Before the creation of the probate courts in each county of Alabama by the Alabama Legislature in 1850, the probate of wills, the administration of estates, and other similar functions were carried out by a county court.
When Alabama became a state in 1819, each county court consisted of five justices. In 1821 that system was changed so that one judge presided over the county court.
The following is a list of the presiding county judges of Jefferson County and their terms of service:
Thomas W. Farrar
June 14, 1821 to August 31, 1822
John (Red) Brown
September 7, 1822 to January 1, 1823
Peter Walker
December 1, 1825
Walker Keith Baylor
Date of Governor’s appointment not certain
John F. Forrest
Elected January 22, 1839 Reelected January 22, 1845
James Wilcox
May 1, 1848 (Resigned 1st Monday of May, 1850)
A “court of probate” was established in each county of Alabama by Act No. 3 of the 1849-50 Session of the Alabama Legislature which passed on February 11, 1850. The court was composed of one judge for each county with the title of “judge of probate”. This individual would be elected by the qualified voters of the county and would hold office for a term of six years.
The following is a list of Jefferson County probate judges and their terms of service beginning in 1850:
Joab Bagley
Elected May 20, 1850 Served July 1850 to July 1856
Moses Kelley
Elected May 14, 1856 Served July 1856 to May 1862
William L. Wilson
May 5, 1862 to August 1865
John Calhoun Morrow
August 1865 to November 1884 (Resigned October 16, 1884, effective November 8, 1884)
In 1915 the Alabama Legislature created the Bessemer Cut-off of the Tenth Judicial Circuit. Local legislation later established the position of Bessemer Deputy Probate Judge.
The following persons have served in that position:
