Robert Ballard Gilliam (1805–1870) was a North Carolina politician and judge. He was born, lived and died in Granville County. He was the son of Leslie Gilliam, the long-time sheriff of Granville. R.B. Gilliam graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1823, in the same class with future state Treasurer Daniel W. Courts, future Chief Justice

Richmond M. Pearson Richmond Mumford Pearson (1805–1878) was an American jurist who served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1858 to 1878. He was the father of Congressman Richmond Pearson and the father-in-law of North Carolina Governor Da ...

, and others. He then began practicing law. Gilliam was also a member of the 1835 convention that thoroughly revised the Constitution of North Carolina. Gilliam was elected to represent Granville County in the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

House of Commons in

1836 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. * January 5 – Davy Crockett arrives in Texas. * January 12 ** , with Charles Darwin on board, r ...

, 1838, 1840, 1846, 1848 and

1862 Events January–March * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – French intervention in Mexico: French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico. * January ...

. For much of his time in the House, he served as

speaker of the house The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hunger ...

. In 1863, he was elevated to the state

superior court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

bench. In 1870, Gilliam was elected as a Conservative to the United States House of Representatives in a special election (following the resignation of John T. Deweese), but before he could take his seat, he died. John H. Wheeler wrote of Gilliam, "As a statesman, he was a pure and patriotic; as a lawyer, he was learned and able, and his ability was only equalled by the kindly qualities of his heart. Such were the conspicuous traits of his character, which endeared him to all who knew him."

References

* * * 1805 births 1870 deaths 19th-century American judges 19th-century American legislators Elected officials who died without taking their seats Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives North Carolina state court judges University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni {{NorthCarolina-politician-stub