James Burchill Richardson

James Burchell Richardson (October 28, 1770 – April 28, 1836) was the 41st Governor of South Carolina from 1802 to 1804.

James Burchell Richardson
41st Governor of South Carolina
In office December 8, 1802 – December 7, 1804
Lieutenant	Ezekiel Pickens
Preceded by	John Drayton
Succeeded by	Paul Hamilton
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Clarendon District
In office November 25, 1816 – November 23, 1818
In office November 26, 1804 – November 24, 1806
In office November 26, 1792 – December 8, 1802
President pro tempore of the South Carolina Senate
In office September 15, 1813 – September 24, 1813
Preceded by	Samuel Warren
Succeeded by	Savage Smith
Member of the South Carolina Senate from Clarendon District
In office November 26, 1810 – December 8, 1813
Member of the South Carolina Senate from Claremont and Clarendon District
In office November 24, 1806 – November 26, 1810
Personal details
Born	(1770-10-28)October 28, 1770 Clarendon County, South Carolina
Died	April 28, 1836(1836-04-28) (aged 65) Clarendon County, South Carolina
Political party	Democratic-Republican

Born in Clarendon County to Brigadier General Richard Richardson (general), a famed Revolutionary War leader,[1] and Dorcas Richardson, an American heroine,[2] he received his education at the local schools in Clarendon County and afterwards engaged in planting at the Richardsons' Big Home Plantation. In 1792, Richardson was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives and served for ten years. The General Assembly chose him to be Governor of South Carolina in 1802 for a two-year term. During his time as governor, the legislature repealed laws against the traffic of slaves, but prohibited the importation of slaves under the age of fifteen from other states.

Upon leaving the governorship in 1804, Richardson returned as a member of the state House of Representatives. He won election to the South Carolina Senate in 1806 and served until 1814. From 1816 to 1818, Richardson was a member of the state House of Representatives for a third and final time. He spent the rest of his life on his plantation where he died on April 28, 1836, and was interred at the Richardson Cemetery.