In 1843 William R. D. Speight, judge of the parish court, administered the oath of office to the following officials: Samuel S. Eason, clerk of parish, district and probate courts; Silas Shelburne, sheriff; E. F. Presley, assessor; John Baldwin, treasurer; William Stoker, coroner; Hosea Presley, John S. Wells, Robert K. McDonald, Joseph McNeely, A. Bradley, P. Rogers and Joseph White, justices of the peace; John McDonald, Lewis McDonald, Bradley Dear, John Critchfield, James Curtis, James M. Gribbs, A. W. Rogers, John Carroll, S. A. Eason and Lawrence White, constables.
In 1844 Daniel R. Gandy was sheriff and tax collector; Hosea Presley, treasurer; G. W. Thompson, surveyor; Charles Waggoner and Nathaniel Porshee, constables. John R. Smart qualified as a notary public.
In 1845 Charles W. Elam qualified as assessor; F. W. Godwin, F. Vines and William Roberts, as constables, and P. H. Dillon as justice of the peace.
In 1846 P. H. Dillon, justice of the peace, administered the oath1 of office to the following: Hosea Presley, clerk of the district court; K. J. McLemore, assessor; Henry P. Welch, coroner; John Baldwin, recorder; William E. Phillips, P. B. Reagan, Nathaniel Sanders, W. C. Beddingfield, justices of the peace; Thomas Ford, auctioneer.
In 1847 J. T. Sibley and Daniel Richie were justices of the peace, and George Mains and John D. Tucker constables.
In 1850 William D. Stephens qualified as superintendent of parish free schools; R. A. Gay, recorder; K. J. McLemore, sheriff; E. P. Presley, clerk; George E. Ward, assessor (succeeded by L. B. Gay); N. H. Bray, coroner; John Baldwin, R. W. Peck, S. Sandford, John Caldwell, justices of the peace; Theodore Montgomery, Hosea Marine, D. C. Cumalander, constables. The following year W. D. Stephens was treasurer; John Baldwin, recorder; R. W. Sibley, sheriff and collector; E. A. Campbell, school superintendent.
In 1854 John C. Sibley was clerk of the district court. No further record of the administration of the oath to parish officers appears until 1860, when the following officers qualified: Alex. Barr, sheriff; David W. Self, assessor; John J. Byles, surveyor; Isaiah Kirk, H. W. Scroggins, Elijah Cox, Allen Arthur, John Baldwin, James I. Horton, Moses K. Speight, Alfred Lout and Andrew J. Norsworthy, justices of the peace; Albert Self, Felis Sharnac, Isaiah Curtis, Charles B. Burr, Isaac Arthur, Lorenzo Largent, William S. Liles and James H. Cobb, constables.
In 1866 W. W. McNeely was clerk of the district court. Moses K. Speight and Thomas Wiley qualified as justices of the peace, Thomas Mitchell and William Shull were constables and John Davis recorder. G. W. Small took the oath as justice of the peace in 1871. The parish government had been disorganized since the war between the states and the methods employed by the federal officials did not encourage a revival of stable government by the white people. In 1872 the outlook began to look brighter, and the following qualified as parish officials: Alfred Lout, sheriff; R. W. Sibley, clerk; John B. Vandegaer, recorder. In 1877 A. W. Estes was recorder; F. D. Self, tax collector; J. H. Caldwell, assessor; John McIlwain, H. H. Callens, W. R. Haynes, justices of the peace; John H. Cobbs and J. B. Procella, constables.
In 1879, Hiram Tynes, M. K. Speight, W. H. Sowell, J. H. Caldwell, John McIlwain, C. B. Darnell, Isaac Best and H. H. Callens were justices of the peace. Dr. J. H. Word, coroner.
Under the constitution of 1879, R. W. Sibley became ex-officio recorder in 1880. New officials qualified that year as follows: Alfred Lout, sheriff; W. W. McNeely, clerk; J. A. Caldwell, assessor; W. W. Arthur, W. S. Brown, A. K. Addison, John McIlwain, C. B. Darnell, J. J. Best, R. B. Middleton and William Aten, justices of the peace; A. C. Leach, J. J. McNeely, Byron Bolton, Robert A. Forbis, J. B. Procella, Bailey Lout, Isaac Rains and C. W. Brooks, constables.
