Richard Dana (lawyer)
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Richard Dana | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Richard Dana by John Singleton Copley (c. 1770) | |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for Marblehead | |
| In office 1738-1738 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 26, 1700 |
| Died | May 17, 1772 (aged 71) Boston, Massachusetts, US |
| Spouse |
Lydia Trowbridge
(m. 1737) |
| Relations | Dana |
| Children | 7, including Francis |
| Parent(s) | Daniel Dana Naomi Croswell |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Richard Dana (June 26, 1700 – May 17, 1772) was a prominent lawyer and politician in colonial Massachusetts, and member of the Dana family.[1]
Dana was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 26, 1700. He was the son of Daniel Dana (1664–1749) and Naomi (née Croswell) Dana (1670–1751).[2] The Dana family was prominent in colonial Massachusetts and their family's coat of arms was three stags separated by a chevron, with a fox at the crest.[1]
He graduated from Harvard College in 1718 and then studied law and passed the bar.[3]
Career
Dana became a prominent lawyer[4] and during the early stages of the Revolution, the city of Boston depended on his legal advice, serving as a member of the committee that investigated the Boston Massacre in 1770.[1] He was a founding member the Sons of Liberty, and led Massachusetts opposition to the Stamp Act.[5] He served one term in the Massachusetts Assembly,[6] representing Marblehead in 1738.[4]