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Robert Wright (November 20, 1752September 7, 1826) was an American politician and a soldier who fought in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.


Early life

Wright was born at Narborough, near Chestertown,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, and attended the Kent Free School (later
Washington College Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782. George Washington supported the founding of the college by consenting to have the "College at Chester" name ...
) of Chestertown. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1773, and commenced practice in Chestertown.


Career

He served in the Maryland militia during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
as private, lieutenant, and later as captain. After the war, he served as a member of the
Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
from 1784 to 1786, and as a member of the Maryland State Senate in 1801. In 1800, Wright was elected as a Democratic Republican to the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
on November 19, 1801, for the term commencing March 4, 1801. In the Senate, Wright served as delegate to the Farmers’ National Convention in 1803. He resigned from the Senate on November 12, 1806, having been elected the 12th Governor of Maryland, a position he served in from 1806 to 1809. After his tenure as governor, Wright served as clerk of
Queen Anne's County, Maryland Queen Anne's County is located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,874. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville i ...
in 1810, and was elected to the Eleventh and Twelfth Congresses to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of
John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
. He was re-elected to the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Congresses and served from November 29, 1810, to March 3, 1817. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1816 to the Fifteenth Congress, but was elected to the Seventeenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1822. In his later life, Wright served as district judge of the lower Eastern Shore district of Maryland from 1823 until his death.


Personal life

Wright was married to Sarah De Courcy. Together, they were the parents of: * William Henry De Courcy Wright (1795–1864), who married Eliza Lee (née Warner) Wright (1800–1864), the widow of Samuel Turbutt Wright, the 2nd
Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
of
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. Wright died on September 7, 1826 at Blakeford in Queen Anne's County. He is interred in the private burying ground of the DeCourcy family at Cheston-on-Wye in Queen Anne's County.


See also

*
Widehall Widehall is a historic and architecturally significant house in Chestertown, Maryland, Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland. Built by Thomas Smyth III, 1769–1770, it is a contributing property in the Chestertown Historic District (Chestertown, ...
(1769-1770), a mansion in Chestertown, Maryland. Wright's home from 1801 to 1822.


References


External links

*
A picture of the Historical Marker commemorating Governor Robert Wright

A picture of the Cheston-on-Wye Historical Marker, where Wright was buried
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Robert 1752 births 1826 deaths Maryland state court judges Maryland militiamen in the American Revolution Governors of Maryland Maryland state senators Members of the Maryland House of Delegates United States senators from Maryland Washington College alumni People from Chestertown, Maryland Democratic-Republican Party United States senators Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States