The representatives of the parish from 1843 to 1864 were W. B. Stille, C. Chaplin, J. H. Stephens, E. C. Davidson, John R. Smart and E. F. Presley. Mr. Davidson, as representative, signed the ordinance of secession in 1861. Since that period the following served as representatives: R. B. Stille, J. F. Smith, R. M. Armstrong, D. W. Self, J. E. Bullard, W. D. Hall, J. W. Conerly, Dr. D. H. Dillon and A. Litton.
The parish surveyors since 1860 were John J. Byles (1862), J. P. Beddoe (1868), Peter Munson (1869), Carroll Miller (1875). Daniel Vandegaer, the present surveyor, has occupied that position since 1878.
The principal officers of the parish from 1884 to 1901 were:
Sheriffs — Bailey Lout (1883), Frank D. Self, D. W. Self, J. W. Conerly (1888 to 1900).
Treasurers — John B. Vandegaer, A. W. Estes. Mr. Estes has held the office continuously since that time and is the present treasurer.
Assessors — J. H. Caldwell, Leo Vandegaer, J. A. Tramel, W. H. Vandegaer.
Coroners — Dr. J. C. Armstrong, Dr. John V. Nash.
On the death of W. W. McNeely, clerk of the court, in 1890, his son W. E. McNeely qualified and continued in that office until 1909, when W. H. Vandegaer, the present clerk, was elected.
In 1901 H. Henderson was sheriff, but he was succeeded one year later by Thomas J. Cranford, who is the present occupant of that position.
In 1908 George L. Jackson succeeded W. H. Vandegaer as assessor and was re-elected to the position in 1912. Dr. T. L. Abington became coroner on the death of Dr. Nash in 1906 and has been elected to that office twice since that time.
In 1900 J. W. Pharis, S. J. Speight, J. S. Carroll, W. M. Prothro, T. C. Gaddis, H. H. Patrick, A. Hubier, A. P. Keene, J. J. Browne, E. A. Pierce and R. W. Collier were justices of the peace.
In 1904 J. E. Jordan, J. W. Phares, J. J. Whittaker, Morris G. Antony, B. B. Hardin, C. J. Law, L. G. Modlin, W. M. Bolton, Jehu Graham, A. S. Keelan, J. A. Armstrong and R. W. Collier were elected justices of the peace; J. H. Skinner, G. W. Arnold, F. E. Self, Willie Gibson, H. V. Smith, J. J. Self, L. B. Farmer, C. T. Hight, J. B. Brown, T. H. Parrott, R. H. Gallons and J. E. Largent, constables.
The present justices of the peace are J. E. Jordan, R. A. Sanders, J. J. Whittaker, Morris G. Antony, W. H. Armstrong, C. L. Hawkins, W. H. Pierce, J. A. Raimond, J. W. Tatum, Jehu Graham, E. G. Sigler, A. F. Hatcher, A. R. Horn, John Wright. The following are constables: J. H. Skinner, L. W. Byrd, Smith Antony, F. E. Self, J. C. Ryan, Riley Stoker, C. W. Battan, G. C. Chesher, L. B. Farmer, J. H. Aten, W. T. Boring, R. H. McAllen, J. R. Sistrunk, S. W. Reed.
From 1880 to 1903 sessions of the Court of Appeals, 1st circuit, were held at Many. J. C. Moncure and A. B. George were the first judges. Judges E. W. Sutherlin, J. C. Pugh and B. P. Edwards served as judges until the sittings of the court were discontinued at Many.
Note. — The writer was unable to procure a complete list of ward officers in some instances and regrets that it was necessary to omit them.
Back to: Sabine Parish – Louisiana History & Genealogy Project
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Source
Belisle, John G., History of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, Many, La. : The Sabine banner press, 1912.
- In 1846 the various officers of the parish were required to make the following oath: “I, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform the duties incumbent on me as, according to the best of my ability and understanding; and I do further solemnly swear that since the adoption of the present Constitution. I, being a citizen of this state, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons in this state nor out of it with a citizen of this state; nor have I sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with a citizen of this state, nor have I acted as second in carrying a challenge or aided, advised or assisted any person thus offending.” [↩]