William C. Folkes (June 8, 1845 – May 15, 1890)Judge William C. Folkes
, ''Memphis Daily Commercial'' (May 18, 1890), p. 2.Albert D. Marks, "The Supreme Court of Tennessee", Part IV,

Horace Williams Fuller Horace Williams Fuller (June 15, 1844 – October 26, 1901) was an American lawyer and editor who served as the first editor of ''The Green Bag'', a late-19th- and early-20th century legal news and humor magazine. Life and career Born in Aug ...

, ed., '' The Green Bag'', Volume 5 (1893), p. 280-81. was a justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1886 until his death in 1890.

Early life, education, and military service

Born in

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch (1740–1820), John Lynch, the city's populati ...

, to parents of English descent, he was sixteen years old and a school-boy when the American Civil War broke out. He quickly enlisted in the Confederate States Army, joining Moorman's Battery, enrolled at Lynchburg, and took part in the First Battle of Bull Run. He was severely wounded in that engagement. After his recovery, he rejoined the army. He lost a leg in the bloody charge at the Battle of Malvern Hill. Notwithstanding this disability, he continued in active service until the close of the war. After the war, he again took up his collegiate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in a short while. He then entered the law department of the University of Virginia, receiving his degree in 1866.

Legal and judicial career

In 1866, Folkes moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to practice law, and "soon commanded a large practice". He partnered with Judge Archibald Wright in the firm of Wright & Folkes, and continued to practice until 1886, when the Memphis Bar presented his name as a candidate for the state supreme court, to which he was then elected. On the court, he wrote many opinions in the areas of corporate law and of commercial paper. He had a reputation for being dedicated to his work, as the loss of his leg during the war impeded him from engaging in more physical activities.

Personal life and death

Shortly after moving to Memphis, Folkes married Mary Wright, daughter of Judge Archibald Wright. Folkes died at his apartment in the Gayoso Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 46, following an illness of several weeks.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Folkes, William C. 1845 births 1890 deaths People from Lynchburg, Virginia Confederate States Army personnel University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni University of Virginia alumni Justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court