Representative Robert Taylor Thorp

Robert Taylor Thorp (March 12, 1850 – November 26, 1938) was a Republican U.S. Representative from Virginia who served in the United States Congress during the 1890s. His two terms in the House of Representatives, from 1895 to 1899, occurred during a significant period in American political and economic history, and he participated actively in the legislative process while representing the interests of his Virginia constituents.

Thorp was born near Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina, on March 12, 1850. He received his early education locally and attended Horner Military Academy in Oxford, North Carolina, an institution known in the region for its rigorous academic and military training. Seeking a professional career in law, he enrolled at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and was graduated from the law department in 1870, entering adulthood with formal legal training at one of the South’s leading universities.

In 1870 Thorp was admitted to the bar and, the following year, in 1871, he commenced the practice of law in Boydton, the county seat of Mecklenburg County, Virginia. He quickly established himself in local legal and civic affairs. His professional standing led to his appointment and subsequent service as commonwealth’s attorney for Mecklenburg County, a position he held from 1877 to 1895. In this capacity he was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the state, gaining nearly two decades of experience in public service and courtroom advocacy before entering national politics.

Thorp’s congressional career arose out of contested elections during a turbulent era in Southern politics. A member of the Republican Party, he first came to the U.S. House of Representatives by successfully contesting the election of Democrat William R. McKenney to the Fifty-fourth Congress. As a result of this challenge, he was seated and served from May 2, 1896, to March 3, 1897. He again gained his seat through an election contest when he successfully challenged the election of Sydney P. Epes to the Fifty-fifth Congress, serving from March 23, 1898, to March 4, 1899. During these two terms in office, Thorp contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic governance of the nation at a time marked by debates over economic policy, post-Reconstruction politics, and the emerging role of the United States on the world stage. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1898 to the Fifty-sixth Congress, bringing his brief but notable congressional tenure to a close.

After leaving Congress, Thorp returned to private life while remaining in Virginia. He moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where he continued the practice of law, drawing on the extensive legal experience he had accumulated since the 1870s. He remained professionally active for many years, maintaining his role as a respected attorney and former congressman within the legal and civic communities of the region.

In 1934 Thorp relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the later years of his life. He died there on November 26, 1938. His remains were interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia, closing the life of a lawyer and public servant whose career spanned local prosecution, contested elections, and service in the U.S. House of Representatives during a formative period in Virginia and American political history.