My Genealogy Hound

S. L. Cockroft, attorney-general of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Tennessee, was born in Leake County, Miss., in 1852, and is one of a family of five sons and two daughters born to the marriage of W.S. Cockroft and Mary Sawyer. The father was born in Edgefield District, S. C. in 1810, but when a youth removed to Alabama, where he married. After a few years’ residence there, he went to Leake County, Miss., where he has since resided. His wife, who died in 1880, was a native of South Carolina, and of Scotch-Irish extraction. The subject of this sketch was reared at home. He received a thorough literary education at the University of Mississippi, at Oxford, and the National Normal University, at Lebanon, Ohio. From the latter institution he graduated, in 1877, as the valedictorian of his class. After leaving school, he was elected superintendent of the Union Seminary, at Newbern, Dyer County, a position which he continued to hold for three years, and during that time rendered valuable assistance in establishing the common school system in the county. While at Lebanon, Ohio, he took a partial course in law, which he completed during the time he was teaching. In 1882 he was admitted to the bar, and formed a partnership with J. W. Burney, of Newbern. In 1886 he was elected to the office of attorney-general, by a majority of 3,519 votes. On December 27, 1880, he was joined in marriage with Lula McCorkle, a native of Dyer County, and a daughter of J. S. and Lizzie McCorkle, of Newbern. To their union have been born two children: Cicero and Beatrice. Mr. Cockroft is a member of the I. O. O. F., and both he and wife are members of the Baptist Church.