John McNairy
Encyclopedia
John McNairy was a United States federal judge in Tennessee
.
Born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
, McNairy read law to enter the bar in 1788. He opened a private practice in Jonesboro, Tennessee, also serving as a judge in the Superior Court of Law and Equity for Davidson County, Tennessee
.
He was nominated by President George Washington
on February 17, 1797, to be the first judge of the United States District Court for the District of Tennessee, the seat having been created by 1 Stat. 496. He was confirmed by the Senate, and received his commission, on February 20, 1797. On April 29, 1802, the district was divided into the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
and the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
, but McNairy was assigned to both districts by operation of law
, and continued to be the sole federal judge serving the state of Tennessee until his resignation, on September 1, 1833.
He died near Nashville, Tennessee
.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, McNairy read law to enter the bar in 1788. He opened a private practice in Jonesboro, Tennessee, also serving as a judge in the Superior Court of Law and Equity for Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
.
He was nominated by President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
on February 17, 1797, to be the first judge of the United States District Court for the District of Tennessee, the seat having been created by 1 Stat. 496. He was confirmed by the Senate, and received his commission, on February 20, 1797. On April 29, 1802, the district was divided into the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee is the federal court in the Sixth Circuit whose jurisdiction covers all of East Tennessee and a portion of Middle Tennessee. The court has jurisdiction over 41 counties with 4 divisions...
and the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
The United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee is the Federal district court covering the western part of the state of Tennessee. Appeals from the Western District of Tennessee are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit The United States District...
, but McNairy was assigned to both districts by operation of law
Operation of law
The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies without a will, his heirs are determined by operation...
, and continued to be the sole federal judge serving the state of Tennessee until his resignation, on September 1, 1833.
He died near Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.