Born: 1796

Died: 1856

Marcus Brutus Winchester was the first mayor of Memphis.  He was also the son of  General James Winchester, one of the three original owners of the Memphis property.  As it happened the growth of Memphis was slow and passed the General by without him seeing a very handsome profit.

Marcus, whose father named the original purchase Memphis was educated in Baltimore.  Born to the General and Susan Black, Marcus left school at the age of 16 to serve at his fathers' side in the war of 1812.  They were both captured under questionable circumstances and were held prisoner in Quebec. 

This incident colored the rest of his father's life and underscored the rivalry between the various generals of that war, especially between Winchester and William Henry Harrison who would later become President of the United States.

Marcus was an original inspector of the Memphis purchase.  He accompanied Andrew Jackson and Isaac Shelby to the signing of the Chickasaw Cession (or Jackson purchase) which drove the Chickasaws from the “purchased“ land increasing its value immeasurably.  Marcus actually drew up the plans for Memphis, along with a surveyor named William Lawrence.