Benjamin W. Leigh

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benjamin W. Leigh

Benjamin Watkins Leigh (born June 18, 1781 in Chesterfield County , Virginia , †  February 2, 1849 in Richmond , Virginia) was an American politician who represented the state of Virginia in the US Senate .

Benjamin Leigh, the son of a clergyman, received his education from private tutors. He then attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg , where he graduated in 1802. As a result, he studied law , was admitted to the bar and began to practice in Petersburg . He fought in the British-American War .

His political career began with membership in the Virginia House of Representatives , where he represented Dinwiddie County between 1811 and 1813 . He then moved to Richmond, where he continued his legal career. In 1819 he was instrumental in the revision of the Virginia Code; between 1829 and 1841 he held the office of clerk at the Virginia Court of Appeals . He also took part in the constitutional convention of his state in 1829 and 1830.

After serving another term in the Virginia Parliament from 1830 to 1831, Leigh was elected to the US Senate in Washington in 1834 to succeed the resigned William Cabell Rives . Originally active in the National Republican Party , he later joined the Whigs, like most of its members . Leigh entered Congress on February 26, 1834 , ended Rives' current term until March 3, 1835 and also won the next regular election for the following legislative term, but then resigned his mandate on July 4, 1836. He returned to Richmond, where he again worked as a lawyer and died in February 1849.

Web links

  • Benjamin W. Leigh in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
personal data
SURNAME Leigh, Benjamin W.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Leigh, Benjamin Watkins (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH June 18, 1781
PLACE OF BIRTH Chesterfield County , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH February 2, 1849
Place of death Richmond , Virginia