Frank Gilmer

Frank Gilmer

Frank Gilmer (January 29, 1857 − October 10, 1917) was the Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Charlottesville (1888-1906). Today he is remembered locally as the city's prosecuting attorney in the 1905 murder trial of Charlottesville ex-mayor J. Samuel McCue.

Frank Gilmer was born January 29, 1857, at Buckeyeland, Albemarle County. He was the great-grandson on Dr. George Gilmer of “Penn Park,” who was family physician of Thomas Jefferson, and had in his possession a ledger showing the account of Thomas Jefferson with his family physician. Dr. Gilmer’s oldest daughter married William Wirt, Attorney-General of the United States. One of Dr. Gilmer's sons, a great uncle of Frank Gilmer, Francis Walker Gilmer, was the first law professor at the University of Virginia, and was sent abroad by Mr. Jefferson to select the first corps of professors at the University. He died soon after taking the University law chair. Governor Thomas Walker Gilmer, of Virginia, was Frank Gilmer’s uncle.