Anderson County, KY - Bios: Hanks, Thomas H. Posted by Sandi Gorin on Sun, 1 Mar 1998, at 12:22 p.m. ************************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************* HANKS Holman Bond Cavanaugh Myers, Anderson Co. Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 5th ed., 1887, Anderson Co. THOMAS H. HANKS. The family represented by the subject of this sketch is of Scotch origin. George Hanks, the grandfather of our subject, resided on the Potomac River in Virginia prior to the Revolutionary war and participated in that struggle, finally sacrificing his life in the cause of liberty at Yorktown. He had a family of six children, four sons and two daughters, all of whom immigrated to Kentucky about the opening of the present century. Turner, Chichester and George Hanks died in Anderson County, and Pitman removed to Missouri. They were all men of fine constitutions, robust and active, and lived to advanced years. Turner Hanks married Nancy Holman and had six children, of whom five grew to maturity; William T. (deceased), Thomas H., Mary Jane (widow of Medley S. Bond), Reuben A. and Francis M. Hanks. Thomas H. Hanks, the second son, was born about one mile from Lawrenceburg, in what is now Anderson County, November 6, 1823. He received a good common school education, and, at the age of twenty, left the paternal farm to engage in school teaching, an occupation which he pursued for three years in Anderson and Shelby Counties. He then entered political life as a candidate for the State Legislature, and at the age of twenty-four was elected to represent Anderson County in that body. The years of 1850-51 he passed in California, and returning home was elected circuit clerk of Anderson County in 1856, serving in that position for six years. Soon after, having engaged in the study of law with Judge George W. Cavanaugh, he received a license to practice law and, in connection with his preceptor, at once entered into active practice. He was elected county attorney, serving four years in that office, and during a practice of twenty-two years was engaged in many important and prominent causes in Anderson and adjoining counties, paying special attention to criminal law and excelling in the defense of those charged with crime. He was again elected to represent Anderson County in the Legislature in 1881, and has always been an earnest and active supporter of the Democratic principles. He is closely identified with the agricultural interests of Anderson County, owning large landed estates in his native State and in Missouri, and enjoys an extended acquaintance throughout his section. He married Margaret R., daughter of Silas M. and Sarah H. Myers, of Anderson County, in the year 1858, but has no children living. In the civil war he he was identified with the South.