Horatio F. Simrall was born near Shelbyville, Kentucky, February 6, 1818. He was of Scot and Irish descent, and his father was an officer in the War of 1812. He attended the Hanover (Ind.) college; then taught school for a while, after which he took a law course at Transylvania University, and was admitted to the bar. He came to Mississippi in the fall of 1838; stopped at Natchez, but located at Woodville in 1939, and soon became prominent as a lawyer. He was in the legislature of 1846-48; made a strong effort to secure free schools for the State, and secured a system of free schools for Wilkinson county. In 1857 he became a professor of law in the University of Louisville, but returned to Wilkinson county in 1861. Meanwhile a Confederate State government had been set up in Kentucky and he was elected lieutenant-governor. He returned to that State, but it was soon in the possession of the Federals, and he came back to Mississippi. After the war he was a member of the legislature of 1865-66 and as chairman of the committee on Federal relations recommended rejection of the Fourteenth amendment. In 1867 he removed to Vicksburg. He was prominent in defending people who were tried before the military courts. He went to Washington with a committee of Democrats and appealed to President Grant against the proscriptive features of the Constitution of 1868; was appointed supreme judge in 1870; held this place for nine years, becoming chief justice in 1876. He retired to private life in 1879 and was offered a professorship of law in the University of Mississippi in 1881, but declined.
In 1890 he was unanimously elected a member of the Constitutional Convention of Mississippi, acting as chairman of the judiciary committee. He was the author of the report of that committee as to the Constitutional right of the Convention to adjust the right of suffrage, notwithstanding the condition in the act of readmission of the State should not alter or change the franchise article in the Constitution of 1869, abridging or denying suffrage to any person by that Constitution entitled to it. The argument of the report was that the State was sovereign over the question and conditions of suffrage upon one State not common to all. He also reported the judiciary system which was afterward adopted by that Convention. Judge Simrall married Lydia Ann Newell, of Wilkinson county, February 22, 1842, and this union was blest with five children. The family were members of the Episcopal church of Vicksburg, and for years Judge Simrall was a member of the vestry. Politically he was a Republican in national matters, but in State affairs voted with the Democratic party of the State. He was venerable in appearance, his hair being snow white; but the brilliancy of his intellect in old age was undimmed, and his memory as active as ever. Judge Simrall died August 15, 1901.
In 1890 he was unanimously elected a member of the Constitutional Convention of Mississippi, acting as chairman of the judiciary committee. He was the author of the report of that committee as to the Constitutional right of the Convention to adjust the right of suffrage, notwithstanding the condition in the act of readmission of the State should not alter or change the franchise article in the Constitution of 1869, abridging or denying suffrage to any person by that Constitution entitled to it. The argument of the report was that the State was sovereign over the question and conditions of suffrage upon one State not common to all. He also reported the judiciary system which was afterward adopted by that Convention. Judge Simrall married Lydia Ann Newell, of Wilkinson county, February 22, 1842, and this union was blest with five children. The family were members of the Episcopal church of Vicksburg, and for years Judge Simrall was a member of the vestry. Politically he was a Republican in national matters, but in State affairs voted with the Democratic party of the State. He was venerable in appearance, his hair being snow white; but the brilliancy of his intellect in old age was undimmed, and his memory as active as ever. Judge Simrall died August 15, 1901.
Horatio F. Simrall was born near Shelbyville, Kentucky, February 6, 1818. He was of Scot and Irish descent, and his father was an officer in the War of 1812. He attended the Hanover (Ind.) college; then taught school for a while, after which he took a law course at Transylvania University, and was admitted to the bar. He came to Mississippi in the fall of 1838; stopped at Natchez, but located at Woodville in 1939, and soon became prominent as a lawyer. He was in the legislature of 1846-48; made a strong effort to secure free schools for the State, and secured a system of free schools for Wilkinson county. In 1857 he became a professor of law in the University of Louisville, but returned to Wilkinson county in 1861. Meanwhile a Confederate State government had been set up in Kentucky and he was elected lieutenant-governor. He returned to that State, but it was soon in the possession of the Federals, and he came back to Mississippi. After the war he was a member of the legislature of 1865-66 and as chairman of the committee on Federal relations recommended rejection of the Fourteenth amendment. In 1867 he removed to Vicksburg. He was prominent in defending people who were tried before the military courts. He went to Washington with a committee of Democrats and appealed to President Grant against the proscriptive features of the Constitution of 1868; was appointed supreme judge in 1870; held this place for nine years, becoming chief justice in 1876. He retired to private life in 1879 and was offered a professorship of law in the University of Mississippi in 1881, but declined.
In 1890 he was unanimously elected a member of the Constitutional Convention of Mississippi, acting as chairman of the judiciary committee. He was the author of the report of that committee as to the Constitutional right of the Convention to adjust the right of suffrage, notwithstanding the condition in the act of readmission of the State should not alter or change the franchise article in the Constitution of 1869, abridging or denying suffrage to any person by that Constitution entitled to it. The argument of the report was that the State was sovereign over the question and conditions of suffrage upon one State not common to all. He also reported the judiciary system which was afterward adopted by that Convention. Judge Simrall married Lydia Ann Newell, of Wilkinson county, February 22, 1842, and this union was blest with five children. The family were members of the Episcopal church of Vicksburg, and for years Judge Simrall was a member of the vestry. Politically he was a Republican in national matters, but in State affairs voted with the Democratic party of the State. He was venerable in appearance, his hair being snow white; but the brilliancy of his intellect in old age was undimmed, and his memory as active as ever. Judge Simrall died August 15, 1901.
In 1890 he was unanimously elected a member of the Constitutional Convention of Mississippi, acting as chairman of the judiciary committee. He was the author of the report of that committee as to the Constitutional right of the Convention to adjust the right of suffrage, notwithstanding the condition in the act of readmission of the State should not alter or change the franchise article in the Constitution of 1869, abridging or denying suffrage to any person by that Constitution entitled to it. The argument of the report was that the State was sovereign over the question and conditions of suffrage upon one State not common to all. He also reported the judiciary system which was afterward adopted by that Convention. Judge Simrall married Lydia Ann Newell, of Wilkinson county, February 22, 1842, and this union was blest with five children. The family were members of the Episcopal church of Vicksburg, and for years Judge Simrall was a member of the vestry. Politically he was a Republican in national matters, but in State affairs voted with the Democratic party of the State. He was venerable in appearance, his hair being snow white; but the brilliancy of his intellect in old age was undimmed, and his memory as active as ever. Judge Simrall died August 15, 1901.
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