4th Texas Legislature

The 4th Texas Legislature met from November 3, 1851 to February 7, 1853 in its regular session and one called session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1850.

Sessions

  • 4th Regular session: November 3, 1851 – February 16, 1852
  • 4th First called session: January 10–February 7, 1853

Party summary

Officers

Senate

Lieutenant Governor
James Wilson Henderson, Democrat
President pro tempore
Edward Burleson[1], Democrat, Regular session
Jesse Grimes, Democrat, Regular session, First called session
  • ^ Senator Burleson died during the regular session on December 26, 1851.

House of Representatives

Speaker of the House
David Catchings Dickson, Democrat

Add to Representatives: Issac B. McFarland, Democrat, elected in 1851 from La Grange, Fayette County

Sources: several obituaries, family history, list of One Hundredth Anniversary of the District Courts of Travis County, Texas

Members

Senate

Members of the Texas Senate for the Fourth Texas Legislature:

District Senator Party Took office
1 Joseph H. Burks Democrat 1851
2 William M. "Buckskin" Williams Democrat 1851 (First time:1846–1849)
3 Sam Bogart Democrat 1851
4 Hart Hardin Democrat 1849
5 M. D. K. Taylor Democrat 1851
6 George Washington Hill Democrat 1851
7 Isaac Parker Democrat 1847
8 Stephen Reaves Democrat 1851
9 William Thomas Scott Democrat 1851 (First time:1846–1847)
10 Z. Williams Eddy Democrat 1851
11 Adolphus Sterne Democrat 1851
12 James A. Truitt Democrat 1851
13 James Davis Democrat 1851
14 James H. Armstrong Democrat 1851
15 Jesse Grimes Democrat 1846
16 William S. Day Democrat 1851
17 Peter W. Gray Democrat 1851
18 Franklin H. Merriman Democrat 1851
19 James Charles Wilson Democrat 1851
20 John Winfield Scott Dancy Democrat 1851 (First time:1847–1849)
21 Edward Burleson Democrat 1846
22 Baron Otfried Hans Freiherr von Meusebach Democrat 1851
23 Thomas Hinds Duggan Democrat 1851
24 Israel B. Bigelow Democrat 1851
25 Henry Lawrence Kinney Democrat 1846
26 Rufus Doane Democrat 1851

House of Representatives

Members of the House of Representatives for the Fourth Texas Legislature:

District Representative First day of term Last day of term Counties Represented
1 Napoleon Bonaparte Charlton November 3, 1851 November 7, 1853 Jefferson, Tyler
2 William Fields November 3, 1851 November 7, 1853 Liberty, Polk

Membership Changes

Senate

District Outgoing
Senator 		Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of Successor's Installation
District 11 Adolphus Sterne Senator Sterne died March 27, 1852. Steward Alexander Miller January 20, 1852
District 18 Franklin H. Merriman Senator Merriman resigned August 31, 1852. Mark M. Potter January 20, 1852
District 21 Edward Burleson Senator Burleson died December 26, 1851. John Salmon "Rip" Ford January 20, 1852