Peter W. Gray
Encyclopedia
Peter W. Gray was an American
lawyer, judge, and legislator from Texas
. He represented Texas in the Confederate House of Representatives
.
Gray was born to William and Mary (Stone) Gray in Fredericksburg, Virginia
. He moved with his parents and siblings to Houston, Texas
in 1838. He read law with his father and was admitted to the bar. After his father died, Gray was appointed Houston’s District Attorney on April 24, 1841, remaining in the job until Texas became a state in 1845.
Gray was elected to the House of Representatives in the first Texas state legislature in 1846. In 1848 he founded the Houston Lyceum, which later became the Houston Public Library
. He was elected to the state Senate in 1854, then served as a State District Court Judge from 1856 to 1861.
In 1861, Gray attended the Texas State Secession Convention, and voted to leave the union. In November that year, he was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives. After the war he returned to his law practice in Houston, Gray, Botts & Baker
. In 1874 he quit his practice upon being appointed as an Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
, but served only a few months before resigning due to declining health.
Gray died at home in Houston of tuberculosis
, and is buried in the Glenwood Cemetery there. He was an active Episcopalian and a Mason
. Gray County, Texas, is named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer, judge, and legislator from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He represented Texas in the Confederate House of Representatives
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
Gray was born to William and Mary (Stone) Gray in Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
. He moved with his parents and siblings to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 1838. He read law with his father and was admitted to the bar. After his father died, Gray was appointed Houston’s District Attorney on April 24, 1841, remaining in the job until Texas became a state in 1845.
Gray was elected to the House of Representatives in the first Texas state legislature in 1846. In 1848 he founded the Houston Lyceum, which later became the Houston Public Library
Houston Public Library
Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. The library system has its headquarters in the Marston Building in Neartown Houston.-History:It can trace its founding to the Houston Lyceum in 1854...
. He was elected to the state Senate in 1854, then served as a State District Court Judge from 1856 to 1861.
In 1861, Gray attended the Texas State Secession Convention, and voted to leave the union. In November that year, he was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives. After the war he returned to his law practice in Houston, Gray, Botts & Baker
Baker Botts
Baker Botts L.L.P. is a major United States-based international law firm of around 800 attorneys, with a long, prominent history, significant political connections, boasting more than half of the Fortune 100 companies among its clients. Headquartered in One Shell Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas,...
. In 1874 he quit his practice upon being appointed as an Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
, but served only a few months before resigning due to declining health.
Gray died at home in Houston of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, and is buried in the Glenwood Cemetery there. He was an active Episcopalian and a Mason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. Gray County, Texas, is named in his honor.