Robert Taylor Thorp (March 12, 1850 – November 26, 1938) 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

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 near Oxford, North Carolina, Thorp attended Horner Academy, Oxford, North Carolina, and was graduated from the law department of the

University of Virginia at Charlottesville The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective adm ...

in 1870. He was admitted to the bar in 1870 and commenced practice in Boydton, Virginia, in 1871. Commonwealth attorney for that county 1877-1895. He successfully contested as a Republican the election of William R. McKenney to the Fifty-fourth Congress and served from May 2, 1896, to March 3, 1897. He successfully contested the election of Sydney P. Epes to the Fifty-fifth Congress and served from March 23, 1898, to March 4, 1899. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1898 to the Fifty-sixth Congress. He moved to

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, and continued the practice of law. He moved to

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

, in 1934 and died November 26, 1938. He was interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery,

Sources

1850 births 1938 deaths Virginia lawyers People from Oxford, North Carolina People from Boydton, Virginia University of Virginia School of Law alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Burials in Virginia {{Virginia-politician-stub