Robert Riddick Prentis (May 24, 1855 – November 25, 1931) was a

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

lawyer, politician and judge. He served as a justice of the

Supreme Court of Virginia The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative ...

from 1917 through 1931, and was the chief justice of the Court for the last five years on the bench.

Early life and education

Prentis was born on May 24, 1855 to the former Margaret Ann Whitehead at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

. His father Robert Riddick Sr. was a lawyer who became collector of internal revenue during the American civil war, as well as clerk of Albemarle county and proctor of the university. His education was very scant because of the American Civil War and death of his father.

Career

When just a very young man, he worked for a short time in the clerk's office in

Albemarle County, Virginia Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Char ...

and from there entered the

in 1875. After graduating with a law degree, he opened a law office in

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Cha ...

in 1876. In 1878, however, he moved to

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. An opportunity to practice with A.C. Withers was accepted in 1880 and Prentis moved to

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

, which was his home for the rest of his life. His first political office was as Mayor of Suffolk from 1883 to 1885. In 1894, he was elected Judge of the First Judicial Circuit of Virginia. He held that position until 1907 when he was appointed a member of the State Corporation Commission. In December 1916, he was elected to the

Supreme Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative ...

and, on March 10, 1926, became its first "Chief Justice". Prior to this, the judge longest in continuous service was called "President" of the court. He was on the court until his death in 1931. In 1927, Governor Harry F. Byrd, Sr. appointed Prentis the chair of a Commission to recommend Constitutional amendments to give cities and counties greater flexibility. The commission became known as the Prentis Commission. Its recommendations were based on the New York Bureau of Municipal Research and a Virginian Citizens' Committee on Consolidation and Simplification in State and Local Governments. They were passed in two successive sessions of the General Assembly, and approved by the voters in a 1928 referendum.Dinan, John. "The Virginia State Constitution: a reference guide", , Praeger Publishers 2006, p. 18-19 Robert R. Prentis's brother-in-law was Nathaniel Beaman, Co-founder and President of the National Bank of Commerce of Norfolk, Virginia, and Mayor of Norfolk in 1901 (filled the remainder of predecessor's term). Beaman named his first son Robert Prentis Beaman, after Robert R. Prentis, and the name has subsequently passed to two other descendants. The latest, Robert Prentis Beaman III, followed in his namesake's footsteps, graduating from William and Mary Law School earning

Order of the Coif The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...

honors, and currently resides in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prentis, Robert R. Virginia lawyers Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia 1855 births 1931 deaths Virginia circuit court judges