Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar I
Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (July 15, 1797 – July 4, 1834) was an attorney and jurist in his native Georgia. His son Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (II) followed him into law and was appointed as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Early life and education
Lucius was the first son in his family, and born on his father's plantation in Milledgeville, Georgia, where he grew up. His parents had allowed his mother's brother to name their sons; he named them after his favorite historical heroes. Lamar was named for the Roman statesman Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus. His younger brother was Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, who fought for the independence of the Republic of Texas and was elected as its second president.[1]
Lucius Lamar studied law at Milledgeville, Georgia, and at Litchfield Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut. He was admitted to the Georgia bar in 1819. He set up his practice in his hometown of Milledgeville. After getting established, he married and started a family.[1]
Law career
Lamar revised Augustin Smith Clayton's Georgia Justice about 1819. He was commissioned by the legislature to compile The Laws of Georgia from 1810 to 1819 (Augusta, 1821).
He gained respect as an attorney. In 1830, Lamar was elected as judge of the Superior Court, succeeding Thomas W. Cobb.[1]
In 1834, he committed suicide by gunshot, allegedly despondent after learning that a man he had convicted of murder and sentenced to death was in fact innocent of the crime.[1] This account has been questioned.[2] He was buried at Memory Hill Cemetery in Milledgeville.
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar", The Political Graveyard website
- ↑ Remembering Milledgeville: Historic Tales from Georgia's Antebellum Capital. Harrington, Hugh T. The History Press (2005).