John Spinks Kennedy Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS-0807

Abstract

Includes financial and other business related papers of John Spinks Kennedy, a Civil War veteran and lawyer who lived in Lauderdale County, Alabama.

Dates

1858 - 1892

Biographical / Historical

Confederate soldier (7th Alabama Infantry Regiment) from Lauderdale County, lawyer and cotton factory owner in Tuscaloosa.

John Spinks Kennedy, 1818-1899, came to Lauderdale County, Alabama, in 1825, where his father was a gunsmith and a planter. He was educated at LaGrange College where he studied law.

The date of his marriage to Mary Emiline (1824-1883) is not known but at least four children were born between 1846-1855. He served as a private in the Seventh Alabama regiment, C.S.A. and later became commissary of the regiment. After moving to Tuscaloosa, he bought a cotton factory (Baugh, Kennedy and Company).

1818 Born in Moore County, North Carolina 1825 Moved to Lauderdale County, Alabama with his parents 1841 Elected to state legislature from Lauderdale County 1842 Admitted to the Bar 1847 Elected to state legislature from Lauderdale County 1848 Elected solicitor of Florence circuit 1860 Elector for Breckenridge 1863 Moved to Tuscaloosa 1899 Died, Tuscaloosa

Owen, T.A. History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography. Chicago, Clarke Pub., 1921.

Harper, Roland. Cemetery records of Tuscaloosa County. Unpublished manu-scripts, W.S. Hoole Special Collections.

Extent

0.2 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Separated Materials

It has been separated from the Woolf Collection and although the two collections came from the same source, the link between the two families has not been determined. An earlier arranger had transcribed all of the handwritten items. These transcriptions were found to be helpful but since much is a matter of interpretation the transcriptions were removed from the original and from a series at the end of this collection.