James King Gibson (February 18, 1812 – March 30, 1879) was a nineteenth-century American politician, merchant, sheriff and banker from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. He served one term in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Early life

James King Gibson was born in

Abingdon, Virginia Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States, southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,376 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Washington County. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and f ...

on February 18, 1812. He attended the common schools as a child. He moved to

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in ...

in 1833, but moved back to Abingdon in 1834 and engaged in mercantile pursuits.

Career

He was deputy sheriff of

Washington County, Virginia Washington County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,935. Its county seat is Abingdon. Washington County is part of the Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statis ...

in 1834 and 1835 and was appointed postmaster of Abingdon in 1837, serving until 1849. Gibson was elected as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

to the

in 1869, serving in the 41st U.S. Congress from January 28, 1870, to March 3, 1871. Gibson declined reelection in 1870 and engaged in agricultural pursuits and banking.

Death

Gibson died in Abingdon on March 30, 1879. He was interred there in Sinking Spring Cemetery.

References

External links

* 1812 births 1879 deaths Members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Virginia postmasters Politicians from Huntsville, Alabama Politicians from Abingdon, Virginia Conservative Party of Virginia members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century American legislators Virginia sheriffs 19th-century Virginia politicians {{Virginia-Representative-stub