Weekly News, 5/29/1855, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(6) 6th Legislature, Regular Session - Qualified and took his seat, 11/16/1855, p. 78. 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 - Presented his credentials, qualified, and took his seat, 11/14/1853, p. 44. Senate Journal.
(10) Roster of members elect of the 3rd Legislature, Matthewson, R.C., Texas State Gazette (Austin, Texas), 9/29/1849, p. 6, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(11) HOPKINS COUNTY. "Hopkins County was created from parts of Lamar and Nacogdoches counties in March 1846 by the first Texas state legislature." Handbook of Texas Online.
(12) W.H. Bourland and Johnson Wren, Lamar County. House Journal.
(13) Roster of members of the 2nd Legislature, The Texas Democrat (Austin, Texas), 12/15/1847, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Biographical Information top

Resolutions and Journal entries

  • 5th Legislature - Roll of Members, Johnson Wren, age 48 (born circa 1805), native state Kentucky, emigrated from Illinois in 1840, farmer, postoffice Black Jack G., Hopkins County. House Journal.

Other Resources

  • Census of 1850 - Johnson Wren, Hopkins County, age 45, born circa 1805 in Kentucky, farmer, in household with Elizabeth Wren.
    Census of 1860 - Johnson Wren, Beat No. 4, Black Jack Grove post office, Hopkins County, age 55, born circa 1805 in Kentucky, farmer. FamilySearch. 1850 1860
  • Mentioned in history of Senatorial redistricting for Lamar County, "Backward Glances (from the scrapbooks of the late A.W. Neville, Editor of the Paris News, 1936-1956, 3/14/1951)," republished 8/26/1976, p. 6. Paris News.
  • "Johnson Wren located in the northwestern part of the county and was the first representative in the State Legislature." Fleming, E.B. Early History of Hopkins County, Texas: Biographical Sketches and Incidents of the Early Settled Families, Chapter VI, p. 50, 1902. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
  • Biographical notes, p. 244. Farmer from Kentucky, served in the House in the 2nd-4th Legislatures. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.

Committee Information top

7th R.S. - 1857
Claims and Accounts  
Land Office (Chair) 
Public Debt  
Roads, Bridges and Ferries  
6th R.S. - 1855
Claims and Accounts  
Finance  
Land Office  
Private Land Claims  
Public Lands  
5th R.S. - 1853
Claims and Accounts (Chair) 
Counties and County Boundaries  
Indian Affairs  
Treasury Department, Select  
4th R.S. - 1851
Claims and Accounts (Chair) 
Public Buildings  
Public Printing  
3rd R.S. - 1849
Claims and Accounts  
Finance  
2nd R.S. - 1847
Claims and Accounts  
Internal Improvements  
New Mexico Territory East of the Rio Grande  
Post Routes  

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