Stephen R. Mallory

Stephen R. Mallory. , About 1820, Stephen Mallory came to Key West with his parents, Ellen and John. At that time his mother was one of the few women on the island. He attended school in Mobile and Nazareth, Pennsylvania. His widowed mother's boarding house was the sole income for the family and lack of funds forced him to return to Key West where he studied law in the office of William Marvin. In 1835, he helped rehabilitate the volunteer fire department and was elected director. Mallory began to practice law in Key West. He was a county judge 1840 to 1845 and served in the Second Seminole War in the 1840's. He became the Collector of Customs in 1845. In 1850, Mallory was elected United States Senator from Florida by the legislature. During his service as senator he moved to Pensacola, his wife's home. In January 1861, he resigned his senate office and Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed him Secretary of the Navy. After the war, Union forces held him a prisoner at Fort Lafayette for 10 months. When his pardon was granted, Stephen Mallory returned to Pensacola where he practiced law until his death. , Donated by , Kosmas Group International.