PALMER, Edward A., jurist and state senator, was born in Buckingham (now Appomattox) county, Va.. July 1, 1825, son of Dr. Reuben Darjarnett and Martha P. (Christian) Palmer. His father was an eminent physician and planter, who served as surgeon and first lieutenant in the war of 1812; surgeon in 7th Gray's regiment of Virginia militia, and first lieutenant in Capt, John B. Royall's troop of cavalry, of Halifax county, Va., in 1st Holcomb's Virginia regiment. He was the son of Elias and Hannah (Le Grand) Palmer; and his mother was daughter of John Le Grand, and granddaughter of Pierre Le Grand and his wife, Jane Micheaux, Huguenots, who fled from Bohain, France, in 1686, and settled in Virginia about 1700. Elias Palmer was the son of Thomas Palmer of Halifax county, Va., who was a descendant of Thomas Palmer, member of house of burgesses in 1629, and justice in 1631-32 for tipper parts of Charles City county and Henrico county, Va. Judge Edward A. Palmer's mother was a daughter of Henry and Martha (Patteson) Christian of Amherst and Buckingham county, Va. Martha Patteson was daughter of Jonathan, son of David Patteson of New Kent county, Va. Henry Christian was a captain in the revolutionary war. He enlisted, Nov. 22, 1776, as a private in the 10th Virginia regiment, commanded by Col. Edward Stevens ; lie was captain under Col. Daniel Gaines of Amherst county, Va., who marched and joined the army under La Fayette. Henry Christian's father was William Christian of Virginia, who was on the committee of safety for Charles City county, Va., in 1774. He is descended from Thomas Christian, the first American ancestor of the family, who came to Virginia in 1630. He was descended from the Christians in the Isle of Man, where they were, in 1422, the hereditary judges (deemsters) in the island for a century. The name was originally McChristain, and in 1630 was first written Christian; their genealogy is traced to 900 A.D. Judge Edward A. Palmer, the subject of this sketch, was graduated at the Hampden-Sidney College in 1845, at the head of his class. On account of delicate health he removed to Houston, Tex., in 1846, and began the practice of law. He became one of the most distinguished lawyers in the state. He was in the Texas legislature (1852-54); was in the state senate (1855), and declined re-election. His service in the senate was distinguished by his diligent efforts in perfecting the school fund and internal improvement system, and advocacy of doctrine of state rights, which were marked benefit to the stale. In 1860 he was elected judge of the district, serving for three terms. He was married, in Lynchburg, Va., Dec. 3, 1846, to Martha Winifred, daughter of Samuel and Winifred Jones (Guerrant) Branch. (For Mrs. Palmer's genealogy, see Branch, Anthony Martin.) They had three children: William Henry Palmer, H. Elizabeth Palmer (married, first, Edward Milby; after his death, married Hon. Joseph C. Hutcheson) and Rosalie Heath Palmer (married Sinclair Taliaferro). Judge Edward A. Palmer died in Houston, Tex., Jan. 15, 1862, being at that time judge of the district.
[Source: The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography Volume 8; By James Terry White; Publ. 1898; Transcribed by Andrea Stawski Pack]
