James Turney

James Turney
Member of the Illinois Senate
In office
1836–1839
Succeeded byManoah Bostwick
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
In office
1834–1836
Attorney General of Illinois
In office
1823–1828
Preceded bySamuel D. Lockwood
Succeeded byGeorge Forquer
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
In office
1822–1823
Preceded byCharles Slade
Personal details
PartyDemocratic

James Turney was an American politician who served as the Attorney General of Illinois and as a member of both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois State Senate.

Biography

In 1819, Turney moved to Illinois from Tennessee settling in Washington County where he practiced law. From 1820 to 1822, he served as the secretary of the Illinois Senate in the 2nd Illinois General Assembly. In 1822, he won election to the Illinois House of Representatives representing Washington County in the 3rd Illinois General Assembly. He resigned on February 18, 1823 to serve as the Attorney General of Illinois, a position he held until 1828. In 1828, he moved to the town of Carrollton in Greene County. In 1831, he participated in the Black Hawk War as a private in the 2nd Regiment of Mounted Volunteers eventually being promoted to colonel in 1832 and later as paymaster general on the staff of Governor John Reynolds. In 1834, he won election again to the Illinois House representing Greene County in the 9th Illinois General Assembly. In 1836, he won election to a four-year term as state senator representing Greene County in the 10th and 11th Illinois General Assemblies. He resigned in the 11h Assembly before the start of the second session in 1839 and was replaced by Manoah Bostwick.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Turney, James". Papers of Abraham Lincoln Digital Library.
  2. ↑ Blue Book of the State of Illinois - Illinois Legislative Roster — 1818-2024 (PDF). 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2026.
  3. ↑ Moses, John (January 1882). Illinois, Historical and Statistical: Comprising the Essential Facts of Its Planting and Growth as a Province, County, Territory, and State. Derived from the Most Authentic Sources, Including Original Documents and Papers. Together with Carefully Prepared Statistical Tables. Vol. 2. Fergus Printing Company. p. 1164.
  4. 1 2 3 Illinois Blue Book (1931-1932). State of Illinois. 1932. pp. 739–740, 743–745.