Tazewell Ellett (January 1, 1856 – May 19, 1914) was a one-term

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

from 1895 to 1897.

Early life

Tazewell Ellett was born on January 1, 1856, in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, to Andrew L. Ellett. His father was a member of the dry goods firm Ellett, Waller, Drewry & Co. He attended private schools in Richmond, including Strother's school. He graduated from the

Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...

at Lexington in 1876. He graduated from the

University of Virginia Law School The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...

with a

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

in 1878.

Career

After graduating, Ellett practiced law in Richmond. After six months, he made a partnership with Francis Howe McGuire under the firm McGuire & Ellett. They worked together for 12 years. He served as member of the board of visitors of the Virginia Military Institute. He served in the First Virginia Regiment, serving initially as adjutant. He was elected captain of Company F. He attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1880, Ellett became a member of the Democratic committee in Richmond. He later became chairman of the committee for three years. From 1883 to 1888, he was chairman of the Congressional Democratic Committee of the Third District. He was an advisor to Senator John S. Barbour Jr. for two years. From 1884 to 1886, he was the Democratic canvasser-at-large for Virginia. In 1888, he served as a presidential elector for

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

. In 1894, Ellett was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Fifty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897) with 63.31% of the vote, defeating Republican J.W. Southward, Independents James M. Gregory, and Martin Meredith Lipscomb, and Progressive George M. Smithdeal. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1896 to the Fifty-fifth Congress. After Congress, he resumed the practice of law in Richmond, and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Later in life, he engaged in promotion enterprises and mining prospects. He worked out of New York City and traveled to South America.

Personal life

Ellett married Josephine Lyons Scott, daughter of

Robert Eden Scott Robert Eden Scott (April 23, 1808 – May 3, 1862) was a Virginia planter, lawyer and politician who served many terms in the Virginia General Assembly. He also represented Fauquier County at the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 and the surr ...

, of

Fauquier County Fauquier County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,972. The county seat is Warrenton. Fauquier County is in Northern Virginia and is a part of the Washington metropolitan area. History ...

. He had two daughters and one son, Josephine, Heningham (Mrs. Pringle Smith) and Tazewell. His son Tazewell married the daughter of his law partner Francis Howe McGuire. Ellett died on May 19, 1914, at the home of his daughter in

Summerville, South Carolina Summerville is a town in the U.S. state of South Carolina situated mostly in Dorchester County, South Carolina, Dorchester County, with small portions in Berkeley County, South Carolina, Berkeley and Charleston County, South Carolina, Charleston ...

. He was interred in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellett, Tazewell 1856 births 1914 deaths Lawyers from Richmond, Virginia Virginia Military Institute alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century Virginia politicians 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives