Henry Augustus Sharpe (June 10, 1848 – August 10, 1919) was an American jurist who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 1898 to 1904.

Early life, education, and career

Born in Alabama,"Judge H. A. Sharpe", ''Pittsburgh Daily Post'' (August 12, 1919), p. 7. he was "educated in the common schools", and received an LL.B. from Cumberland University,

Lebanon, Tennessee Lebanon is the county seat of Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 38,431 at the 2020 census. Lebanon is located in Middle Tennessee, approximately east of downtown Nashville. Lebanon is part of the Nashville Metropolit ...

, in 1870. Sharpe "began his studies for the law at an early age and soon won prominence in his profession". He represented Somerville, Alabama in the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency contai ...

for one term, from 1878 to 1879."Henry Augustus Sharpe, Decatur News", ''The Moulton Advertiser'' (February 10, 1898), p. 2. In November 1881, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he continued the practice of law until 1884.

Judicial service

In 1884, Governor

Edward A. O'Neal Edward Asbury O'Neal (September 20, 1818 – November 7, 1890) was a Confederate officer during the American Civil War and the 26th Governor of Alabama. Early life and career O'Neal was born in Madison County, Alabama, to Edward and Rebec ...

appointed Sharpe to the newly created city court of Birmingham. Sharpe was reelected to the seat in 1886, and again in 1892, and after 1891 served as the senior presiding judge of

Jefferson County, Alabama Jefferson County is the List of counties in Alabama, most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, located in the central portion of the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 674,721. Its county seat i ...

."New Judges To Be Named", ''The Eufaula Daily Times'' (October 26, 1897), p. 3. In 1897, it was reported that he "has not seemed inclined to enter a contest for a seat on the higher bench", but in October 1897, his candidacy for the state supreme court was announced. Sharpe was one of four new justices, following an election that substantially remade the court. After serving for six years on the state supreme court, he declined to run for a seat on the newly reorganized court in 1904. He again served as presiding judge of

, remaining in that office until his death.

Personal life and death

Sharpe died at the age of 71 in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of one of his four daughters, whom Sharpe and his wife had been visiting for several weeks. His wife, noted for her humanitarian work, died 22 years later, in July 1941."Mrs. Henry A. Sharpe, Noted Humanitarian, Dies At Home In City", ''The Birmingham News'' (July 23, 1941), p. 10.

References

1848 births 1919 deaths Cumberland University alumni Members of the Alabama House of Representatives Justices of the Supreme Court of Alabama {{Alabama-state-judge-stub