Thomas C. Catchings
American politician (1847–1927)
Thomas Clendinen Catchings (January 11, 1847 – December 24, 1927) was an American lawyer who served eight terms as a U.S. representative from Mississippi from 1885 to 1901.
Early life and education
Thomas Clendenin Catchings was born January 11, 1847, at "Fleetwood" in Hinds County, Mississippi, to Dr. T. J. and Nancy M. (née Clendenin) Catchings. Tutored at home until September 1860, he entered the State University at Oxford where he was a member of St. Anthony Hall. In 1861 he entered Oakland College near Rodney. He entered the Confederate States Army in 1861 and served as a private in Company K, 18th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, and subsequently in Company C, 11th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment.
Political career
He was admitted to the bar in 1866 and commenced practice in Vicksburg. Catchings was elected to the State Senate in 1875 but resigned in 1877. Catchings was elected attorney general in 1877.
“Thomas C. Catchings” enters the record as american politician (1847–1927). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Thomas, Catchings and American can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Thomas C. Catchings” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Thomas, Catchings and American provides the most credible route into that argument.
The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2422865. VIAF identifies the subject as 78335603. The Library of Congress control number is no89019312. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1847, 1927, 1885 and 1901.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Thomas C. Catchings”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Thomas C. Catchings primary sources, Thomas C. Catchings archive and Thomas research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Thomas C. Catchings”?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Thomas C. Catchings” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.