Cralle Fauntleroy Blackwell (1897-1976)

From a 1940 composite photograph of the Virginia House of Delegates.

    A native son of Lunenburg County, Virginia, Cralle Fauntleroy Blackwell rose to become one of the aforementioned county's prominent public figures, serving at various times as an attorney, mayor, judge, and five-term member of the State House of Delegates. Born on August 26, 1897, in Lunenburg, Cralle F. Blackwell was the son of John Garland and Marion Truly Hatchett Blackwell. He attended the public schools of Lunenburg and went on to study at Washington and Lee University, graduating in the class of 1918 with his Bachelor of laws degree.

   Following his graduation, Blackwell joined in the ongoing war effort, and during the First World War was engaged with the U.S. Army Coastal Artillery. After his military service, he returned to Virginia married Anne Clifford Hutcheson, and later established a law practice in the town of Kenbridge. He maintained a practice here for several years and in 1924 was elected as Kenbridge's mayor, serving a total of fourteen years in office. He had earlier served as town treasurer, and in 1926 took on the position of judge of the town juvenile domestic and relations court.

  Blackwell continued to serve Kenbridge as mayor throughout the 1930s and in 1938 won election to the Virginia House of Delegates in a special election to fill the seat of Lunenburg Representative Isham Wilkinson, who had resigned out of health concerns. After taking his seat, Blackwell was named to the committees on General Laws, Printing, Privileges and Elections, and chaired the committee on Special, Private, and Local Legislation.

  Cralle F. Blackwell served in the House of Delegates until 1949 and after leaving office continued with his law practice in Kenbridge. A member of the local Methodist Church before and after his legislative service, Blackwell was also a longstanding member of the American Legion as well as the Masons. He died on January 14, 1976, at age 78 and was later interred at the Kenbridge Heights Cemetery in Kenbridge, Virginia.

From a 1944 composite photo of the Virginia House of Delegates.