Richard Raftus (1845 – September 7, 1879) was a lawyer and politician in
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
. He represented Ferryland in the
Newfoundland House of Assembly
The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is the unicameral deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It meets in the Confederation Building in St. Jo ...
from 1874 to 1878.
The son of Thomas Raftus and Mary Butler, he was born in St. John's and was educated at
St. Bonaventure's College
St. Bonaventure's College (commonly called St. Bon's) is an independent kindergarten to grade 12 Catholic School in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, adjacent to the Roman Cat ...
. Raftus studied law with
Joseph Ignatius Little
Sir Joseph Ignatius Little (1835 14 July 1902) was a lawyer, politician, and judge in the Newfoundland Colony.
Biography
Little was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the son of Cornelius Little and Brigid (née Costin). He was a law ...
and was admitted to the Newfoundland bar in 1871. He married Hannah Powers. Raftus also wrote poetry and acted in local theatre.
He died suddenly at the age of 34 in St. John's.