Francis Franks

Francis Gray Franks

Full Name: Francis Gray Franks
Date of birth: 1838
Date of death: June 11, 1874

Terms of Service top

Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
S 13 Jan 14, 1873 - Jan 13, 1874 13th (1) (2) (3) (4)   Republican Wharton / Wharton   Austin, Fort Bend, Wharton
H 13 Feb 8, 1870 - Jan 14, 1873 12th (6) (7)   Radical Republican Wharton / Wharton   Austin, Fort Bend, Wharton

(1) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Apr. 24, 1873 [presented to Governor May 1, 1873 and became law without his signature], 13th Legislature, R.S., ch. 35, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(2) Republican. Directory of the Members of the Thirteenth Legislature of the State of Texas, 1873.
(3) 13th Legislature - 1/14/1873, p. 1. S. Evans, F.G. Franks, and R.P. Tendick absent on first day. Senate Journal.
(4) 13th Legislature - Republican, p. 145. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.
(5) 12th Legislature, 1st C.S. - Eligibility to serve challenged by democratic members, 6/6/1870, p. 312; resolution not adopted, 6/11/1870, p. 349. House Journal. June 11, 1870 June 6, 1870
(6) 12th Legislature, Provisional Session - Qualified and took the oath of office on 2/8/1870. House Journal.
(7) Party affiliation, Radical. Texas Almanac for . . . and Emigrant's Guide to Texas.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 13
Jan 14, 1873 - Jan 13, 1874
Legislatures: 13th (1) (2) (3) (4)  
Party: Republican
Home City/County: Wharton / Wharton
Counties in district: Austin, Fort Bend, Wharton
House District 13
Feb 8, 1870 - Jan 14, 1873
Legislatures: 12th (6) (7)  
Party: Radical Republican
Home City/County: Wharton / Wharton
Counties in district: Austin, Fort Bend, Wharton

(1) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Apr. 24, 1873 [presented to Governor May 1, 1873 and became law without his signature], 13th Legislature, R.S., ch. 35, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(2) Republican. Directory of the Members of the Thirteenth Legislature of the State of Texas, 1873.
(3) 13th Legislature - 1/14/1873, p. 1. S. Evans, F.G. Franks, and R.P. Tendick absent on first day. Senate Journal.
(4) 13th Legislature - Republican, p. 145. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.
(5) 12th Legislature, 1st C.S. - Eligibility to serve challenged by democratic members, 6/6/1870, p. 312; resolution not adopted, 6/11/1870, p. 349. House Journal. June 11, 1870 June 6, 1870
(6) 12th Legislature, Provisional Session - Qualified and took the oath of office on 2/8/1870. House Journal.
(7) Party affiliation, Radical. Texas Almanac for . . . and Emigrant's Guide to Texas.

Biographical Information top

Resolutions and Journal entries

Biographical Sketches

Other Resources

  • Census of 1870 - F.G. Franks, Wharton County, age 32, born circa 1838 in Mississippi, lawyer.
    Francis G. Franks married Martha Ann Davis, 12/26/1867 in Wharton County. Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965. FamilySearch.
  • "From Wharton County," 6/14/1874, p. 2. "About 4 o'clock this afternoon [June 11, 1874] L.L. Lacy shot and killed F.G. Franks." Galveston Daily News.
  • "Letter from Wharton," 12/14/1873, p. 4. "We had very nearly an event between two prominant Republicans this week." Galveston Daily News.
  • "Trouble in Wharton County," 11/14/1873, p. 3. "Gray Franks, late Senator from that district, had a misunderstanding with Mr. Boffman [sic] — the present Sheriff of Wharton County, and nominee of the Radical party for the Senate in Mr. Frank's place — in which Mr. Boffman received the contents of a double-barrel shot-gun." Galveston Daily News.
  • Attempted murder of I.N. Baughman and murder of Gray Franks discussed in "Southern Law and Order," 9/25/1876, p. 8. New York Times.

Photographs

  • Photograph. Francis Franks, 13th Legislature, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs
  • Photograph. Francis Franks, 13th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

Committee Information top

13th R.S. - 1873
Comptroller's and Treasurer's Accounts  
Federal Relations  
Judge T.C. Barden, 16th Judicial Court  
Judiciary No. 1  
Land Office  
Retrenchment and Reform  
12th Adjourned - 1871
Commerce and Manufactures  
Comptroller and Treasurer's Offices, Select  
Comptroller, Impeachment of  
Judiciary (Chair) 
12th R.S. - 1871
Judiciary  
Privileges and Elections (Chair) 
Rules  
Town and City Corporations  
12th 1st C.S. - 1870
Elections and Privileges (Chair) 
Judiciary  
Public Debt  
Town and City Corporations  
12th Provisional - 1870
Contested House Seats  
Privileges and Elections (Chair) 

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