John Critcher

John Critcher
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st district
In office March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873
Preceded by	Richard S. Ayer
Succeeded by	James B. Sener
Member of the Virginia Senate from King George, Westmoreland, Richmond, Northumberland and Lancaster Counties
In office 1874–1877
Preceded by	Meriwether Lewis
Succeeded by	Edwin Betts
Member of the Virginia Senate from Westmoreland, Lancaster, Richmond and Northumberland Counties
In office 1860–1861
Preceded by	Richard L. T. Beale
Succeeded by	George Lewis
Personal details
Born	(1820-03-11)March 11, 1820 Oak Grove, Virginia
Died	September 27, 1901(1901-09-27) (aged 81) Alexandria, Virginia
Resting place	Ivy Hill Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia
Political party	Democratic
Other political affiliations	Know Nothing (1850s)
Alma mater	University of Virginia
Occupation	Attorney
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Service/branch	Confederate States Army
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Battles/wars	American Civil War

John Critcher (March 11, 1820 – September 27, 1901) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia.

Biography

Born at Oak Grove, Virginia, Critcher attended Brent's Preparatory School. He was graduated from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in 1839, and later pursued higher studies in France for three years. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1842 and commenced practice in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He served in the State senate 1861 and 1874–1877. He served as member of the State secession convention in 1861. He served as lieutenant colonel of Cavalry in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. He was appointed judge of the eighth judicial circuit of Virginia, but was removed under the resolution of Congress dated February 18, 1869, which provided that anyone who had borne arms against the United States should be dismissed from office within thirty days.

Grave marker of John Critcher

Critcher was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-second Congress (March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873). He died in Alexandria, Virginia, September 27, 1901. He was interred in Ivy Hill Cemetery.

His daughter was the painter Catharine Carter Critcher.^[1]

Elections

• 1857; Critcher ran on the American Party ticket for the U.S. House of Representatives and lost to Democrat Muscoe R.H. Garnett.
• 1870; Critcher was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives unopposed.

References

• United States Congress. "John Critcher (id: C000911)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.