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Richard Henry Cardwell

Member From: 1881 - 1893

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  • Birth Date: August 1, 1846 Birth Place:Madison, N.C.
  • Death Date: March 19, 1931
  • Gender: Male Race: Caucasian
  • Spouse: Kate Howard
  • Children:
  • Religion:
  • Education: Madison Academy; Beulah Male Institute
  • Military Service:
  • Occupation/Profession:
  • Additional Info: Speaker of the House: 1887-1893. *On Dec. 6, 1893 he was elected a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals. John F. Ryan was elected Speaker in his place.
  • Bio: Born in Madison, N. C., August 1, 1840, Died at “Prospect Hill”, Hanover County, Va., March 19, 1931. Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Ashland, Va. Richard H. Carddwell of Hanover County was the son of Richard Perine and Elizabeth Martin (Dalton) Cardwell. He was the father of Speaker William D. Cardwell. He was educated at Madison Academy and Beulah Male Institute, which he left to enter the Army of the Confederacy as a member of the North Carolina Junior Reserves in March 1864. In the following May, he was transferred to the Army of Northern Virginia. He was reassigned to the Bureau of Conscription of North Carolina as an enrolling officer when he was retired from active duty due to ill health. In 1869, he moved to Hanover County, and in the spring of 1874, he was admitted to the bar and opened an office in Richmond. He was a member of the House of Delegates, 1881-94; and judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia, 1894-1916. He married, February 9, 1865, Kate Howard, daughter of Edward C. and Lucy (Crump) Howard of Richmond.

    While he was Speaker of the House, the Clerk was JOHN BELL BIGGER.
  • Other Notable Service and/or Elected Offices: Speaker of the House: 1889 - 1890; 1891 - 1892; 1893
    Judge, Supreme Court of Appeals: elected in 1893/1894
Session District District Number Party Leadership Committees
1881-1882 Hanover Funder Counties, Cities and Towns
Courts of Justice
Immigration
1883-1884 Hanover Funder Propositions and Grievances (Chair)
Courts of Justice
Federal Relations and Resolutions
1885-1887 Hanover Democrat Propositions and Grievances (Chair)
Officers and Offices at the Capitol
Public Property
Roads and Internal Navigation
1887-1888 Hanover Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1889-1890 Hanover Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1891-1892 Hanover Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1893-1894 Hanover Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (1893) (Chair)

*The information within this interactive and searchable application has been researched extensively by the House Clerk’s Office. As with any historical records of this age and breadth, there may be discrepancies and/or inconsistencies within records obtained from a variety of credible sources. Any feedback is encouraged at history@house.virginia.gov.

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