Waller County Sheriffs

In the nineteenth century, the sheriff was the principle law-enforcement officer in the county.  This list grew out of wanting to understand who they were.  The table below represents the results of research of (primarily) newspaper articles and other sources.  The "date" column indicates the date of the mention in an article and not the tenure of the sheriff's term.

Texas established Waller county April 28, 1873 with H.B. 411 [1] [2]  when it split Austin county into two parts, with the Brazos river as the dividing line.  The eastern portion, along with a small part of southern Grimes county, became Waller county.  Waller county's first sheriff was William Green.  He had been the sheriff of Austin county until November 1872, when he resigned, and Joseph Blassingame, Sr. was appointed to replace him.[3]  In May, 1873, H.B. 857 was passed allowing Waller county commissioners to hold an election for county officers.[4]  An election was held August 16, 1873 with Republicans winning the majority.[5]

# date name notes
1 1873 William Green [6] He was born circa 1840 in England.  His father was Samuel Green, also born in England about 1810.  He was married to Louisa (b. ca 1842) and they had a son William Jr. (b. ca 1868).  He is enumerated on the 1870 census at Bellville as sheriff.[7]  He was sheriff of Austin county from June 1869 to October 1872, before Waller county was separated from it [8] and was a member of the Radical Republican Party.[9]  His family owned Green's Hotel in Austin county.
2 1876 [10] Thomas Sewell McDade [11] He ran on the Democrat ticket and was re-elected in 1878, 1880,[12] and 1886[13]  He resigned in September, 1888 [14] because his nephew and deputy had been indicted for the murder of Stephen Allchin.  (The next month, Nov. 26, he was ambushed at his home and murdered by the paramour of Stephen Allchin's stepdaughter, Joseph Blassingame Jr.[15]  See the Allchin-McDade Feud, and his genealogy information.
3 1888-09-08 Risher Maury "R.M." Thornton He had been J.P. of precinct 2 when he was appointed sheriff to complete the remaining two months of sheriff McDade's term.[16] [17]
4 1888-11-07 King Hiram "K.H." Faulkner [18] b. 1837 KY, d. 1906 NM.  He is on 1870 census in Hempstead.[19]
1890-11 K. H. Faulkner [20]
5 1892-11-02 Edwin Glover "E.G." Sterling.[21] [22] 1859-1922
6 1896-11-07 James Cocke "J.C." Lipscomb.[23] election results, death, death
7 1905-10-12 Junius Perry Won lawsuit challenging J. C. Lipscomb in a contested election.[24] (Waller Election Case)
1906-11 John Junius "J.J." Perry He defeated J. C. Lipscomb in a contested election.[25]  His picture 1910.  June 1915.[26]  His obituary says he retired in 1915.  His father was Dr. J. J. Perry 1827-1815 of Hempstead.
8 1917 Edward Monroe "E.M." Castle (Sheriff E.M. Castle), (Sheriff Ed Castle), (Sheriff E.M. Castle)
9 1924 Lewis Melvin "L.M." Moore (Sheriff Moore of Waller county), Sheriff L.H. Moore killed May 9, 1927., (2)
10 1927-08 D. Lawrence (Sheriff D. Lawrence); (Unsure of this, could be sheriff of Fort Bend cty.)
1929 Edward Monroe "E.M." Castle (death of son Philip Maurice Castle.)
11 1930 Ernest Lawrence W.T. Sartain running against Lawrence, (Sheriff Ernest Lawrence), (findagrave.com)
12 1934 Fred Blumberg (June 1934), (7-29-1934), (8-3-1934)
1939 Edward Monroe "E.M." Castle[27] [28] (Sheriff Ed Castle.)
13 1943 Albert Sterling Fletcher served 1842-1960; (3-8-1943), (10-19-1944), death - 8-19-1961
14 1961 Jimmy Whitworth (1-19-1961)
15 1987 Ronnie Sitton (7-9-1987)
16 1989 Randy Smith (4-10-1989)
17 2008 R. Glenn Smith death-8-1-2020. death-2020
18 2020 Joe Hester Appointed to fill remainder of sheriff R. Glenn Smith's term.  8-12-2020 - 12-31-2020; (8-12-2020)
19 2020 Troy Guidry (R)

Footnotes

  1. The County of Waller. The Houston Telegraph, Thursday, April 17, 1873, p. 2. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth235037/m1/2/zoom/?q=%20%22waller%20county%22&resolution=1.5&lat=4488&lon=1669.

  2. Bills Passed. The Galveston Daily News, Tuesday, April 29, 1873. newspapers.com.

    https://www.newspapers.com/image/24051182/?match=1&terms=waller.

  3. Wm. Green resigned, Jos. Blassingame appointed sheriff of Austin county. The Dallas Daily Herald, Saturday, November 30, 1872, p.2, col 4. newspapers.com.

    https://www.newspapers.com/image/143827594/?match=1&terms=%22wm%20green%22.

  4. An Act to provide for holding an election for county officers, in the county of Waller. Austin American-Statesman, Tuesday, May 20, 1873, p. 1, col 3. newspapers.com.

    https://www.newspapers.com/image/358054665/?match=1&terms=green%20waller.

  5. Waller county elections. Houston Daily Mercury, Sunday, August 17, 1873, p 2. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth232831/m1/2/zoom/?q=hempstead%20date:1873-1873&resolution=1.5&lat=6178.964238524781&lon=2349.182560655652.

