Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. | |
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| 27th Governor of North Carolina | |
| In office December 10, 1835 – December 31, 1836 | |
| Preceded by | David Lowry Swain |
| Succeeded by | Edward Bishop Dudley |
| 17th Grand Master of Masons of North Carolina[1] ) | |
| In office 1830–1832 | |
| Preceded by | Louis D. Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Simmons J. Baker |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 4th district | |
| In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 | |
| Preceded by | William S. Blackledge |
| Succeeded by | John Heritage Bryan |
| Member of the North Carolina Senate | |
| In office 1820–1823 | |
| Member of the North Carolina House of Commons | |
| In office 1819 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1796 New Bern, North Carolina |
| Died | November 17, 1850 New Bern, North Carolina |
| Resting place | "Clermont," near Newbern, North Carolina 35°04′19.9″N 77°03′17.7″W / 35.072194°N 77.054917°W |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic-Republican |
| Father | Richard Dobbs Spaight |
| Education | University of North Carolina |
Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. (1796 – November 17, 1850) was an American politician and planter who served as the 27th governor of North Carolina from 1835 to 1836. His father, Richard Dobbs Spaight, served as the eighth governor of North Carolina from 1792 to 1795.
Biography
Born in New Bern, North Carolina, Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. was the son of Richard Dobbs Spaight. He was orphaned in 1802, when his father was killed in a duel; he later attended the University of North Carolina, graduating in 1815. Spaight studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1818; he was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons in 1819 and the North Carolina Senate in 1820, where he served until being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1823.[2]
Defeated for re-election to Congress, Spaight returned to the state legislature. He made repeated unsuccessful attempts to run for governor, defeated in 1827 (by James Iredell Jr.), 1828 (by John Owen), 1830, 1831 (by Montfort Stokes) and 1832 (by David Swain). Spaight was finally successful in 1835, becoming the last governor elected by the General Assembly under the North Carolina Constitution of 1776. As governor, he opposed state-funded internal improvements. Under the new North Carolina Constitution of 1835, Spaight ran in the first statewide popular election for governor, but was defeated by Edward B. Dudley. The Spaights were the first father and son to serve as governor. W. Kerr Scott and Robert W. Scott later achieved the same distinction. Spaight retired to his farm near New Bern.[2]
Arms
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References
- ^ "Officers of the GRAND LODGE A.F. & A. M. of NORTH CAROLINA" [1787 TO 1887 First One Hundred Years]. Raleigh, North Carolina: Grand Lodge of North Carolina. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ a b United States Congress. "Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. (id: S000694)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ Bolton's American Armory. Boston: F. W. Faxon Co, 1927
External links
- Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. at Find a Grave
- Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. at The Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org)
- Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. at the National Governors Association
- Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. at The Political Graveyard
- Works by or about Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. at Internet Archive
- Works by or about Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. in libraries (WorldCat catalog)