Roswell B. Burchard

Edith Russel Church

​

(m. 1897)​

Roswell B. Burchard
Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
In office 1913–1915
Education	The College of the City of New York (BA) Harvard Law School (LL.B.)
Occupation	Politician, lawyer

Roswell Beebe Burchard (1860-1931) ^{[1] [2]} was an American politician. In the years 1913 to 1915 he was the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island. He also served as a speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1907 to 1911.

Personal Life

Roswell B. Burchard attended Eastman Business College before obtaining a bachelors degree from the College of The City of New York in 1880. He married Edith Russel Church in 1897. Later, he passed the bar and obtained a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1903. However it's unknown if he was legally active. ^[3]

In 1904, Burchard delivered a historical address titled The Town of Little Compton on the occasion of the bicentennial of the United Congregational Church of Little Compton in Little Compton, Rhode Island. ^[4]

Political Life

Roswell B. Burchard was a lifelong Republican serving in both positions he held as a Republican. He served as speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1907 to 1911. From 1913 to 1915 he was the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island.

Other than his time in office, party stance and responsibilities, information on his political life is scarce.

Political offices
Preceded by Arthur W. Dennis	Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives 1907–1911	Succeeded by William C. Bliss
Preceded by Zenas Work Bliss	Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island 1913–1915	Succeeded by Emery J. San Souci

See Also

• List of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island
• List of speakers of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
• Little Compton, Rhode Island

References

1. Historic and Architectural Resources of Little Compton, Rhode Island (PDF). Providence, RI: Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. 1990. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
2. Rhode Island Death and Burials at State Institutions (Manuscript). Rhode Island, USA: Rhode Island Department of State.
3. Quinquennial Catalogue of the Officers and Graduates of Harvard University, 1636–1905. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. 1905. pp. 468–469.
4. The Two-Hundredth Anniversary of the Organization of the United Congregational Church, Little Compton, Rhode Island, September 7, 1904 (PDF). Little Compton, Rhode Island: United Congregational Society / The Providence Press. 1906. pp. 61–108.