Richard Coke

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Richard Coke

Richard Coke (born March 13, 1829 near Williamsburg , Virginia ; † May 14, 1897 in Waco , Texas ) was an American farmer, lawyer and the 16th governor of Texas. Between 1877 and 1895 he represented this state as a senator in the US Congress .

Coke was born near Williamsburg to John and Eliza Coke. He finished his law degree at the College of William & Mary in Virginia in 1848 and was admitted to the bar that same year. In 1850 he moved to Waco, where he opened a law practice. In 1852 he married Eliza Hankins from Waco. The couple had four children, but all of them died before they reached the age of 30.

From 1861 Coke was a delegate in Austin . In 1862 he took command of a company that was part of the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment. During the war he served as a captain and was wounded in fighting near Bayou Bourbeau, near Opelousas , Louisiana , on November 3, 1863. After the war he returned to Waco.

In 1865 he was appointed Texas District Judge, and in 1866 he became Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas . In 1873 the Democrat was elected governor to succeed Edmund J. Davis and, following his term in office, was elected US Senator to succeed Morgan Calvin Hamilton . He was re-elected twice and served until March 3, 1895. Richard B. Hubbard succeeded him as governor, and Horace Chilton succeeded him as Senator .

After an accident on the Brazos River in April 1897, he fell seriously ill and died on May 14, 1897 in Waco. The Coke County was named after him.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Coke, Richard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American lawyer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH March 13, 1829
PLACE OF BIRTH near Williamsburg , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH May 14, 1897
Place of death Waco , Texas