Richard W. Townshend

Richard W. Townshend

Richard Wellington Townshend (born April 30, 1840 in Upper Marlboro , Prince George's County , Maryland , †  March 9, 1889 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician . Between 1877 and 1889 he represented the state of Illinois in the US House of Representatives .

Career

In 1846 Richard Townshend came to Washington, where he attended public schools. There he was temporarily active as a page in the US House of Representatives. In 1858 he moved to Cairo , Illinois. He then taught as a teacher in Fayette County . After studying law and his admission as a lawyer in 1862, he began to work in McLeansboro in this profession. Between 1863 and 1868 he was also employed in the administration at the Hamilton County District Court . From 1868 to 1872 he was a prosecutor in the twelfth judicial district of his state. At the same time he embarked on a political career as a member of the Democratic Party . Between 1864 and 1875 he was a member of the state executive committee of his party. In July 1872 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Baltimore . From 1873 he lived in Shawneetown , where he practiced as a lawyer.

In the congressional election of 1876 Townshend was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington in the 19th  electoral district of Illinois, where he succeeded William B. Anderson on March 4, 1877 . After six re-elections, he was able to exercise this mandate until his death on March 9, 1889. From 1879 to 1881 he was chairman of the Department of Navy's Expenditure Control Committee. From 1887 he headed the military committee.

Web links

• Richard W. Townshend in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Richard W. Townshend in the database of Find a Grave (English)