James H. Akin
Major James H. Akin (1832–1911) was an American Confederate veteran, farmer and politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1899, representing Williamson County, Tennessee.
James Hatton Akin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 12, 1832 Maury County, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | 1911 |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, politician |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 6 |
| Parent(s) | Samuel W. Akin Millie Biffle |
Early life
James H. Akin was born on August 12, 1832, in Maury County, Tennessee.[1] His father was Samuel W. Akin while his mother was Millie Biffle.[1] He had eight siblings, and he grew up on a farm.[1]
His paternal great-grandfather, William Akin was born in Scotland and immigrated to South Carolina.[1] His paternal grandfather, Reverend John Akin, who was a Methodist minister, served in the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783 and settled in Maury County in 1808; he emancipated his slaves upon his death in 1821.[1] His maternal grandfather, Jacob Biffle, also served in the American Revolutionary War.[1]
Career
Akin became a farmer and stock raiser in Maury County in 1847.[1] During the American Civil War of 1861–1865, he joined the Confederate States Army and served as the captain of Company E of the 9th Battalion Tennessee Cavalry.[1] He was stationed at Fort Donelson.[1] In 1862, he was promoted to the rank of major. [1] After the war, he returned to farming in Maury County until 1881.[1] From 1882 onward, he became a farmer in Williamson County, where he owned a 420-acre farm.[1]
Akin was a member of the Democratic Party.[1] He served as the tax collector of Maury County from 1870 to 1872.[1] He then served as justice of the peace in Williamson County from 1882 to 1890.[1] He served as a floterial representative for Maury and Williamson counties in 1890 and 1891, as well as Maury, Williamson, Giles and Lewis counties in the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1895.[1] He served as a proper member of the state house from 1899 to 1901, representing Williamson County.[1]
Personal life and death
Akin was married three times. He married his first wife, Marinda Cecil, in 1859; they had three children, but only one daughter, Bettie Jones, survived to adulthood; she died in 1867.[1] He married his second wife, Sophia Burnett Kernan, 1881; they had a son, Andrew Kernan, and two daughters, Ethel Johnson and Jimmie Hatton; she died in 1893.[1] He married his third wife, Lena Oden, in 1900.[1] He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and a Freemason.[1]
Akin died in 1911.[2]
References
- Allison, John (1905). Notable Men of Tennessee: Personal and Genealogical, with portraits. Atlanta, Georgia: Southern historical Association. pp. 148–150. OCLC 2561350 – via Internet Archive.
- "Ashby's Calvary Meet". Daily Arkansas Gazette. Little Rock, Arkansas. May 18, 1911. p. 3. Retrieved September 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
The death of Maj. James H. Akin was announced and the president of the organization was directed to send a letter of sympathy to his widow and daughter.