San Luis Obispo County Biographies

DURRELL STOKES GREGORY

Submitted by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


DURRELL STOKES GREGORY was born in Virginia, June 14, 1825. About the year 1838 
he removed to Cobb County, Georgia, and was educated in Marietta. He read law 
under ex-Governor McDonald, and was admitted to practice under special enactment 
of the Legislature, on account of being under the lawful age. Afterward he was in 
partnership with Governor McDonald until starting for California, in 1850. He first 
located in Santa Cruz, in the practice of law; thence he went to Monterey, from 
which place he was sent as a delegate to the Peace Convention, which met at 
Charleston, in 1860. About the year 1862 he formed a law partnership with P. K. 
Woodside, which continued many years. In 1872 lie removed to the new town of 
Salinas, where he remained until 1882, when he came to San Luis Obispo, although 
for several years previous he had maintained an office here. His law practice here 
grew rapidly, and in the course of time he was selected by Governor Stoneman to 
till the position of Superior Judge, made vacant by the death of Judge McMurtrie, 
which occurred February 11, 1883. At the expiration of the term of this appointment. 
Judge Gregory was a candidate before the people and was elected to the Superior 
Judgeship, which position he held until his death, which occurred at 3:30 p. M., June 
12, 1889. Judge Gregory's political services to the State of California were varied and 
invariably in the interests of good government and order. He was twice a member of 
the Senate, from the district composed of Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, and of 
the Assembly from Monterey County. Early in the year 1888 the Judge began rapidly 
to fail, being troubled with a disease which rendered him practically helpless ; and so 
he had been on his back most of the time for a year, and utterly unable to assist 
himself during the four months prior to his demise. He was a most patient sufferer, 
always gentle in spite of the great pain which racked his every bone. For a long time 
the Judge had realized his helpless physical condition and looked forward to the end 
with calmness. A man of most loving and affectionate disposition, ever true to his 
family and friends, he was universally popular. As a lawyer he was bright, alert and 
accurate, always going into court thoroughly conversant with every detail of the case 
in hand. Although not a flowery orator, he was clear, concise and convincing in 
argument, and was generally favorably regarded by jurists. As a judge he was strict, 
but invariably courteous and impartial. A man of the strictest integrity, no man nor 
combination of circumstances could induce him to swerve from a position he knew 
to be right. 

Judge Gregory was married August 20, 1876, to Miss Amelia Hartnell, whose family 
were early pioneers of California. 

History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California  - by 
C.M. Gidney, Benjamin Brooks, Edwin M. Sheridan, Vol I, II.  -Lewis Publ. Co., 
Chicago, 1917.