Judge Thomas Bell Monroe

1791 - 1865  (74 years)

• Name	Thomas Bell Monroe  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Prefix	Judge
  Born	7 Oct 1791	, Albemarle Co., Virginia, USA
  Gender	Male
  Died	23 Dec 1865	Pass Christian, Harrison Co., Mississippi, USA
  Buried	Pass Christian, Harrison Co., Mississippi, USA
  	Live Oak Cemetery
  Person ID	I531	Munro
  Last Modified	10 Jan 2015

  
  

  Father	Andrew J. Monroe,   b. Jun 1749, , Woodford Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 1815, , Westmoreland Co., Virginia, USA  (Age ~ 65 years)
  Mother	Ann Bell,   b. Abt 1751, , , , Ireland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	24 Oct 1789	, Albemarle Co., Virginia, USA   [3, 7]
  Family ID	F256	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Eliza Palmer Adair,   b. 10 Aug 1790, Whitehall, Mercer Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 7 Aug 1871, Pass Christian, Harrison Co., Mississippi, USA  (Age 80 years)
  Married	3 Nov 1812	Whitehall, Mercer Co., Kentucky, USA
  Children	+ 1. Victor Monroe,   b. 27 Nov 1813, Glasgow, Barren Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 15 Sep 1856, Olympia, Thurston Co., Washington, USA  (Age 42 years)   2. Anna Bell Monroe,   b. 1815,   d. 1873  (Age 58 years)   3. Katherine Adair Monroe,   b. 10 Dec 1817, Glasgow, Barren Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 13 Dec 1900, Pass Christian, Harrison Co., Mississippi, USA  (Age 83 years)   4. Mary Hardin Monroe,   b. 25 Apr 1820, Glasgow, Barren Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 5 Mar 1913, Pass Christian, Harrison Co., Mississippi, USA  (Age 92 years) + 5. John Adair Monroe,   b. 22 Feb 1823, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 1873, , Wayne Co., Illinois, USA  (Age 49 years) + 6. Andrew Monroe,   b. 1826, , Adair Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Elizabeth Adair Monroe,   b. 4 Dec 1828, Frankfort, Franklin Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 1 Jun 1905, New Orleans, Orleans Par., Louisiana, USA  (Age 76 years)   8. Margaret Anderson Monroe,   b. 1831,   d. 1832  (Age 1 years) + 9. Judge Thomas Bell Monroe, Jr.,   b. 3 Jul 1833, Frankfort, Franklin Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 6 Apr 1862, Burnsville, Bath Co., Virginia, USA  (Age 28 years)   10. Benjamin James Monroe,   b. 7 Aug 1836, Montrose, Fayette Co., Kentucky, USA ,   d. 4 Oct 1862, , Marshall Co., Mississippi, USA  (Age 26 years)
  Last Modified	23 Apr 2010
  Family ID	F257	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Judge Monroe acquired some knowledge of books and after reaching manhood settled in Barren County, Kentucky. In 1816 he was elected to the Legislature and in 1819 he began to study and practice law. He never read a law-book until he announced himself ready to be a lawyer. He moved to Frankfort, Kentucky in 1821 and in the winter of that year he attended lectures, and graduated in the Law Department of Transylvania University. He served as Secretary of State under Governor Adair for one year starting in Sep 1823. in 1825 he was appointed by Governor Desha as reporter of the decisions of the Court of Appeals. At about this time, he published his seven volume "Monroe's Kentucky Reports". In 1834, he was appointed by President Andrew Jackson as Judge of the United States District Court of Kentucky. He was an early supporter of the doctrines of Jefferson, but after becoming a judge, he ceased to take an active interest in politics. As a Judge, his decisions were of the highest order being seldom reversed, and his long term of office was characterized by learning, justice, fairness and great honor. He became a professor in the University of Louisiana in 1848 and spent several winters in New Orleans in discharge of his duties with that institution. He later filled the Chair of Civil, International and Criminal Law in Transylvania University in Lexington. He was also Professor of Rhetoric, Logic and History of Law at the Western Academy at Drennon Springs, Kentucky and taught a law class at his own home near Frankfort. Eventually, the University of Louisiana, Centre College and Harvard University conferred upon him the degree of L. L. D. During the Civil War, when United States troops occupied Frankfort, Kentucky in 1861, they encamped on Judge Bell's. Thereupon this fine old gentleman resigned the appointment given him by President Jackson on March 8, 1834, and went to Nashville, where in the Confederate States District Court for the Middle Division of Tennessee he took the following oath of allegiance to the Southern side: "I, Thomas B. Monroe, hereby declare that, having renounced my citizenship of the United States, I hereby adopt myself a citizen of the 'Confederate States of America,' and solemnly swear that I will support their Constitution and will true allegiance bear to its Government so long as I am a citizen thereof." He remained in Canton, Mississippi with his family until after the fall of Vicksburg and then went to Marietta, Georgia for a time earnestly engaging in the cause of the sick and in such other duties as he could perform. When Kentucky was admitted to the Confederacy on 10 Dec 1861, Thomas was elected as one of the deputies to the Provisional Congress that drafted the Constitution of the Confederate States of America. In 1864 he went to Richmond, Virginia and was a member of the Confederate Congress until the fall of Richmond. He attempted to practice law but became weary of the strife and returned to his family in Abbeville, South Carolina. After the surrender of General Lee, he went to Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he spent the remainder of his days, never having an opportunity to return to his beautiful home in Kentucky. At least one reference confuses Thomas with Robert Bell Monroe [5270]. The parents of Robert were Andrew Monroe born about 1759 in Virginia and Ann Bell. The parents of Thomas were Andrew Monroe born 1749 in Kentucky and Anna Bell. Whether this is an error or an interesting coincidence is not known. Anyway, care must be taken at this point in both families because of the similarity of the names places and dates. Ref: Clan Munro files - Chambers, John - Conery, Marcia Monroe - Guilford, Dr. Joan S. - Johnson, Monroe Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

  
  

• Sources

  [S344] Clan Munro files - Johnson, Monroe, Monroe Johnson, Descendants of Andrew Monroe - received 22 Apr 2004 - p. 21 (Reliability: 3). [S645] Clan Munro files - Boggs, Elizabeth Monroe, Elizabeth Monroe Boggs, Genealogy of the Family of Frank Adair Monroe and Alice Bla nc Monroe of New Orleans, Louisiana - undated (Reliability: 3). [S645] Clan Munro files - Boggs, Elizabeth Monroe, Elizabeth Monroe Boggs, Descendants of Andrew Monroe Who settled in Westmoreland Co unty, Virginia, 1652 - undated (Reliability: 3). [S666] Descendants of Judge Frank Adair Monroe, (reprint, n.p.: n.p., 1991.), Monroe Genealogy - by Helen (Hansen) Cochran - 1 Oct 2008 (Reliability: 3). [S746] Clan Munro files - Kieffer, Anna M. Lyons, Anna M. Lyons Kieffer, Membership application for Anna M. Lyons Kieffer - 28 Aug 2009 (Reliability: 3). [S931] Clan Munro e-files - Monroe, Thomas Patrick, Thomas Patrick Monroe, Ancestors of Thomas Patrick Monroe - 31 Dec 2014 (Reliability: 3). [S645] Clan Munro files - Boggs, Elizabeth Monroe, Elizabeth Monroe Boggs, Monroe - 23 Aug 1932 (Reliability: 3).