Henry County AlArchives Biographies.....Espy, Thomas M. April 2 1862 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 26, 2004, 10:31 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    THOMAS M. ESPY, attorney, of Dothen, Ala., was born in Henry county, Ala.,
April 2, 1862. He is a son of Thomas F. and Fannie (Sursey) Espy, the former of
whom was a native of Coosa county, Ala., born there in 1839, remaining there
till 1842, when he moved to Barbour county with his parents, where he grew to
manhood. In 1859, he was married in Henry county, where he bought a farm,
settled upon it and improved it, operating it until 1888, when he engaged in
business at Headland, Henry county, which business he still continues to
conduct. He now transacts a business of about $18,000 per year. He was elected
to the legislature in 1876, serving one term. He has been a member of the
Missionary Baptist church since early manhood. His wife was a native of Henry
county, Ala., where she lived until her marriage, which occurred in her
fifteenth year. She is the mother of seven children, all of whom are living, and
all reside in Henry county. Her father, James Sursey, came from North Carolina,
settled in Henry county, and was prominently identified with the early
settlement of the county. He was elected at different times to both branches of
the state legislature. Thomas M. Espy was brought up on a farm, attended common
school as much as possible, and then entered college, gaining a literary
education, and at the age of twenty-one, began the study of law under Col. John
D. Roquemore, and Col. C. C. Shoster, of Eufaula. He was admitted to practice
April 1, 1884, after which he went west in search of a suitable location. He
visited Texas, Mexico and Arkansas, remaining in the west one year, failing to
find a suitable location. He returned to Alabama, the land of his birth,
settling in Columbia, Henry county. Here he opened a law office and began the
practice of law, remaining thus one year. He then formed a partnership with R.
H. Walker, and immediately opened an office under the firm name of Walker &
Espy, which continued six years, during which time the firm gained some of the
most complicated murder cases known to the annals of Henry county. They thus
make one of the best known law firms, known in southeastern Alabama. In 1891,
Mr. Espy removed to Dothen, and there opened a law office, under the firm name
of Farmer & Espy, Mr. Espy being the senior member of the firm. The practice of
this firm is very extensive, and is steadily growing. Mr. Espy is considered one
of the brightest legal lights in Henry county. In politics he adheres to the old
Jeffersonian democracy. He received his literary education under his uncle,
Prof. Joseph Espy, whose memoir appears elsewhere in this work. He has
accumulated through his law practice, between 700 and 800 acres of land, and is
a successful financier. He takes an active interest in the politics of the day,
and though he has never been a political aspirant, he likes to see good men
elected to office. He has always taken a deep interest in what tends to build up
the state, churches, schools and industries of all kinds.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 1087-1088
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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