Richard
Stanford
Reference:
The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of
Notable Americans: Volume IX
*Contributed by Deborah Hollowbush
Stanford, Richard, representative, was born in Dorchester County, near Vienna, Maryland, March 2, 1767; son of Richard Stanford, and a descendant of Richard Stanford, who sailed in the ship Primrose from Gravesend, London, England, to Virginia, July 27, 1635. He removed from Maryland to North Carolina about 1793 and established an academy at Hawfields, Orange County, among his pupils being Thomas H. Benton, afterwards U.S. senator. He also conducted a farm at Hawfields and was married to Jeannette, daughter of General Alexander Mebane, representative in the 3rd congress (1792-1795). She died in three years, and he married, secondly, Mary, daughter of General Stephen Moore of Mt. Tirzah, Person County, North Carolina (formerly of New York City), and granddaughter of Colonel John Moore, a leading merchant in the early days of New York City. She died, September 20, 1858, at Lambsville, North Carolina. He was a Democratic representative from North Carolina in the 5th-14th congresses, serving from May 15, 1797, to April 9, 1816, and was the first representative in congress to be called “The Father of the House”. He was chairman of the committee on revisal and unfinished business during the 13th congress, and upon the assembling of the 14th congress was chosen chairman of the committee on rules and orders of the house. He was succeeded as representative by Samuel Dickens, who took his seat, December 6, 1816, and completed the term, March 3, 1817. Representative Stanford died at Washington, D.C., during the 14th session of congress, and was buried in the Congressional cemetery. The date of Representative Stanford’s death is April 9, 1816.
