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Ripley Co
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Thomas Mabrey
HON. THOMAS MABREY - The parents of this influential citizen, Frederick
and Nancy (Mabrey) Mabrey, were natives of North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively.
The father went to Williamson County, Tenn., when a young man, married there, and in 1838
came to Cape Girardeau County, Mo., where he was among early settlers. All his life he
followed agricultural pursuits and was reasonably successful for that day and time. He
died near Jackson, Cape Girardeau County, in 1848, when about seventy years of age. The
mother died in 1837, when a comparitively young woman. Born to their marriage were nine
children, of whom our subject, the eighth child, is the only one now living. He was born
in Williamson County, Tenn., June 2, 1835, and was educated in the common schools of Cape
Girardeau County and in Jackson Academy, and later branched out as an educator, teaching
for eighteen months in Jackson Academy. His object was to get a collegiate education,
but the war broke out and he threw aside his books to enlist in Gen. Jeff Thompson's regiment,
in July, 1861, in the six months' Missouri State service. He held the rank of lieutenant,
but subsequently entered Col. White's regiment, C.S., with which he remained until the
cessation of hostilities. He was first lieutenant of Company K, and was on detached duty
for the most part, recruiting soldiers. He was in a number of prominent engagements but was
never wounded nor taken prisoner. Previous to the war he had read law under Greer W. Davis,
of Jackson, Mo., and had been admitted to the bar in 1859. After the war ended he again
settled in Doniphan, Mo., but owing to the adoption of what was known as the Drake
constitution he could not practice his profession in Missouri, so he went to the State of
Texas, and after traveling over several counties, settled down at Sherman, in Grayson County.
But here the same fate overtook him. Under the reconstruction acts of Congress, a test
oath, to practice law, was required, so he then returned to Missouri, settled in Ripley
County, and here he has had a large practice since the amendment of the Drake constitution.
In the year 1868 he was elected prosecuting attorney, held the office four years in Ripley
County and four years in Carter County, too, as that county had no attorney of experience.
In 1878 he was elected to represent Ripley County in the Lower House of the Legislature, and
still later he was elected State senator. He was chairman of the committee of accounts,
served on the judiciary committee, emigration, etc., and later was a candidate for
Congress, but being unacquainted with wire-pulling, did not get the office. In 1870 Mr.
Mabrey was happily married to Miss Sallie J. Carter, daughter of Zimri A. Carter, a
pioneer of Carter County, after whom the county was named. To Mr. and Mrs. Mabrey have
been born twelve children, nine of whom, two sons and seven daughters, are still living.
She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and he is a Democrate in politics.
Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
A REMINISCENT HISTORY OF THE OZARK REGION
COMPRISING A CONDENSED GENERAL HISTORY, A BRIEF DESCRIPTIVE HISTORY OF EACH
COUNTY, AND NUMEROUS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS OF SUCH
COUNTIES. pp 498-499
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: GOODSPEED BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS. 1894.
File at: http://ftp.usgenweb.com/pub/usgenweb/mo/ripley/bios/mabrey_thomas.htm
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb by:
Peggy Cannady pcannady6@gmail.com June 14, 2009
Author: Goodspeed Brothers (1894)
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