Robert Charles Winthrop

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

22nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Robert Charles Winthrop

In office December 22, 1849 – March 4, 1851
Preceded by	John W. Davis
Succeeded by	Howell Cobb
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st district
In office November 9, 1840 – May 25, 1842 November 29, 1842 – July 30, 1850
Preceded by	Abbott Lawrence (1840) Nathan Appleton (1842)
Succeeded by	Nathan Appleton (1842) Samuel A. Eliot (1850)

Born	May 12, 1809 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	November 16, 1894 Boston, Massachusetts
Political party	Whig
Profession	Lawyer

Robert Charles Winthrop (May 12, 1809–November 16, 1894) was an American statesman who served in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Thomas Lindall Winthrop (1760-1841) and Elizabeth Bowdoin Temple (1769-1825), attended the prestigious Boston Latin School, and graduated from Harvard University in 1828. On March 12, 1832, he married Elizabeth Cabot Blanchard (1809-1842), with whom he had three children.

After studying law with Daniel Webster he was admitted to the bar in 1831 and practiced in Boston. He served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1835 to 1840, and served as Speaker of the House of that body from 1838 to 1840.

Winthrop was elected as a Whig to the 26th United States Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Abbott Lawrence; he was reelected to the 27th Congress and served from November 9, 1840, to May 25, 1842, when he resigned. He was subsequently elected to the 27th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of his successor, Nathan Appleton; he was reelected to the 28th and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from November 29, 1842, to July 30, 1850, when he again resigned to become a Senator.

He was a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives during the 30th Congress; on July 27, 1850 he was appointed as a Whig to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Daniel Webster and served from July 30, 1850, to February 1, 1851, when a successor was elected. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the vacancy in 1851 and was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Massachusetts the same year; in 1852 he was a presidential elector on the Whig ticket.

Portrait by Daniel Huntington, 1882

Winthrop University named after Winthrop for donating the first contribution in opening the school.

Winthrop engaged in literary, historical, and philanthropic pursuits until he died in Boston in 1894. He was interred in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Winthrop is a great-great-grandfather of United States Senator and 2004 Presidential candidate John Kerry.

[edit] See also

Dudley-Winthrop Family

[edit] External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about:

Robert Charles Winthrop

Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Preceded by Abbott Lawrence	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st congressional district November 9, 1840–May 25, 1842	Succeeded by Nathan Appleton
Preceded by Nathan Appleton	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st congressional district November 29, 1842–July 30, 1850	Succeeded by Samuel A. Eliot
Preceded by John Wesley Davis	Speaker of the United States House of Representatives December 6, 1847–March 4, 1849	Succeeded by Howell Cobb
Preceded by Daniel Webster	United States Senator (Class 1) from Massachusetts July 30, 1850–February 1, 1851 Served alongside: John Davis	Succeeded by Robert Rantoul, Jr.