Background
Lipscomb, Abner Smith was born on February 10, 1789 in Abbe-ville district, South Carolina, United States. Son of Joel and Elizabeth (Chiles) Lipscomb.
Lipscomb, Abner Smith was born on February 10, 1789 in Abbe-ville district, South Carolina, United States. Son of Joel and Elizabeth (Chiles) Lipscomb.
Lipscomb studied law in the office of John C. Calhoun and passed the bar in 1810.
He was also appointed Secretary of State for the Republic of Texas under the administration of President Mirabeau B. Lamar. In 1811, he began practice in Saint Stephens, Alabama (then part of the Mississippi Territory) He served in the Alabama territorial legislature in 1818 and became a circuit judge in 1819 when Alabama was admitted to statehood. When Chief Justice Clement Clay of the Alabama Supreme Court resigned in 1823, Lipscomb was chosen to be the next Chief Justice.
The court was reorganized in 1832.
Lipscomb continued as Chief Justice of the court, where he served until 1835. Lipscomb served a term in the Alabama state legislature in 1838.
Colonel Gaines" nephew, Honorary Francis Strother Lyon began the study of law while working for Abner Smith Lipscomb in his office in Saint Stephens.
In 1839 Lipscomb moved to the Republic of Texas and established a law practice in Brenham.
He was Secretary of State under President Lamar from January 31, 1840 to December 13, 1840. He was appointed an associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court in 1846 by Governor James Pinckney Henderson. As he was elected in 1851 and re-elected in 1856, he continued in this post until November 1856.
He taught Law courses at Baylor University from 1849 to 1856.
Lipscomb died in Austin, Texas and was buried in the State Cemetery. Lipscomb County, Texas and its county seat of Lipscomb, Texas are named in honor of him.
Member Alabama Teritorial Legislature, 1818. Member Alabama Legislature, (Democrat) 1838, chairman judiciary committee. Member Texas Constitutional Convention 1845.
Married Elizabeth Gaines, April. Married second Mary (Hunt) Bullock, May 10, 1843.