"Right and Ready": The law practice of Nathaniel Hart Davis, 1850--1883 (Texas)

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dc.contributor.advisorHyman, Harold M.
dc.creatorDirck, Brian Richard
dc.date.accessioned2009-06-04T00:20:55Z
dc.date.available2009-06-04T00:20:55Z
dc.date.issued1991
dc.description.abstractHistorians are unfamiliar with the frontier attorney. We know little of who he represented, what types of cases he litigated and his day-to-day labors. Nathaniel Hart Davis practiced law in Montgomery, Texas from 1850 to 1883; by examining his career we may shed light on these issues. Davis specialized in civil law. Debt collection dominated his practice, but he also litigated land disputes, probate, slave law and divorce cases. He represented the propertied citizens of Montgomery, nearly always acting on behalf of the plaintiff. His energies were devoted primarily to out-of-court tasks: gathering information, tracking down debtors, buying and selling real estate for speculators, and disposing of probate property and debts. Davis was not the stereotypical incompetent, ignorant, parasitical frontier attorney. A cautious, learned man, Davis fulfilled a vital role in his community. He tried to ensure relatively smooth business transactions in an unstable Texas economy.
dc.format.extent154 p.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.callnoThesis Hist. 1991 Dirck
dc.identifier.citationDirck, Brian Richard. ""Right and Ready": The law practice of Nathaniel Hart Davis, 1850--1883 (Texas)." (1991) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/13491">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/13491</a>.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/13491
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
dc.subjectAmerican history
dc.subjectLaw
dc.subjectBiographies
dc.title"Right and Ready": The law practice of Nathaniel Hart Davis, 1850--1883 (Texas)
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentHistory
thesis.degree.disciplineHumanities
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts
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