Representative Richard, Jr. Sprigg

Richard Sprigg Jr. (c. 1769 – 1806) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from Prince George’s County, Maryland, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he represented Maryland’s 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House during two separate stints, from 1796 to 1799 and again from 1801 to 1802.

Early Life

Sprigg was born about 1769 in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He came from a prominent Maryland family with deep roots in the state’s political life. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, establishing a legal practice in Maryland.

Political Career

Sprigg began his political career in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he served from 1792 to 1793. In 1796, he was elected to Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Gabriel Duvall, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from May 5, 1796, to March 3, 1799. He was succeeded by John Chew Thomas.

After a brief absence from federal office, Sprigg returned to Congress, serving again from March 4, 1801, to February 11, 1802. He was succeeded by Walter Bowie.

Later Life and Legacy

On January 27, 1806, Governor Robert Bowie appointed Sprigg to the newly restructured Maryland Court of Appeals in place of Gabriel Duvall, who had declined the appointment a week earlier. However, Sprigg’s judicial career was cut short by his early death later that year.

Sprigg died in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1806, at approximately 37 years of age. His service in Congress and on the Maryland bench represented the continuation of a family tradition of public service in the early American republic.