James M. Garnett

James Mercer Garnett (* June 8, 1770 at Loretto, Essex County, Virginia; † April 23, 1843 ) was an American politician. Between 1805 and 1809 he represented the state of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

James Garnett was the older brother of Robert S. Garnett (1789-1840), cousin of Charles F. Mercer (1778-1858) and grandfather of Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett (1821-1864), who were all members of Congress. He attended private schools and worked afterwards as a planter. At the same time he proposed as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party launched a political career. In the years 1800 and 1801 he sat in the House of Representatives from Virginia.

In the congressional elections of 1804 Garnett was in eleventh electoral district of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he became the successor of Anthony New on March 4, 1805. After a re-election he was able to complete in Congress until March 3, 1809 two legislative sessions. In 1807 he was one of the jury, which indicted former Vice President Aaron Burr for treason. In 1808 he gave up another candidacy.

After the end of his time in the U.S. House of Representatives Garnett worked as a planter again. On his plantation, he headed a boys' school. Between 1817 and 1837 he served President of the Fredericksburg Agricultural Society. In 1824 and 1825 he was again a deputy in the State Parliament. Both in 1821 and 1831 he was a delegate at meetings of the customs regulations. Garnett was also one of the founders of the Agricultural Society of Virginia. He was also vice president of the Virginia Colonization Society. In 1829 he took part in a meeting on the revision of the Constitution of Virginia. He died on April 23, 1843 at his estate near Elmwood Loretto, where he was also buried.