William Sprague, also known as William III or William Sprague III (November 3, 1799 – October 19, 1856), was a politician and industrialist from the U.S. state of Rhode Island, serving as the 14th Governor, a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator. He was the uncle of William Sprague IV, also a Governor and Senator from Rhode Island.
His family fortune came from the cotton and paint manufacturing, and he assumed active control of the family business following the murder of his brother Amasa on December 31, 1843. The Senator took an active interest in the trial of the Gordon brothers for the murder. The trial resulted in one of the defendants being sent to the gallows, and remains highly controversial for the amount of anti-Irish bigotry involved. In 2011, the condemned man was posthumously pardoned by the Rhode Island governor.[2]
^"Notable Persons Interred at Swan Point Cemetery". Swan Point Cemetery. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
Further reading
Hoffman, Charles, and Hoffman, Tess. Brotherliy Love: Murder and the Politics of Prejudice in Nineteenth-Century Rhode Island. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1993.
Knight, Benjamin. History of the Sprague Families, of Rhode Island. Santa Cruz: H. Coffin, 1881.
Warwick Beacon 29 May 2003 Lifebeats section, "Historic Homes" by Don D'Amato on Sprague's anti-masonic politics
william, sprague, william, sprague, also, known, william, november, 1799, october, 1856, politician, industrialist, from, state, rhode, island, serving, 14th, governor, representative, senator, uncle, william, sprague, also, governor, senator, from, rhode, isl. William Sprague also known as William III or William Sprague III November 3 1799 October 19 1856 was a politician and industrialist from the U S state of Rhode Island serving as the 14th Governor a U S Representative and a U S Senator He was the uncle of William Sprague IV also a Governor and Senator from Rhode Island William Sprague IIIUnited States Senatorfrom Rhode IslandIn office February 18 1842 January 17 1844Preceded byNathan F DixonSucceeded byJohn B Francis14th Governor of Rhode IslandIn office May 2 1838 May 2 1839LieutenantJoseph ChildsPreceded byJohn B FrancisSucceeded bySamuel Ward KingMember of the U S House of Representatives from Rhode Island s At large districtIn office March 4 1835 March 3 1837Preceded byTristam BurgesSucceeded byRobert B CranstonSpeaker of the Rhode Island House of RepresentativesIn office 1832 1835Preceded byJoseph L TillinghastSucceeded byHenry Y CranstonPersonal detailsBorn 1799 11 03 November 3 1799Cranston Rhode IslandDiedOctober 19 1856 1856 10 19 aged 56 Providence Rhode IslandPolitical partyWhig Contents 1 Biography 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External linksBiography EditWilliam Sprague was the son of William Sprague 1773 1836 and Anna Potter 1763 1828 He was born in the Gov William Sprague Mansion in Cranston Rhode Island and pursued classical studies as a student He engaged in mercantile pursuits and was a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives serving as speaker from 1832 to 1835 and leading a coalition of Anti Masonic and Democratic Party members 1 He was elected as an at large candidate from the Whig Party to the Twenty fourth Congress and served from March 4 1835 to March 3 1837 He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1836 He was elected Governor of Rhode Island in 1838 He subsequently was elected as a Whig to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Nathan F Dixon and served from February 18 1842 to January 17 1844 when he resigned He served as chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Enrolled Bills in the Twenty seventh Congress He was a U S presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1848 His family fortune came from the cotton and paint manufacturing and he assumed active control of the family business following the murder of his brother Amasa on December 31 1843 The Senator took an active interest in the trial of the Gordon brothers for the murder The trial resulted in one of the defendants being sent to the gallows and remains highly controversial for the amount of anti Irish bigotry involved In 2011 the condemned man was posthumously pardoned by the Rhode Island governor 2 In addition to the family business he was president of the Hartford Providence and Fishkill Railroad and of two banks The extended Sprague family has descendants who live in the Utica New York area 3 Sprague died in Providence Rhode Island and is interred in Swan Point Cemetery there 4 References Edit The Builder Magazine December 1926 Erika Niedowski RI governor pardons Irish man hanged in 1845 Associated Press 2011 06 29 Wilson J G Fiske J eds 1900 Sprague William Appletons Cyclopaedia of American Biography New York D Appleton Notable Persons Interred at Swan Point Cemetery Swan Point Cemetery Retrieved March 26 2014 Further reading EditHoffman Charles and Hoffman Tess Brotherliy Love Murder and the Politics of Prejudice in Nineteenth Century Rhode Island Amherst The University of Massachusetts Press 1993 Knight Benjamin History of the Sprague Families of Rhode Island Santa Cruz H Coffin 1881 Warwick Beacon 29 May 2003 Lifebeats section Historic Homes by Don D Amato on Sprague s anti masonic politicsExternal links Edit United States portal New England portal Rhode Island portal Biography portalWilliam Sprague at National Governors Association William Sprague 1799 1856 entry at The Political Graveyard William Sprague III at Find a Grave This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress United States Congress William Sprague III id S000746 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress William Sprague s 1932 Anti Masonic Ticket from the Rhode Island State Archives Party political officesFirst Anti Masonic nominee for Governor of Rhode Island1831 1832 Succeeded byNoneVacantTitle last held byTristam Burges Whig nominee for Governor of Rhode Island1838 1839 Succeeded bySamuel Ward KingU S House of RepresentativesPreceded byDutee Jerauld Pearce Member of the U S House of Representatives from Rhode Island s at large congressional districtMarch 4 1835 March 3 1837 Succeeded byRobert B CranstonPolitical officesPreceded byJohn Brown Francis Governor of Rhode IslandMay 2 1838 May 2 1839 Succeeded bySamuel Ward KingU S SenatePreceded byNathan F Dixon U S senator Class 1 from Rhode IslandFebruary 18 1842 January 17 1844 Served alongside James F Simmons Succeeded byJohn B Francis Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Sprague III amp 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