JANUARY 8-12, 1811
Simon Favre on the Pearl River, Phillip Saucier at the Bay of St. Louis, and Jaques L'Adnier at Biloxi Bay are appointed Justices of the Peace by W.C.C. Claiborne. The area is Biloxi Parish and is part of Feliciana County, which is officially part of the Louisiana Territory.
DECEMBER 14, 1812
Hancock County is formed. The act establishes no county seat.
- April 14, 1812 – District of Mobile established as the area west of the Pearl is added to the State of Louisiana. Runs from the Pearl to the Perdido.
- May 14, 1812 – District of Mobile annexed to the Mississippi Territory.
FEBRUARY 2, 1825 – PEARLINGTON (sort of)
An act establishing the places of holding court in the county of Hancock.
December-May: Pearlington, June-November: Shieldsborough
Section 2 enacts that the clerks of the several courts shall keep their offices and records in the town of Pearlington.
1826 – 1839
No act is passed establishing a county seat for Hancock during this period.
- (The law books mention several acts changing the boundaries of Hancock county, and also specifically mention the establishment of county seats for Yazoo and Marion counties, to name a few.)
- A footnote in a document mentions Miss. Laws 1831, p. 114-115, and 1836, p. 406, as pertaining to county seat legislation, but I haven't seen the originals and above book does not mention them.
1842 – SHIELDSBOROUGH
An 1848 Supreme Court case (Monet v. Jones) refers to acts of 1842 (page 181) and 1843 (page 79) as having established a county seat for Hancock. Even though it doesn't mention where it was established, the 1848 suit is clearly filed to try and keep the county seat in Shieldsborough.
FEBRUARY 13, 1846 – GAINESVILLE
A supreme court case repeats verbatim the act approved by Miss. legislature on this day "that the seat of justice for the county of Hancock, be and the same is made permanent, and located in the town of Gainesville".
MAY 6, 1867 – SHIELDSBOROUGH
The Board of Police declares that the city of Shieldsborough "be and is hereby declared from and after this date the permanent seat of Justice of the county", and designates the old Custom House as courthouse.
- March 19, 1867 – Board of Police declares Gainesville to have "the highest number of votes " after election held the day before.
- April 29, 1867 – Circuit Court orders Board of Police to establish Shieldsborough as the seat of justice, deciding that it had received the "majority of legal votes."
- footnotes in same document mentioned above mention Miss. Laws 1867, p. 544-545, and 1871, p. 647-648, as pertaining to county seat legislation. These might be formal State legislature confirmation.
Interesting tidbit:
A history and new gazetteer: or geographical dictionary, of North America and the West Indies
Entry for Hancock County, MS mentions:
– 1838 edition -> Chief town: Pearlington
– 1843 edition, with foreword dated June 1842 -> Shieldsborough is the seat of justice