William M. 'Buckskin' Williams

Full Name: William M. "Buckskin" Williams
Date of birth: March 28, 1809
Date of death: September 8, 1859

Terms of Service top

Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
H 3 Nov 5, 1855 - Nov 2, 1857 6th (1) (2)     Unknown / Lamar   Lamar
S 2 Nov 3, 1851 - Nov 7, 1853 4th (3)     Unknown / Lamar   Fannin, Lamar
H 5 Nov 5, 1849 - Nov 3, 1851 3rd (4)     Unknown / Lamar   Fannin, Lamar
S 1 Dec 13, 1847 - Nov 5, 1849 2nd (5) (6) (7)     Unknown / Lamar   Fannin, Lamar
S 1 Feb 16, 1846 - Dec 13, 1847 1st (8) (9) (10) (11)     Unknown / Lamar   Fannin, Lamar

(1) No indication of Williams of Lamar being sworn in House. First shows up in record vote, 11/27/1855, p. 116. House Journal.
(2) 6th Legislature, Regular Session - Identified as House committee member, 1/11/1856, p. 330, "A message was received from the House, informing the Senate of the appointment of . . . Williams, of Lamar, . . . a select committee to act in conjunction with a like committee from the Senate, on the memorial of Gen. Thos. J. Chambers." Senate Journal.
(3) 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.
(4) 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).
(5) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act approved Mar. 1848, 2nd Legislature, ch. 162, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(6) 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).
(7) 2nd Legislature - Roll of Districts, oath of office, 12/13/1847, p. 3. Senate Journal.
(8) Democrat. Table of members of the 1st Legislature, The Texas Democrat (Austin, Texas), 5/20/1846, p. 3, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(9) 1st Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office and Classification of Senators, 3/3/1846, p. 60. Drew "first class" (2-year term). Senate Journal.
(10) 1st Legislature - Roll of Senators, oath of office administered, 2/16/1846, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(11) 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.

Terms of Service top

House District 3
Nov 5, 1855 - Nov 2, 1857
Legislatures: 6th (1) (2)  
Home City/County: Unknown / Lamar
Counties in district: Lamar
Senate District 2
Nov 3, 1851 - Nov 7, 1853
Legislatures: 4th (3)  
Home City/County: Unknown / Lamar
Counties in district: Fannin, Lamar
House District 5
Nov 5, 1849 - Nov 3, 1851
Legislatures: 3rd (4)  
Home City/County: Unknown / Lamar
Counties in district: Fannin, Lamar
Senate District 1
Dec 13, 1847 - Nov 5, 1849
Legislatures: 2nd (5) (6) (7)  
Home City/County: Unknown / Lamar
Counties in district: Fannin, Lamar
Senate District 1
Feb 16, 1846 - Dec 13, 1847
Legislatures: 1st (8) (9) (10) (11)  
Home City/County: Unknown / Lamar
Counties in district: Fannin, Lamar

(1) No indication of Williams of Lamar being sworn in House. First shows up in record vote, 11/27/1855, p. 116. House Journal.
(2) 6th Legislature, Regular Session - Identified as House committee member, 1/11/1856, p. 330, "A message was received from the House, informing the Senate of the appointment of . . . Williams, of Lamar, . . . a select committee to act in conjunction with a like committee from the Senate, on the memorial of Gen. Thos. J. Chambers." Senate Journal.
(3) 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.
(4) 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).
(5) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act approved Mar. 1848, 2nd Legislature, ch. 162, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(6) 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).
(7) 2nd Legislature - Roll of Districts, oath of office, 12/13/1847, p. 3. Senate Journal.
(8) Democrat. Table of members of the 1st Legislature, The Texas Democrat (Austin, Texas), 5/20/1846, p. 3, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(9) 1st Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office and Classification of Senators, 3/3/1846, p. 60. Drew "first class" (2-year term). Senate Journal.
(10) 1st Legislature - Roll of Senators, oath of office administered, 2/16/1846, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(11) 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 Information top

Biographical Sketches

  • Biographical sketch, pp. 191-192. "Served in the first four State Legislatures, 1846-53, representing Fannin and Lamar in the Senate of all except the 3rd, when he was a member of the House. Re-elected to the 6th Legislature, 1855-56, he was again in the Senate [sic]." Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832-1845, 1942.
  • WILLIAMS, WILLIAM M. (1809-1859). "Represented Fannin and Lamar counties in the House of the 3rd Legislature and in the Senate of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th [sic] Legislatures." Handbook of Texas Online.

Other Resources

  • 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.
  • Biographical notes, p. 170. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.

Committee Information top

6th R.S. - 1855
Internal Improvements  
Land Titles West of Nueces River, Select  
Private Land Claims No. 1  
Private Land Claims No. 2  
Public Debt  
Surveying Public Lands, Select  
4th R.S. - 1851
Enrolled Bills  
Indian Affairs  
Internal Improvements (Chair) 
Private Land Claims  
Public Debt  
3rd R.S. - 1849
County Boundaries  
Digest of the Laws of the State of Texas by Mr. Oliver C. Hartley, Examine Work, Cost, etc.  
Education  
Governor's Message, Select  
Indian Affairs (Chair) 
Internal Improvements  
Judicial Districts, Select  
Judiciary  
Penitentiary  
Private Land Claims  
Privileges and Elections  
Public Debt  
Purchase of Northwestern Territory, Governor's Message (Co-Chair) 
Quieting Land Titles of the State, Governor's Message  
Quieting Land Titles West of the Nueces River, Governor's Message  
Santa Fe, Prepare Remonstrance and Protest Against the Further Continuance of a Military Government in  
2nd R.S. - 1847
Apportionment, Privileges and Elections (Chair) 
Internal Improvements (Chair) 
Private Land Claims  
State Affairs  
1st R.S. - 1846
Affairs of State  
Claims and Accounts  
Education  
Examine Books of Comptroller Relative to Charge Against James L. Love (Chair) 
Judicial Districts, Select  
Judiciary  
Printing Contract  
Public Lands (Chair) 
Republic of Texas Fines, Penalities, Forfeitures & Escheats, Consideration of  

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