Samuel Taylor (September 1781 – February 23, 1853) was a 19th-century American politician 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 ...

Early life

Taylor was born in

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Cumberland, historic county *Cumberlan ...

and attended the Needham Law School in Cumberland County operated by Chancellor Creed Taylor. He then practiced law in his home county.

Career

At the age of thirty-six, he was elected to the Virginia General Assembly from Cumberland County, and served there from 1816 to 1819. A decade later, he returned to the General Assembly, this time serving in the Virginia State Senate from 1826 to 1829. While there Taylor collaborated with

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

who was then a private citizen, and assisted State Senator Joseph C. Cabell in passing the bill establishing 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 ...

. From 1829 to 1830, Taylor served as a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention known as the "Last Gathering of Giants". He was one of four serving at the convention from the Senatorial District of Amelia, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Nottoway, Powhatan Counties and the town of Petersburg. When it elected its officers, the convention chose Taylor to chair of the Bill of Rights Committee. In 1846 Samuel Taylor defended Thomas Ritchie, Jr., the son of the Richmond ''Enquirers Thomas Ritchie for killing

John Hampden Pleasants John Hampden Pleasants (January 4, 1797 – March 1, 1846) was an American journalist and businessman. He is known as the editor and founder of the ''Richmond Whig'', a daily newspaper that was later active during the Civil War. Pleasants died ...

, the editor of the Richmond ''Whig'' in a duel. Pulliam 1901, p. 82

Death

Samual Taylor died February 23, 1853, in Richmond, Virginia.

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Samuel Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Virginia state senators 19th-century American legislators 1781 births 1853 deaths