Richard Sprigg Canby (September 30, 1808 – July 27, 1895) 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

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. Born in

Lebanon, Ohio Lebanon is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,841 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. History Lebanon is in the Symmes Purchase. The first European settler ...

, Canby completed preparatory studies. He attended

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the 10 ...

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...

, from 1826 to 1828. He engaged in mercantile pursuits and while thus employed studied law. 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 ...

about 1840 and commenced practice in

Bellefontaine, Ohio Bellefontaine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States, located 48 miles (77 km) northwest of Columbus. The population was 13,370 at the 2010 Census. It is the principal city of the Bellefontaine, OH Micropo ...

. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1845 and 1846. Canby was elected as a Whig to the Thirtieth Congress (March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849). He engaged in agricultural pursuits. Upon its formation in 1856 affiliated with the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. He moved to

Olney, Illinois Olney ( ) is the county seat in Richland County, Illinois. The population was 9,115 at the time of the 2010 census. History Settlement of the Richland County area began around 1815 when Thaddeus Morehouse, a native of Vermont, arrived by wa ...

, in 1863, where he resumed the practice of law. Canby was elected judge of the second judicial circuit court of Illinois in 1867 and served for several years. He again resumed the practice of his profession in Olney. Discontinued active business pursuits in 1882, and lived in retirement until his death. He died in

, July 27, 1895. He was interred in Haven Hill Cemetery.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canby, Richard S. 1808 births 1895 deaths People from Lebanon, Ohio Miami University alumni People from Bellefontaine, Ohio Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio 19th-century American legislators People from Olney, Illinois