Richard Vaux
Encyclopedia
Richard Vaux was an American
politician. He was mayor of Philadelphia and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
.
Richard Vaux was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, December 19, 1816, the son of the philanthropist Roberts Vaux
. He was educated by private tutors at the Friends Select School
in Philadelphia and Bolmar's French School in West Chester, Pennsylvania
. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia on April 15, 1837. He served as secretary of legation under Andrew Stevenson
, United States Minister to Great Britain
, for one year. He returned to Philadelphia in 1839.
He was a member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in 1839, and a delegate to the Democratic State convention in 1840. He commenced the practice of law in Philadelphia in 1840. He served as recorder of deeds
of Philadelphia from 1842 to 1849. He was appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
as Inspector of the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
in 1842, and served as secretary and later as president of the board of inspectors until his death. An unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Philadelphia in 1842, 1845, and 1854, he was elected in 1856, but was defeated for reelection in 1858 by Alexander Henry
. He was a member of the Board of City Trusts 1859-1866, serving as president 1863-1865.
Vaux, who was deeply involved with the Masonic fraternity
since the age of 26, served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
in 1868. That year, he laid the cornerstone of the iconic grand temple in Philadelphia which remains the headquarters for Freemasonry in the state, symbolically tapping it into place with the same gavel George Washington
had used during the Masonic cornerstone ceremony for the United States Capitol
building.
He was elected in 1890 as a Democrat
to the 51st Congress to fill the vacancy left by the death of Samuel J. Randall
and served from May 20, 1890 to March 3, 1891. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890.
Vaux married, March 12, 1840, Mary Morris, daughter of Jacob Shoemaker and Sarah Morris Waln. Richard and Mary Vaux had six children, of whom Jacob Waln Vaux was the fifth.
Vaux died on March 22, 1895 in Philadelphia, where he is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician. He was mayor of Philadelphia and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Richard Vaux was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, December 19, 1816, the son of the philanthropist Roberts Vaux
Roberts Vaux
Roberts Vaux was an American jurist, abolitionist, and philanthropist.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of a well-known Quaker family and connected by marriage to another such family, the Wistars...
. He was educated by private tutors at the Friends Select School
Friends Select School
Friends Select School is a private Quaker school in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has approximately 530 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and focuses on college preparation in the "upper school" . With a history dating to 1689, Friends Select has been located at...
in Philadelphia and Bolmar's French School in West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia on April 15, 1837. He served as secretary of legation under Andrew Stevenson
Andrew Stevenson
Andrew Stevenson was a Democratic politician in the United States. Educated at the College of William and Mary, he married three times. His second wife, Sarah Coles, was a cousin of Dolley Madison and sister of Edward Coles, a governor of Illinois...
, United States Minister to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, for one year. He returned to Philadelphia in 1839.
He was a member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in 1839, and a delegate to the Democratic State convention in 1840. He commenced the practice of law in Philadelphia in 1840. He served as recorder of deeds
Recorder of deeds
Recorder of deeds is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property.-Background:...
of Philadelphia from 1842 to 1849. He was appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
as Inspector of the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Eastern State Penitentiary
The Eastern State Penitentiary is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located on 2027 Fairmount Avenue between Corinthian Avenue and North 22nd Street in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia and was operational from 1829 until 1971...
in 1842, and served as secretary and later as president of the board of inspectors until his death. An unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Philadelphia in 1842, 1845, and 1854, he was elected in 1856, but was defeated for reelection in 1858 by Alexander Henry
Alexander Henry (Philadelphia)
Alexander Henry was the mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War. He was prominent in the efforts to suppress Confederate sympathizers within the city early in the war, and helped organize civilians to assist in constructing earthworks to defend the city during the 1863...
. He was a member of the Board of City Trusts 1859-1866, serving as president 1863-1865.
Vaux, who was deeply involved with the Masonic fraternity
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
since the age of 26, served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging is the premier masonic organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
in 1868. That year, he laid the cornerstone of the iconic grand temple in Philadelphia which remains the headquarters for Freemasonry in the state, symbolically tapping it into place with the same gavel George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
had used during the Masonic cornerstone ceremony for the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
building.
He was elected in 1890 as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the 51st Congress to fill the vacancy left by the death of Samuel J. Randall
Samuel J. Randall
Samuel Jackson Randall was a Pennsylvania politician, attorney, soldier, and a prominent Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives during the late 19th century. He served as the 33rd Speaker of the House and a contender for his party's nomination for the President of the...
and served from May 20, 1890 to March 3, 1891. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890.
Vaux married, March 12, 1840, Mary Morris, daughter of Jacob Shoemaker and Sarah Morris Waln. Richard and Mary Vaux had six children, of whom Jacob Waln Vaux was the fifth.
Vaux died on March 22, 1895 in Philadelphia, where he is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the second major garden or rural cemetery in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998, one of only a few cemeteries to receive the distinction....
.
External links
- Brief biography (under Roberts VauxRoberts VauxRoberts Vaux was an American jurist, abolitionist, and philanthropist.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of a well-known Quaker family and connected by marriage to another such family, the Wistars...
, his father)