  6. Sheriff Green in arrears with county. The Galveston Daily News, Wednesday, August 4, 1875 University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth463163/m1/2/zoom/?q=%22sheriff%20green%20waller%22~9&resolution=1.5&lat=6779&lon=3304.

  7. 1870 census - William Green; Sheriff, Bellville, Austin cty, Texas United States Census, 1870 ancestry.com

    https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/7564655:7163?tid=&pid=&queryId=ebe14e1f-95e3-450f-b7cb-214f2b748f48&_phsrc=UkM1384&_phstart=successSource.

  8. Wm. Green, ex-sheriff of Austin county, before Waller county. The Galveston Daily News, Sunday, August 19, 1888. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth468620/m1/1/zoom/?q=%22sheriff%20green%20waller%22~9&resolution=1.5&lat=3654&lon=4023.

  9. Concerning Hempstead and Waller County. Spindler, Frank MacDonald. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly; Vol. 59, No. 4 (Apr, 1956), pp. 455-472.

    https://www.jstor.org/stable/30235249.

  10. T.S. McDade elected sheriff The Galveston Daily News, Sunday, February 20, 1876, p 2, col 3. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth461714/m1/2/zoom/?resolution=1&lat=6238&lon=2195.

  11. Texas State Politics. Galveston Daily News, Sunday, Sep. 2, 1888, p. 4, Newspapers.com transcription

    https://www.newspapers.com/image/22291230/?terms=mcdade&match=1.

  12. Hempstead Election Returns. The Galveston Daily News, Saturday, November 6, 1880, p 1, col 4. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth462995/m1/1/zoom/?q=hempstead&resolution=1&lat=5186&lon=2558.

  13. Hempstead Election Returns. The Galveston Daily News, Thursday, November 4, 1886, p 2, col 5. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth462007/m1/2/zoom/?q=hempstead&resolution=1&lat=5042&lon=3555.

  14. Sheriff McDade Resigns As Sheriff And Withdraws From The Race.. Galveston Daily News, Friday, Sep. 7, 1888, p. 1, University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History transcription

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth468866/m1/1/zoom/?resolution=1&lat=2228&lon=4246.

  15. Who Shot M'dade? Fort Worth Daily Gazette, (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 13, No. 148, Ed. 1, Wednesday, November 28, 1888, University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History transcription

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth86912/m1/3/zoom/?resolution=1.5&lat=5202&lon=1909.

  16. A Sheriff Appointed The Galveston Daily News. Saturday, September 8, 1888, p. 5, col. 4. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History transcription

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth467420/m1/5/zoom/?resolution=1&lat=885&lon=2535.

  17. Risher Maury Thornton. (1863-1932), 69 years old. FindaGrave.com

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47193912/risher-maury-thornton.

  18. K. H. Faulkner elected sheriff Austin Weekly Statesman, Thursday, November 8, 1888, p 10. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth278143/m1/10/zoom/?q=%22faulkner%20sheriff%22&resolution=1&lat=5241&lon=4016.

  19. 1870 census King H. Faulkner; Hempstead, Waller county, Texas United States Census, 1870 ancestry.com

    https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/14423471:7163?ssrc=pt&tid=57379619&pid=392334412622.

  20. K. H. Faulkner re-elected sheriff. The Galveston Daily News, Saturday, November 8, 1890, p 2, col 4. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth468432/m1/2/zoom/?q=hempstead&resolution=1&lat=2948&lon=2745.

  21. Waller County Election Returns The Galveston Daily News. Thursday, November 10, 1892, p. 3, col. 2. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History transcription

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth466112/m1/3/zoom/?resolution=1&lat=4465&lon=1359.

  22. Edwin Glover Sterling Sr. (1859-1922), 62 years old. FindaGrave.com

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15460771/edwin_glover_sterling.

  23. James Cocke Lipscomb (1852-1936), 81 years old. FindaGrave.com

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55636614/james-cocke-lipscomb.

  24. Junius Perry won contested race for sheriff The State Herald (Mexia, Tex.), Thursday, October 12, 1905. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth290765/m1/4/zoom/?resolution=1&lat=3068&lon=1348.

  25. Junius J. Perry ruled to have defeated J. C. Lipscomb for sheriff of Waller county Galveston Tribune, Thursday, Nov. 15, 1906. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1332260/m1/7/zoom/?q=%22sheriff%20waller%22~10&resolution=1.5&lat=5879&lon=2592.

  26. J. J. Perry sheriff Waller county. The Houston Post, Wednesday, June 16, 1915, p 6, col 4. University Of North Texas Libraries, The Portal To Texas History.

    https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth607332/m1/6/zoom/?q=%22waller%20sheriff%22~10&resolution=1.5&lat=2516&lon=2798.

  27. E. M. Castle a Candidate for Re-election. The Brookshire Times, Friday, May 03, 1940, p. 1. newspapers.com.

    https://www.newspapers.com/image/12979379/?fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjEyOTc5Mzc5LCJpYXQiOjE3MTUzNjQ5NDEsImV4cCI6MTcxNTQ1MTM0MX0.2h9oxTQBNkZI1RujApPZk0vXbf3Rti_fYoqnxwn8kSA.

  28. Edward Monroe Castle (1876-1951), 75 years old. FindaGrave.com

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55243563/edward-monroe-castle.

Newspaper articles may be read at Timeline of News Reports.