Cornelius Voorhies (July 22, 1804 – July 1, 1859) was a justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from May 4, 1853 to April 27, 1859. Voorhies, "of Dutch descent", was born in the state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

on July 22, 1804. Two sources disagree on his birthplace: ''Celebration of the Centenary of the Supreme Court of Louisiana'', dated to 1913, states that Voorhies was born in

Avoyelles Parish Avoyelles (french: Paroisse des Avoyelles) is a parish located in central eastern Louisiana on the Red River where it effectively becomes the Atchafalaya River and meets the Mississippi River. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,07 ...

, while the ''Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'' states that Voorhies' birthplace was

Opelousas :''Opelousas is also a common name of the flathead catfish.'' Opelousas (french: Les Opélousas; Spanish: ''Los Opeluzás'') is a small city and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 were ...

, in neighboring

St. Landry Parish St. Landry Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Landry) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 83,384. The parish seat is Opelousas. The parish was established in 1807. St. Landry Parish co ...

. He served as a district attorney, as a state senator, and as a district judge. He became an associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court on May 4, 1853, and served in that position until April 27, 1859, when he retired. Voorhies died in his St. Martinville home on July 1, 1859. His death was mourned by the

Lafayette Parish Lafayette Parish (french: Paroisse de Lafayette) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 241,753, up from 221,578 at the 2010 United States census. The parish seat is ...

District Court the day after.''New Orleans Daily Crescent'', July 13, 1859, "Death of Ex-Associate Justice Voorhies" He had nine children with his wife Cedalise Mouton, including Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana Albert Voorhies, who succeeded him on the court, and state legislator Felix Voorhies. His son succeeded him on the bench.''Celebration of the Centenary of the Supreme Court of Louisiana'' (March 1, 1913), in John Wymond, Henry Plauché Dart, eds., ''The Louisiana Historical Quarterly'' (1922), p. 118.

References

Justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court 1804 births 1859 deaths Louisiana state senators 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges {{Louisiana-state-judge-stub