Admitted to the Virginia bar, Ridgway began his legal practice in Liberty, Virginia (the Bedford county seat, which was incorporated in 1839 as a town, and renamed Bedford two decades after his death). He also was editor of the Bedford Sentinel. In 1850 Ridgeway lived in a boardinghouse in Amherst, the county seat of Amherst County, Virginia, on the other side of Lynchburg, with the innkeeper's family and several clerks and a schoolmaster.[1] In that census, he owned fifteen enslaved people, eight of them women (ranging from 65 and 56 years old to 16 and 12 year old girls) and seven men (ranging from 28 years old to 15, 12 and a 3 year old boy).[2] In 1853, Ridgway moved to Richmond, Virginia, and became the editor of the Richmond Whig. However, in 1860 he continued to own 10 slaves in Amherst County (two 70 year old women, women aged 25, 22 and 20, a 20 year old man, girls aged 7 and 2, and a 10 year old boy).[3]
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Ridgeway returned to Amherst. However "Richard S. Ridgeway" enlisted as a private in Company D of the 6th Virginia Cavalry on April 18, 1861, then went AWOL in September and was discharged on December 23, 1861, based on a surgeon's certificate concerning hip damage in a railroad accident.[4]
Shortly the war's end, in 1866, voters in Bedford, Amherst and nearby counties elected Ridgway as a Whig to the United States House of Representatives. However, fellow Congressmen did not permit him to be seated, because Virginia was still under Congressional Reconstruction and had not adopted a state constitution to replace the 1850 state constitution which allowed slavery. After Virginians ratified a new state constitution in 1869 (without its proposed bar on former Confederates holding office), voters in the 5th Congressional district elected Ridgway as a Conservative to the House, and he served from January 1870 until his death on October 16, 1870, in Amherst, Virginia. He appears in the 1870 census as living in Elon, Virginia, with his 86 year old mother Mary Ridgway as the head of household, and sisters Elizabeth, Harriet and Rhodie (aged 60, 50 and 48), as well as 44 year old Bettie Winston and 17 year old white servant Priscilla Gentry.[5]
Death and legacyedit
Congressman Ridgway was interred in the family cemetery in Amherst.
1. Because of Virginia's secession, the House seat was vacant for almost nine years before Ridgway succeeded Bocock.
January 01, 1970
robert, ridgway, congressman, this, article, about, congressman, lawyer, editor, ornithologist, robert, ridgway, robert, ridgway, april, 1823, october, 1870, nineteenth, century, congressman, lawyer, journalist, from, virginia, robert, ridgwaymember, house, re. This article is about the congressman lawyer and editor For the ornithologist see Robert Ridgway Robert Ridgway April 21 1823 October 16 1870 was a nineteenth century congressman lawyer and journalist from Virginia Robert RidgwayMember of the U S House of Representatives from Virginia s 5th districtIn office January 27 1870 October 16 1870Preceded byThomas S BocockSucceeded byRichard T W DukePersonal detailsBorn 1823 04 21 April 21 1823Lynchburg Virginia USDiedOctober 16 1870 1870 10 16 aged 47 Amherst Virginia USPolitical partyWhig until 1869 Other politicalaffiliationsConservative after 1869 Alma materEmory and Henry CollegeUniversity of VirginiaProfessionPolitician Lawyer Newspaper Editor Contents 1 Early and family life 2 Career 3 Death and legacy 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksEarly and family life editBorn in Lynchburg Virginia Ridgeway attended Emory and Henry College and graduated from the University of Virginia after studying law Career editAdmitted to the Virginia bar Ridgway began his legal practice in Liberty Virginia the Bedford county seat which was incorporated in 1839 as a town and renamed Bedford two decades after his death He also was editor of the Bedford Sentinel In 1850 Ridgeway lived in a boardinghouse in Amherst the county seat of Amherst County Virginia on the other side of Lynchburg with the innkeeper s family and several clerks and a schoolmaster 1 In that census he owned fifteen enslaved people eight of them women ranging from 65 and 56 years old to 16 and 12 year old girls and seven men ranging from 28 years old to 15 12 and a 3 year old boy 2 In 1853 Ridgway moved to Richmond Virginia and became the editor of the Richmond Whig However in 1860 he continued to own 10 slaves in Amherst County two 70 year old women women aged 25 22 and 20 a 20 year old man girls aged 7 and 2 and a 10 year old boy 3 At the outbreak of the Civil War Ridgeway returned to Amherst However Richard S Ridgeway enlisted as a private in Company D of the 6th Virginia Cavalry on April 18 1861 then went AWOL in September and was discharged on December 23 1861 based on a surgeon s certificate concerning hip damage in a railroad accident 4 Shortly the war s end in 1866 voters in Bedford Amherst and nearby counties elected Ridgway as a Whig to the United States House of Representatives However fellow Congressmen did not permit him to be seated because Virginia was still under Congressional Reconstruction and had not adopted a state constitution to replace the 1850 state constitution which allowed slavery After Virginians ratified a new state constitution in 1869 without its proposed bar on former Confederates holding office voters in the 5th Congressional district elected Ridgway as a Conservative to the House and he served from January 1870 until his death on October 16 1870 in Amherst Virginia He appears in the 1870 census as living in Elon Virginia with his 86 year old mother Mary Ridgway as the head of household and sisters Elizabeth Harriet and Rhodie aged 60 50 and 48 as well as 44 year old Bettie Winston and 17 year old white servant Priscilla Gentry 5 Death and legacy editCongressman Ridgway was interred in the family cemetery in Amherst See also editList of United States Congress members who died in office 1790 1899 References edit 1850 U S Federal Census for Eastern District Amherst County Virginia p 141 of 161 1850 U S Federal Slave Census for Eastern District Amherst County Virginia p 53 of 71 1850 U S Federal Slave Census for Amherst County Virginia p 66 of 84 Michael Musick 6th Virginia Infantry p 149 1870 U S Federal Census for Elon District Amherst County family 463 p 63 of 80External links editUnited States Congress Robert Ridgway id R000248 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress U S House of Representatives Preceded byThomas S Bocock 1 Member of the U S House of Representatives from Virginia s 5th congressional districtJanuary 27 1870 October 16 1870 Succeeded byRichard T W Duke Notes and references 1 Because of Virginia s secession the House seat was vacant for almost nine years before Ridgway succeeded Bocock Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert Ridgway congressman amp oldid 1219513301, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
