George Gordon King (June 9, 1807 – July 17, 1870) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

Early life

King was born in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

, on June 9, 1807. He was the eldest son of Dr. David King Sr. (1774–1836), and his wife, whose maiden name was Gordon. His three younger brothers were David King Jr., Edward King, and William Henry King (who owned Kingscote mansion in Newport), who each made large fortunes as traders by going to China with

Russell & Company Russell & Company () was the largest American trading house of the mid-19th century in China. The firm specialised in trading tea, silk and opium and was eventually involved in the shipping trade. Foundation In 1818, Samuel Russell was approached ...

. His nephew and namesake, George Gordon King, was married to Annie McKenzie Coats, the daughter of Sir James Coats, 1st Bt. and Sarah Ann (née

Auchincloss Auchincloss is a surname of Scottish origin, derived from an area in Ayrshire known as ''Auchincloich'', which is Scottish Gaelic for "field of stones". It is also the name of a prominent American family, from ' ("field") and ' ("stone"). Notable ...

) Coats. King pursued classical studies in Newport and at

Phillips Academy ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 387. As of th ...

. He graduated from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

in 1825. He attended the

Litchfield Law School The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield, Connecticut, was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietary school was unaffiliated with any college or university. (Wh ...

in Connecticut.

Career

He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1827 and practiced in Providence and Newport. He served as member and speaker of the State house of representatives in 1845 and 1846. King was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-first and Thirty-second Congresses from March 4, 1849, until March 3, 1853, as he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection.

Personal life

King died in

, on July 17, 1870. He was interred in Island Cemetery.

References

External links

* *
King Family Papers, 1844-1901
at the William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan. {{DEFAULTSORT:King, George Gordon 1807 births 1870 deaths Politicians from Newport, Rhode Island Members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island Brown University alumni Rhode Island Whigs Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives Speakers of the Rhode Island House of Representatives 19th-century American politicians