James Tinker

James Tinker (April 11, 1817 – February 20, 1886) was an American farmer from Rochester, Wisconsin who served a single one-year term as a Free Soil Party member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, in 1851, from Racine County[1] as well as holding a variety of local offices.

Background

Tinker was born near Huddersfield, England.[2] He married Jane McMillan on December 23, 1838.[2] He and his wife emigrated to the United States, and came to live in an area in western Racine County near the boundaries of Rochester, Dover and Burlington townships known as the "English Settlement".[3] James is recorded as having been a colleague back in England of the famed temperance orator John Hockings, the "Birmingham Blacksmith"[4] and they were chosen to go to England in 1851 to represent Wisconsin at The Great Exhibition, the 1851 London World's Fair.[5][6] Tinker died of stomach cancer in Racine on February 20, 1886.[2][7]

Public office and politics

Tinker held local offices such as tax collector and town magistrate before being elected in 1850 as a Free Soil member of the Assembly for the third Racine County district (Towns of Burlington and Rochester) (Racine County dropped from five Assembly seats to three with that election, so it is difficult to argue that he succeeded any particular incumbent). He was succeeded in the next Assembly by James Catton, a Whig.

When on March 13, 1854, a public meeting was held in the English Settlement meetinghouse to discuss the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Tinker was appointed president of the meeting (John Hockings was one of the speakers). The meeting unanimously passed resolutions opposing passage of the bill and opposing further extension of slavery.[8]

On October 14, 1854, Tinker was among the Rochester delegates to the Racine County convention of the new Republican Party.[9]

He continued to hold local offices: in 1857[10] through 1860, he was Racine County Treasurer.[11] In 1871, he was Assessor for the City of Racine.[12] In 1872, he was on the county's Immigration Committee appointed by the state Commissioner of Immigration;[13] in 1875-76, he was County Clerk[14]

Temperance movement

Tinker continued to be active in the temperance movement, serving as a delegate to or officer of various Racine-area conferences and meetings.[15]

References
  1. "Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999 State of Wisconsin Legislative Bureau. Information Bulletin 99-1, September 1999. p. 115 Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Portrait and Biographical Album of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin. 1892. Chicago: Lake City Publishing Company, pp. 604, 607.
  3. Bottomley, Edwin. An English settler in pioneer Wisconsin: the letters of Edwin Bottomley, 1842-1850 edited with introduction and notes by Milo M. Quaife. Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1918; pp. 13, 31, 37, et seq.
  4. "History of Racine", in The history of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879; p. 643
  5. Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine Racine Advocate April 16, 1851 cited at "Burlington Events" 1835-2006
  6. "Delegates to the World's Fair". Daily Free Democrat. April 19, 1851. p. 2. Retrieved August 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. "Obituary: James Tinker". The Weekly Wisconsin. February 27, 1886. p. 4. Retrieved August 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine Racine Advocate March 20, 1854 cited at "Burlington Events" 1835-2006
  9. Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine Racine Advocate October 23, 1854 cited at "Burlington Events" 1835-2006
  10. Jones, David W., et al. "Document B: Ninth Annual Report of Secretary of State for 1856", pp. 106-07; in Governor's message and accompanying documents for the year 1857 Vol. I 1857 (Covers 1856)
  11. Crane, L. H. D., ed. A manual of customs, precedents, and forms, in use in the Assembly of Wisconsin: together with the rules, the apportionment, and other lists and tables for reference, with indices Second Annual Edition. Madison: James Ross, State Printer, 1860; p. 50
  12. "History of Racine", in The history of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879; p. 378
  13. Johnson, O. C., et al. "Document no. 15 [i.e. 14]: Second Annual Report of the Commissioner of Immigration of the State of Wisconsin, for the Year 1872; p. 4, in Governor's message and accompanying documents Volume II. Madison: Atwood and Culver, 1873 (Covers 1871/1872)
  14. Bashford, R. M., ed. The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin: comprising the constitutions of the United States and of the state of Wisconsin, Jefferson's manual, forms and laws for the regulation of business; also, lists and tables for reference, etc. Fourteenth Annual Edition. Madison: Atwood and Culver, Printers and Stereotypers, 1875; p. 210
  15. Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine Racine Advocate October 6, 1852; October 4, 1853; July 17, 1854, cited at "Burlington Events" 1835-2006
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