Jesse Grimes

Full Name: Jesse "Father Grimes" Grimes
Date of birth: February 6, 1788
Date of death: March 15, 1866

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	19	Nov 7, 1859 - Nov 4, 1861	8th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾	Anderson / Grimes	Senate President Pro Tempore (8th)	Grimes, Madison, Montgomery, Walker
S	19	Nov 5, 1855 - Nov 7, 1859	6th ⁽¹³⁾ ⁽¹⁴⁾ 7th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹¹⁾ ⁽¹²⁾	Anderson / Grimes	Senate President Pro Tempore (6th)	Grimes, Madison, Montgomery, Walker
S	15	Nov 3, 1851 - Nov 7, 1853	4th ⁽¹⁵⁾ ⁽¹⁶⁾ ⁽¹⁷⁾	Grimes Prairie / Grimes	Senate President Pro Tempore (4th)	Grimes, Montgomery, Walker
S	13	Nov 5, 1849 - Nov 3, 1851	3rd ⁽¹⁸⁾ ⁽¹⁹⁾ ⁽²⁰⁾	Grimes Prairie / Grimes		Grimes, Montgomery, Walker
S	9	Dec 13, 1847 - Nov 5, 1849	2nd ⁽²¹⁾ ⁽²²⁾ ⁽²³⁾	Grimes Prairie / Grimes		Montgomery
S	9	Feb 16, 1846 - Dec 13, 1847	1st ⁽²⁴⁾ ⁽²⁵⁾ ⁽²⁶⁾ ⁽²⁷⁾ ⁽²⁸⁾ ⁽²⁹⁾ ⁽³⁰⁾	Grimes Prairie / Montgomery		Montgomery

(1) 8th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, elected 11/12/1859, Regular Session; and Adjourned Session. Senate Journal.
(2) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Feb. 6, 1860, 8th Legislature, ch. 45, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(3) Census of 1860 - Jessee Grimes, Western District, Plantersville post office, Grimes County, age 72, born circa 1788 in North Carolina. Enumerated 7/11/1860. FamilySearch.
(4) Anderson, Grimes County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(5) Jesse Grimes included on the August 1859 Union Democratic ticket for state senator, p. 91. Sam Houston: For Texas and the Union, 2001.
(6) 8th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators elected since the last adjournment, oath of office administered, 11/7/1859, p. 2. Senate Journal.
(7) Anderson, Grimes County. Senate Journal.
(8) Anderson, Grimes County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(9) Listed in "Senators holding over: Opposition." 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).
(10) 7th Legislature - Roll of Senators (holdover Senator), 11/2/1857, pp. 1, 4. Senate Journal.
(11) Anderson, Grimes County. Senate Journal.
(12) 7th Legislature - Listed in "large cadre of returning senators," p. 276. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
(13) 6th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, elected 11/6/1855, Regular Session; and Adjourned Session. Senate Journal.
(14) 6th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators elected since the last adjournment presented their credentials, and being qualified, took their seats, 11/5/1855, p. 2. Senate Journal.
(15) 4th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, elected 12/30/1851, Regular Session, due to the death of President Pro Tem Burleson; and 1st C.S. Senate Journal.
(16) 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.
(17) 4th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators elect presented their credentials, qualified, and took their seats, 11/3/1851, pp. 3-4. Senate Journal.
(18) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act approved Jan. 16, 1850, 3rd Legislature, ch. 44. Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(19) 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).
(20) 3rd Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators, oath of office, 11/5/1849, p. 3. Senate Journal.
(21) 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.
(22) 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).
(23) 2nd Legislature - District of Montgomery. Roll of Districts, oath of office, 12/13/1847, p. 3. Senate Journal.
(24) History of Grimes County notes "the creating act was passed April 6, 1846, and organization was perfected July 15," Volume III, p. 953. East Texas: Its History and Its Makers, 1940.
(25) "In the fall of 1827 he [Jesse Grimes] settled on Grimes Prairie, now in Grimes County." Handbook of Texas Online.
(26) Grimes County - Act approved April 6, 1846, creating the county of Grimes. "Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That this act take effect and be in force from and after its passage." Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen. The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897, Volume 2, Laws Passed by the First Legislature of the State of Texas, p. 1356. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(27) 1st Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office and Classification of Senators, 3/3/1846, p. 60. Drew "first class" (2-year term). Senate Journal.
(28) 1st Legislature - Roll of Senators, oath of office administered, 2/16/1846, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(29) 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.
(30) Lists town of Grimes Prairie (no longer exists), Grimes County. Texas Towns Database (Texas Almanac).

Terms of Service top

Senate District 19
Nov 7, 1859 - Nov 4, 1861
Legislatures: 8th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (4th)
Home City/County: Anderson / Grimes
Counties in district: Grimes, Madison, Montgomery, Walker

Senate District 19
Nov 5, 1855 - Nov 7, 1859
Legislatures: 6th ⁽¹³⁾ ⁽¹⁴⁾ 7th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹¹⁾ ⁽¹²⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (4th)
(4th)
Home City/County: Anderson / Grimes
Counties in district: Grimes, Madison, Montgomery, Walker

Senate District 15
Nov 3, 1851 - Nov 7, 1853
Legislatures: 4th ⁽¹⁵⁾ ⁽¹⁶⁾ ⁽¹⁷⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (4th)
Home City/County: Grimes Prairie / Grimes
Counties in district: Grimes, Montgomery, Walker

Senate District 13
Nov 5, 1849 - Nov 3, 1851
Legislatures: 3rd ⁽¹⁸⁾ ⁽¹⁹⁾ ⁽²⁰⁾
Home City/County: Grimes Prairie / Grimes
Counties in district: Grimes, Montgomery, Walker

Senate District 9
Dec 13, 1847 - Nov 5, 1849
Legislatures: 2nd ⁽²¹⁾ ⁽²²⁾ ⁽²³⁾
Home City/County: Grimes Prairie / Grimes
Counties in district: Montgomery

Senate District 9
Feb 16, 1846 - Dec 13, 1847
Legislatures: 1st ⁽²⁴⁾ ⁽²⁵⁾ ⁽²⁶⁾ ⁽²⁷⁾ ⁽²⁸⁾ ⁽²⁹⁾ ⁽³⁰⁾
Home City/County: Grimes Prairie / Montgomery
Counties in district: Montgomery

Biographical Information top

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch, p. 92. "Though opposed to secession, Jesse Grimes was affiliated with the Democratic Party, saying of himself in a letter dated March 26, 1857: 'Politically I have ever claimed to be a Democrat but it has been alleged that I am rather of the old fogey order.'" Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832-1845, 1942.
Jesse Grimes, mentioned as a participant in the first Democratic state convention, canvassing against Hardin Runnells and Frank Lubbock, Volume II, p. 46: "Their opponents in the canvass were General Sam Houston for governor, then still a Senator in Congress, and Jesse Grimes for lieutenant-governor. The latter had been in the convention of 1836, in the Congress of the republic, and in the State legislature, and was a much respected and patriotic citizen from an early period." A Comprehensive History of Texas, 1685 to 1897.
Biographical sketch, Jesse Grimes, pp. 72-76; listed in "Men who have represented Grimes County in the House of Representatives/State Senate, 1846-1931." Includes Date, Legislatures, District, and Source of Data, pp. 205-209. Early History of Grimes County, 1930.
History of Grimes County, Grimes County towns, and biographical sketch of Jesse Grimes, Volume III, pp. 951-959. East Texas: Its History and Its Makers, 1940.
GRIMES, JESSE (1788-1866). Handbook of Texas Online.
Jesse Grimes, "first to locate in Grimes County . . . member of the Senate of both the State and Republic," mentioned in biographical sketch of Jesse W. Womack. Lewis Publishing Company. History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties, 1893, pp. 620-621. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
Biographical sketch, Jesse Grimes, pp. 108-109, April 1937 issue. ". . . was the beloved 'Father Grimes,' so called because of his long and faithful service to Texas and the Republic." Southern Historical Research Magazine, 1937.
Biographical sketch, p. 165; portrait, p. 166; mentioned throughout. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.
Grimes, Jesse. Texas State Cemetery.

Other Resources

"Another Patriot to Be Reburied," 10/16/1929. Death date 10/16/1866. Dallas Morning News.
GRIMES COUNTY named for Jesse Grimes. "On April 6, 1846, the first state legislature accepted the petition of local residents and established Grimes County, named in honor of Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence who was then representing the area in the state Senate." Handbook of Texas Online.
Mentioned in Ralph A. Wooster, "Membership in the Early Texas Legislatures, 1850-1860," The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 69, Number 2. October 1965, pp. 163-173, crediting Texas State Historical Association. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
Delegate to Constitutional Convention, 1836. Journals of the Convention of the Free, Sovereign, and Independent People of Texas, in General Convention, Assembled. H.P.H. Gammel, The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897, Volume 1., The Gammel Book Company, 1898, pp. 821-904. Texas Constitutions Digitization Project (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin), 2009.

Photographs

Photograph. Jesse Grimes, 8th Legislature, Texas Album of the Eighth Legislature

Committee Information top

8th R.S. - 1859 Finance (Chair) Penitentiary Roads, Bridges and Ferries Ways and Means for the Protection of the Frontier, Select
7th R.S. - 1857 Finance (Chair) Penitentiary Roads, Bridges and Ferries
6th R.S. - 1855 Finance (Chair) Internal Improvements Penitentiary
4th R.S. - 1851 Finance (Chair) Land Titles West of the Nueces, Select Penitentiary Printing and Contingent Expenses Privileges and Elections Public Debt
3rd R.S. - 1849 Apportionment, Special (Chair) Finance (Chair) Fire-Proof General Land Office Building, Governor's Message Governor's Message, Select Internal Improvements Land Scrips, Loan Bonds, and Other Obligations Issued by the Late Republic of Texas in Comptroller's Office Penitentiary Public Lands Purchase of Northwestern Territory, Governor's Message Senate Rules, Select
2nd R.S. - 1847 Claims and Accounts Engrossed Bills Finance (Chair) Public Lands
1st R.S. - 1846 Finance (Chair) Privileges and Elections

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