Robert Gilchrist Jr. (August 21, 1825 – July 6, 1888) was the

Attorney General of New Jersey The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confi ...

from 1870 to 1875.

Biography

Gilchrist was born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

, in 1825 to Robert Gilchrist and Frances (Fanny) Vacher. His father served as Clerk of

Hudson County Hudson County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county in the U.S. state of New Jersey, its smallest and most densely populated. Lying in the northeast of the state and on the west bank of the North River (Hudson River), Hudson River, the No ...

from 1840 to 1865 and as

mayor of Jersey City The Mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint dep ...

from 1850 to 1852. He attended private schools, studied law, and was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1847. In 1859 he served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

.''The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans''
Vol. 4 (1904). At the first call for troops in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, Gilchrist enlisted as a Captain in the

2nd New Jersey Regiment The 2nd New Jersey Regiment was raised, on 9 October 1775, at Trenton, New Jersey, for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel William Maxwell. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Trois-Rivières, Battle of Va ...

, serving from 1861 to 1865. In 1866, he was the Democratic candidate for the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

in the Fifth District but was defeated by the Republican George A. Halsey. In 1869, Gilchrist was nominated by Governor

Theodore Fitz Randolph Theodore Fitz Randolph (June 24, 1826November 7, 1883) was an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 22nd governor of New Jersey from 1869 to 1872 and represented the state in the United States Senate from 1875 to 1881. ...

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

. He was reappointed for a full five-year term in January 1870. In 1873, Governor Joel Parker appointed him to a commission assigned to revise the

New Jersey State Constitution The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the sta ...

. Gilchrist retired from the position of Attorney General in 1875. After serving as Attorney General, Gilchrist returned to private practice in Jersey City. He married late in life to Fredericka Raymond Beardsley, who wrote ''The True Story of Hamlet and Ophelia'' (1889). Gilchrist died at his home in Jersey City in 1888."Obituary, Robert Gilchrist"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', July 7, 1888.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilchrist, Robert 1825 births 1888 deaths Politicians from Jersey City, New Jersey New Jersey attorneys general Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Union army officers Military personnel from Jersey City, New Jersey 19th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature