BIOGRAPHY and GENEALOGY

THE CLERKS OF THE COUNTY COURT

of EARLY

LAWRENCE COUNTY, ALABAMA

DANIEL W. WRIGHT, JOHN GALLAGHER, JOHN GREGG,

WILEY GALLOWAY

The Clerks of the County Court were five in number until the office was abolished in 1850.

DANIEL W. WRIGHT

DANIEL W. WRIGHT was the first County Clerk. His father settled in Courtland at an early day and kept a boarding house. His son, DANIEL, studied and obtained the office of clerk and became favorably known to the people. In 1819, he was elected, along with ARTHUR F. HOPKINS, as a delegate from Lawrence County to the Constitutional Convention.

Shortly afterward, he moved to Mississippi and was elected judge of the Circuit Court.ⁱ

JOHN GALLAGER

JOHN GALLAGHER was the second clerk and his biography can be found here.

JOHN GREGG

JOHN GREGG was the third County Court clerk. His father SAMUEL had been a Revolutionary soldier in the Virginia Militia B ca. 1756 and came to Lawrence County in the very early years. He was a Trustee of the the 1824 Moulton Academy and Elder of the Presbyterian Church form 1830-1831. He.died near Moulton.ⁱⁱ He had, besides JOHN, three sons, HENRY, SAMUEL, and ELLIS GREGG.

“JOHN GREGG married SARAH, the daughter of SAMUEL BIGHAM, Esq., who first settled, before the land sales, at BIGHAM'S SPRING – called afterward HICKMAN'S SPRING – and now “POND SPRING.”

JOHN GREGG succeeded BOLLING B. BURNETT as sheriff and his deputy was his brother ELLIS GREGG. “JOHN was a modest, quiet man in general, but being powerful when roused he was formidable for he acted very promptly. I recollect an amusing incident which happened while he was sheriff. On the MCMAHON corner, at Moulton, a ring of wild drinking fellows had, for several days, caused great annoyance to the court by their noise and clamor, sometimes bellowing like bulls. At length they became so bold that they came into the court house. One of them caused a disturbance, and the judge ordered him to jail. JOHN started with him, when one of his friends attempted a rescue. JOHN knocked the interloper down and he fell at full length on the hard brick floor, and then turning to the judge, JOHN coolly said: “If your honor please, here is a man interfering.” It caused a great laugh, and the “bull” ring was broken up. In JOHN'S court the execution had preceded the judgment.”

When he became a county clerk, JOHN was attentive to business and gave fair satisfaction. In 1835, during the revolution in Texas, JOHN GREGG, in company with W. D. THOMASON, JOHN WREN, JAMES ELLIS, JAMES MCDANIEL, HUMPHREY MONTGOMERY, FARNEY SMITH and young KAISER, engaged in that cause. They all entered the same company except JAMES ELLIS, who joined the 'Red Rovers' from Courtland and was amongst those murdered at Goliad.

JOHN GREGG returned to Lawrence County for his family after the Texas war and on his way back to Texas was attacked by the Indians. His wife and one son were killed and a son, HENRY, was carried off a prisoner and detained in captivity for several years. JOHN GREGG died not many years after this in Texas. His brothers moved to Arkansas.ⁱⁱⁱ

WILEY GALLAWAY

WILEY GALLAWAY was the fifth clerk and held the office for fifteen years – from 1835 to 1850 and his biography can be found here