| Robert Gilliam | |
|---|---|
| Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 4th district | |
| Died before assuming office | |
| Preceded by | John T. Deweese |
| Succeeded by | John Manning Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Ballard Gilliam (1805-11-20)November 20, 1805 Granville County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | October 17, 1870(1870-10-17) (aged 64) Oxford, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Conservative |
| Education | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA) |
Robert Ballard Gilliam (1805–1870) was a North Carolina politician and judge. He was born, lived and died in Granville County. He was the son of Leslie Gilliam, the long-time sheriff of Granville.
R.B. Gilliam graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1823, in the same class with future state Treasurer Daniel W. Courts, future Chief Justice Richmond M. Pearson, and others. He then began practicing law. Gilliam was also a member of the 1835 convention that thoroughly revised the Constitution of North Carolina.
Gilliam was elected to represent Granville County in the North Carolina General Assembly House of Commons in 1836, 1838, 1840, 1846, 1848 and 1862. For much of his time in the House, he served as speaker of the house. In 1863, he was elevated to the state superior court bench.
In 1870, Gilliam was elected as a Conservative to the United States House of Representatives in a special election (following the resignation of John T. Deweese), but before he could take his seat, he died.
John H. Wheeler wrote of Gilliam, "As a statesman, he was a pure and patriotic; as a lawyer, he was learned and able, and his ability was only equalled by the kindly qualities of his heart. Such were the conspicuous traits of his character, which endeared him to all who knew him."
References
- Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House of Commons 1862-1863". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- Cheney, John L. Jr. (1974). North Carolina Government, 1585–1974. pp. 447–448.
- Wheeler, John H. (1884). Reminiscences and Memoirs of North Carolina and Eminent North Carolinians. Columbus Printing Works, Columbus, Ohio. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- "1870 Special Congressional Election".
- Connor, R.D.D. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina. Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byJohn T. Deweese | Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 4th congressional district 1870 |
Succeeded byJohn Manning Jr. |
  | This article about a North Carolina politician is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1805 births
- 1870 deaths
- 19th-century American judges
- Elected officials who died without taking their seats
- Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
- North Carolina state court judges
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
- 19th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly
- North Carolina politician stubs