William Russell

Who was William Russell?

William Russell was a United States Representative from Ohio.

Born in Ireland in 1782, Russell immigrated to the United States and settled in West Union, Ohio. He received a limited schooling and later in life held several local offices. He first served in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1803. He was then elected in December 1809 to fill a vacancy caused by Alexander Campbell's resignation, and later served from 1811 to 1813. In addition, he had a seat in the Ohio Senate from 1819 to 1821.

Russell was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twentieth, Twenty-first, and Twenty-second Congresses. His reelection bid for the Twenty-third Congress in 1832 was unsuccessful. He moved to Portsmouth, Ohio. He was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-seventh Congress. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1842. He retired to his farm on Scioto Brush Creek, where he died September 28, 1845. He was interred in the old section of Rushtown Cemetery, Rushtown, Ohio.

In 1808 Russell married Nancy Wood. They had six sons and one daughter.