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County: Linn
Term of Service at the Supreme Court of Missouri: January 1893 – December 1910
Judge Gavon Drummond Burgess was born November 5, 1832,[i] in Mason County, Kentucky.[ii] He was educated in the
public and private schools of Kentucky.[iii] He was admitted to the Kentucky
Bar in 1854.[iv]
In 1866, Burgess moved to Milan, Missouri, to practice law.[v] Later in 1866, he moved to Linneus, Missouri.[vi] He practiced law in Linneus, Missouri until 1874.[vii]
In 1874, he was elected Circuit Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.[viii] In 1880, he was elected for a second term.[ix] Burgess was elected for his third, and final term, as judge of the Eleventh Judicial District in 1886.[x]
Burgess was elected to the Supreme Court of Missouri in November 1892 for a ten-year term.[xi] He began his service with the court in January of 1893.[xii] He completed his first term in December of 1902.[xiii] Burgess was then re-elected to the Supreme Court in November of 1902 for another ten-year term.[xiv] He began his second term in January of 1903.[xv] His second term was set to expire in December of 1912, but he passed away two years before this date.
Judge Gavon Drummond Burgess died December 17, 1910, in Clay County, Missouri.[xvi]
[i] “Gavon D. Burgess,” Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1970 Database, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 20, 2021, available from https://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1910/1910_00037565.PDF
[ii] "Gavon D. Burgess," Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, Missouri Death Certificates 1910-1970 Database, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 3, 2021, available from https://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1910/1910_00037565.PDF See also: John E. Swanger, compiler, John E. Swanger, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1907-1908, (Jefferson City, MO: The Hugh Stephens Printing Company, 1908), 63, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 20, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/5982
[iii] John E. Swanger, compiler, John E. Swanger, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1907-1908, (Jefferson City, MO: The Hugh Stephens Printing Company, 1908), 63, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 20, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/5982
[iv] Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, Official Directory of Missouri for 1881, 3rd issue, (St. Louis, MO: John J. Daly & Co., Stationers and Printers, 1881), 142, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 20, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/141/rec/3
[v] “Judge Gavon D. Burgess,” The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, Missouri), July 29, 1901, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, information courtesy of the Chronicling America website, accessed on July 20, 2021, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1901-07-29/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1901&index=1&rows=20&words=Burgess+GAVON&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=1901&proxtext=Gavon+Burgess&y=12&x=6&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
[vi] “Judge Gavon D. Burgess,” The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, Missouri), July 29, 1901, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, information courtesy of the Chronicling America website, accessed on July 20, 2021, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1901-07-29/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1901&index=1&rows=20&words=Burgess+GAVON&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=1901&proxtext=Gavon+Burgess&y=12&x=6&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
[vii] “Judge Gavon D. Burgess,” The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, Missouri), July 29, 1901, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, information courtesy of the Chronicling America website, accessed on July 20, 2021, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1901-07-29/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1901&index=1&rows=20&words=Burgess+GAVON&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=1901&proxtext=Gavon+Burgess&y=12&x=6&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
[viii] Alexander A. Lesueur, compiler, Alexander A. Lesueur, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1891-92, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1892), 355, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 20, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/1647/rec/8
[ix] Michael K. McGrath, Secretary of State, Official Directory of Missouri for 1881, 3rd issue, (St. Louis, MO: John J. Daly & Co., Stationers and Printers, 1881), 142, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 20, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/141/rec/3
[x] Alexander A. Lesueur, compiler, Alexander A. Lesueur, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1891-92, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1892), 355, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 20, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/1647/rec/8
[xi] Alexander A. Lesueur, compiler, Alexander A. Lesueur, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Msisouri, for the Years 1895-96142, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/2772/rec/10
[xii] Alexander A. Lesueur, compiler, Alexander A. Lesueur, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1893-94, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders,1893), 123, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed July 23, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/2192
[xiii] Alexander A. Lesueur, compiler, Alexander A. Lesueur, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1893-94, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders,1893), 123, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed July 23, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/2192
[xiv] Sam B. Cook, compiler, Sam B. Cook, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1903-4, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1903), 214, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed July 23, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/4735
[xv] Sam B. Cook, compiler, Sam B. Cook, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1903-4, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1903), 214, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed July 23, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/4735
[xvi] “Gavon D. Burgess,” Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1970 Database, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 20, 2021, available from https://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1910/1910_00037565.PDF
Biographical Information Authored by Ms. Lillian Williams, 2021, University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri.