My Genealogy Hound

DR. JOHN W. RICHARDSON was born in Charlotte County, Va., November 23, 1809, and died in Rutherford County, Tenn., November 19, 1872. He came to Tennessee with his parents about 1815, and settled at Old Jefferson, Rutherford County. He received a fair education, and studied medicine at Transylvania University. He never removed from the civil district of the county in which his parents first settled. Here he practiced his profession actively until his last illness, and was for a number of years one of the leaders of the Whig party in Rutherford County. He was elected to the lower house of the State Legislature as a Whig for four terms — for the years 1843-44, 1845-46, 1851-52, 1857-58; to the Senate two terms — for the years 1847-48, 1859-60. In the session of 1857-58 he was the choice of his party for speaker of the House, and in 1859-60 for speaker of the Senate. His father, James Richardson, and his mother, Mary Richardson, died in Rutherford County. In 1833 he married Miss Augusta Mary Starnes, who still survives him, as his widow, living in Murfreesboro, Tenn. At his death he left four children, who are still living: Mrs. Sue W. Jolly, of Alabama: James D. Richardson; Mrs. Mary H. Batey and John E. Richardson, of Rutherford County. He was a devoted member of the Christian Church, and on many occasions publicly conducted religious exercises. After the war between the States he acted and voted with the Democratic party.