Robert Lawson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Prince Edward County | |
| In office October 15, 1787 – 1783 Serving with Patrick Henry | |
| Preceded by | Richard Bibb |
| Succeeded by | Tarleton Woodson |
| In office 1782–1783 Serving with John Holcombe, James Allen, Richard Bibb | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Flournoy |
| Succeeded by | William Bibb |
| In office 1778–1779 Serving with John Nash | |
| Preceded by | William Booker |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Flournoy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Lawson January 23, 1748 Prince George County, Colony of Virginia |
| Died | March 28, 1805 Richmond, Virginia |
| Spouse | Sarah Meriwether Pierce |
| Children | 5 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | Continental Army Virginia Militia |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Guilford Court House. |
Robert Lawson (January 23, 1748 – March 28, 1805) was a Virginia lawyer, planter and politician who distinguished himself in the American Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of brigadier general in the Virginia militia.[1][2] After the conflict, he practiced law, held various political offices and operated a plantation in Prince Edward County, Virginia, but also suffered from alcoholism, which caused his estrangement from his family as well as being swindled. As discussed by the United States Supreme Court in Wagner v. Baird, 48 U.S. 234 (1849), although granted over 10,000 acres of land in what became the state of Ohio, Lawson transferred those rights to a swindler, so decades later his heirs unsuccessfully sought redress.[3]
- ^ Tyler, Lyon G. (1915). "Robert Lawson" in Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Vol. 2. Lewis Historical Publishing Co. p. 331. available at hathitrust.org
- ^ Ward, Harry M. (2011). "Robert Lawson" in For Virginia and Independence: Twenty-eight Revolutionary War Soldiers from the Old Dominion. McFarland. pp. 110–120. ISBN 978-0-7864-6130-1.
- ^ *Wagner v. Baird, 48 U.S. 234 (1849)