Hopkins L. Turney

Hopkins Lacy Turney ( born October 3, 1797 in Dixon Springs, Smith County, Tennessee; † August 1, 1857 in Winchester, Tennessee ) was an American politician (Democratic Party), who represented the state of Tennessee in both chambers of Congress.

As a teenager Turney trained as a tailor. In 1818 he served as a soldier in the war against the Seminoles. After his retirement from the army, he studied law, was admitted to the bar and began to practice as a lawyer in Jasper. Later he moved to Winchester.

His first political office took over Turney 1828, when he was elected to the House of Representatives from Tennessee. Later, he applied successfully for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served from 1837 to 1843. After two years of absence from Washington, he was elected by the state legislature of Tennessee 1845 in the U.S. Senate. He completed a six-year term in the chamber, during which he headed the Patent Committee, among others.

After retiring from Congress, he returned to his law firm.