Associate Justice, Texas Supreme Court, 1874-1875
Born to Irish parents in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on February 28, 1820, Thomas Jefferson Devine left home at an early age and worked briefly in New York City before moving to Tallahassee, Florida at the age of sixteen, where he worked as a mercantile clerk. Three years later, in 1838, he relocated to Woodville, Mississippi, where he studied law for two years. In the fall of 1840 he began formal law studies at Transylvania University at Lexington, Kentucky. Following his graduation in 1843, Devine obtained his law license in Kentucky.
In 1844 Devine moved to La Grange, Texas, married, and settled in San Antonio, where he opened a law practice. The following year he was elected city attorney. He held that position until being elected district judge of the Bexar district in 1851 and served in that capacity until 1861. That year he participated in the Secession Convention and served on the Public Safety Committee until being appointed a judge for the Confederate Western District of Texas. In 1864 he represented the Confederate States on a successful diplomatic mission to Mexico City regarding cotton transport.
Following the war Devine moved to Mexico in order to avoid taking the oath of allegiance to the federal government but returned to San Antonio a few months later. Upon his return was arrested on high treason charges, one of only three individuals arrested for treason during the Civil War, and was imprisoned in Fort Jackson Barracks in New Orleans. While incarcerated he became ill with pneumonia and was released in January 1866, four months after his arrest, without a trial. He was pardoned and his citizenship was restored on June 17, 1867.
In 1874 Gov. Coke appointed Devine an associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court. However, due to the serious illness of his wife and his preference for private practice, he resigned the following year. From 1881 to 1882, Devine served on the board of regents for the University of Texas, which opened in 1883. He died at his San Antonio home on March 16, 1890 at the age of seventy.
Halloran v. T. & N. O. R. R. Co.,
Murchison v. Holly,
In Memoriam,
77 Texas reports v (1890).Lynch, James Daniel.
The Bench and Bar of Texas 302 (St. Louis, Missouri: Nixon-Jones Printing Co., 1885).Russell, Yancey L. Devine, Thomas Jefferson,
Handbook of Texas Online (last updated June 6, 2001). http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/DD/fde50.html
