Thomas T. Fauntleroy (lawyer)

Thomas Turner Fauntleroy (December 20, 1823 – October 2, 1906) was a Virginia attorney, politician, and judge of the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

Thomas T. Fauntleroy
Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
In office January 1, 1883 – January 1, 1895 Serving with M.R. Kaufman
Preceded by	Edward C. Burks
Succeeded by	John Alexander Buchanan
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Frederick County district
In office December 7, 1857 – December 4, 1859
Preceded by	R.C. Bywaters
Succeeded by	George W. Ward
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Frederick County district
In office December 5, 1877 – December 2, 1879 Serving with Nimrod Whitacre
Preceded by	John F. Wall
Succeeded by	E.P. Dandridge
Personal details
Born	Thomas T. Fauntleroy, Jr. (1823-12-20)December 20, 1823 Winchester, Virginia, U.S.
Died	October 2, 1906(1906-10-02) (aged 82) St. Louis, Missouri
Alma mater	University of Virginia

Early and family life

Fauntleroy was born in Winchester, Virginia. He was the second son of Colonel Thomas Turner and his wife Ann Magdalene Magill Fauntleroy, and had several brothers and sisters. His son would later trace the family's ancestry to Charles Magill of Winchester and Charles Mynn Thruston who both served in the American Revolutionary War (Magill on General Washington's staff). Although his father was assigned various commands in the western U.S. territories, Thomas Jr. was educated at Benjamin Hallowell High School in Alexandria and the University of Virginia, where he graduated with the law class of 1844.

Career

In 1847, he began private practice in Winchester and in 1850 was elected Commonwealth's Attorney in Frederick County. He twice served in the legislature from 1857 to 1859 and again in 1877. In the prewar election, he and M.R. Kaufman ousted the previous delegates for the two Frederick County seats, and the following term, George W. Ward received the most votes and was seated alongside Kaufman.[1]

Fauntleroy suffered ill health after the Civil War, but resumed practicing law. In 187, Nimrod Whitacre and Fauntleroy ousted the previous incumbents, but after the subsequent redistricting, E. P. Dandridge was the only representative of Winchester and Frederick County.[2] Nonetheless, in 1879 Fauntleroy became the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia.[3]

In 1882, the Virginia General Assembly elected four members to the Supreme Court of Appeals for twelve-year terms effective January 1, 1883. Fauntleroy, Benjamin W. Lacy, Drury A. Hinton and Robert A. Richardson served together on the appellate bench for their twelve-year terms until five successors took office in January 1895.(thus the succession box above is arbitrary)

Later life and death

After his term ended, Fauntleroy moved first to St. Paul, Minnesota, and then to St. Louis, Missouri, where he died. He is buried in Winchester, Virginia.

References

1. Cynthia Miller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) p. 465
2. Leonard p. 525
3. Louise Pecquet du Bellet, Edward Jaquelin, Martha Cary Jaquelin, Some prominent Virginia families, Volume 4, pg. 295-297

Sources

• S. S. P. Patteson, "The Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia," Green Bag5 (Sept. 1893): 417–418.
• Obituary in Virginia Law Register 12 (1906): 586–587.