James Diament WESTCOTT, Jr., Congress, FL (1802-1880)

WESTCOTT, James Diament, Jr., a Senator from Florida; born in Alexandria, Va., May 10, 1802; moved to New Jersey, where he received a liberal education; studied law; admitted to the bar in 1824 and commenced practice; clerk in the Consular Bureau, Washington, D.C.; secretary of Florida Territory 1830-1834; United States attorney for the middle district of Florida 1834-1836; member, Territorial house of representatives 1832; delegate to the State constitutional conventions in 1838 and 1839; upon the admission of Florida as a State into the Union was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate and served from July 1, 1845, to March 3, 1849; was not a candidate for reelection in 1848; chairman, Committee on Territories (Twenty-ninth Congress), Committee on Patents and the Patent Office (Thirtieth Congress); settled in New York City in 1850 and practiced law; moved to Canada in 1862; died in Montreal, Canada, January 19, 1880; interment in City Cemetery, Tallahassee, Fla.

Bibliography

Marks, Henry S. “Proceedings of the First Florida Congressional Delegation.” Florida Historical Quarterly 44 (January 1966): 205-11; Westcott, James D. Exposition of the Facts and Law, in the Case of G.G. Westcott, Esq., Postmaster at Philadelphia. Philadelphia: King & Baird, 1859.

Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present