James Wilmer Dallam

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Short description|American legal scholar (1818–1847)}} {{one source|date=September 2020}} '''James Wilmer Dallam''' (1818–1847) was an American legal scholar and writer. He is the namesake of Dallam County, Texas.

==Biography==

Dallam was born September 24, 1818, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Francis Johnson and Sarah (Wilmer) Dallam.<ref name="handbookbio">{{cite web |last1=Dallam Gregory |first1=Kate |title=Dallam, James Wilmer |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fda05 |website=Handbook of Texas Online |accessdate=June 23, 2018|date=June 12, 2010}}</ref> He attended Brown University and graduated in 1837, and was subsequently elected to Phi Beta Kappa.<ref>Catalogue of the Rhode Island Alpha of Phi Beta Kappa, Brown University. 1914. Page 35.</ref> Then he went to Reverdy Johnson's office to study law. In 1839, he went to Matagorda, Texas, and stayed for a while to compile a book on Texas' laws, titled as ''A Digest of the Laws of Texas'', it was sometimes referred to as "the lawyer's bible", and was republished in 1881, 1883, and 1904.<ref name="handbookbio" /> In 1845, he moved back to Matagorda, where he married Annie Fisher, daughter of Samuel Rhoads Fisher. They had one daughter.<ref>[https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/drtsa/00059/00059-P.html A Guide to the Fisher Family Papers, 1817-1911]</ref> In July 1846, he founded the Colorado Herald and edited it for a brief period before his death on August 20, 1847.<ref name="handbookbio" />

==Selected works==

*[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008595975 A digest of the laws of Texas: containing a full and complete compilation of the land laws; together with the opinions of the Supreme court [1840-44]]. (Baltimore: J. D. Toy, 1845). *[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5364057 The Lone star: a tale of Texas, founded upon incidents in the history of Texas] (New York; Philadelphia: E. Ferrett, 1845). *[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012224347 The deaf spy: a tale founded upon incidents in the history of Texas]. (Baltimore: W. Taylor, 1848). *[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/010426772 Opinions of the Supreme Court of Texas from 1840 to 1844 inclusive]. (St. Louis: The Gilbert Book Co., 1883).

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dallam, James Wilmer}} Category:1818 births Category:1847 deaths Category:American legal writers Category:Brown University alumni