Robert Wright (Maryland politician)

Robert Wright (November 20, 1752  September 7, 1826) was an American politician and a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

Robert Wright
United States Senator
from Maryland
In office
November 19, 1801  November 12, 1806
Preceded byWilliam Hindman
Succeeded byPhilip Reed
12th Governor of Maryland
In office
November 12, 1806  June 9, 1809
Preceded byRobert Bowie
Succeeded byEdward Lloyd
Member of the Maryland Senate
In office
1801
Personal details
Born(1752-11-20)November 20, 1752
Chestertown, Province of Maryland, British America
DiedSeptember 7, 1826(1826-09-07) (aged 73)
Queen Anne's County, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic-Republican
Spouse(s)Sarah De Courcy

Early life

Wright was born at Narborough, near Chestertown, attended the common schools, and the Kent Free School (later Washington College) of Chestertown. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1773, and commenced practice in Chestertown.

Career

He served in the Maryland militia during the American Revolutionary War as private, lieutenant, and later as captain. After the war, he served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1784 to 1786, and as a member of the Maryland State Senate in 1801.

In 1800, Wright was elected as a Democratic Republican to the United States Senate on November 19, 1801, for the term commencing March 4, 1801. In the Senate, Wright served as delegate to the Farmers’ National Convention in 1803. He resigned from the Senate on November 12, 1806, having been elected the 12th Governor of Maryland, a position he served in from 1806 to 1809.

After his tenure as governor, Wright served as clerk of Queen Anne's County, Maryland in 1810, and was elected to the Eleventh and Twelfth Congresses to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Brown. He was re-elected to the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Congresses and served from November 29, 1810, to March 3, 1817. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1816 to the Fifteenth Congress, but was elected to the Seventeenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1822.

Later life

In his later life, Wright served as district judge of the lower Eastern Shore district of Maryland from 1823 until his death.

Personal life

Wright was married to Sarah De Courcy.[1] Together, they were the parents of:

Wright died on September 7, 1826 at Blakeford in Queen Anne's County. He is interred in the private burying ground of the DeCourcy family at Cheston-on-Wye in Queen Anne's County.

References

U.S. Senate
Preceded by
William Hindman
U.S. senator (Class 3) from Maryland
1801–1806
Served alongside: John E. Howard, Samuel Smith
Succeeded by
Philip Reed
Political offices
Preceded by
Robert Bowie
Governor of Maryland
1806–1809
Succeeded by
Edward Lloyd
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
John Brown
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 7th congressional district

1810–1817
Succeeded by
Philip Reed
Preceded by
Stevenson Archer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 7th congressional district

1821–1823
Succeeded by
William Hayward, Jr.
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