Robert Taylor (April 29, 1763 – July 3, 1845) was a nineteenth-century

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

from

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 ...

Biography

Born in Orange Court House, Virginia, Taylor completed preparatory studies, studied law and was admitted to the bar 1783, commencing practice in Orange Court House. He held several local offices before serving in the

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

from 1804 to 1815 also serving as president pro tempore from 1812-1814. In 1824, Taylor was elected an Adams Republican to the

United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, serving from 1825 to 1827 and not running for reelection. Afterwards, Taylor devoted his attention to the management of his plantation and his legal practice. Taylor drafted the will of former President

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

(a relative), whom he persuaded not to emancipate slaves, but leave instructions and allow

Dolley Madison Dolley Todd Madison (née Payne; May 20, 1768 – July 12, 1849) was the wife of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. She was noted for holding Washington social functions in which she invited members of bo ...

to do so in her will (which she failed to do). Taylor died at his estate called "Meadow Farm" in

Orange County, Virginia Orange County is a county located in the Central Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 36,254. Its county seat is Orange. Orange County includes Montpelier, the estate of James Madison, the ...

on July 3, 1845 and was interred in the family cemetery on the estate. He had married Frances Pendleton (1767-1831). Their grandson,

James Taliaferro James Piper Taliaferro (September 30, 1847October 6, 1934) was a US Senator from Florida who served as a Democrat from 1899 to 1911. Biography Taliaferro was born in Orange, Virginia. He attended the common schools and the William Dinwiddie Sc ...

became U.S. Senator from Florida. President

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

was another relative (having the same grandfather, who is also buried in the former Meadow Farm estate cemetery).

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Robert 1763 births 1845 deaths Virginia state senators Virginia lawyers 19th-century American politicians National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia People from Orange, Virginia 19th-century American lawyers