Richard Harvey Cain

Bishop Cain was born to free parents in Greenbrier County, VA.  His mother was Cherokee and his father was African American. They moved to Gallipolis, OH, in 1831.He was able to learn to read and write in Sunday school class. He worked on the steamboats along the OH river. ¹http://history.house.gov/People/Listing/C/CAIN

In 1844 he was licensed by Reverend William Jackson a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Hannibal, MO.  He returned to Cincinnati, OH but soon became dissatisfied with the Methodist Church and joined the AME Church.  He was ordained deacon by Bishop W. P. Quinn, in 1859.  Soon thereafter he entered Wilberforce University. In 1861, while serving as Pastor at the Bridge Street Church in Brooklyn, NY, he became involved in politics. In 1862, he was ordained Elder by Bishop Payne in Washington. In 1864, he advocated universal manhood suffrage.  He was heavily involved with the Republican Party and held several political offices.  

In 1865 he was assigned to the SC conference.  As Pastor of Emanuel Church in Charleston, SC, the congregation became one of the strongest political organizations in the state.  In 1880, he was consecrated and elected the 14th Bishop of the AME church.²http://morrisbrownamechurch.org

He died in Washington. DC and was buried in Graceland Cemetery and may have been removed to Woodlawn  Cemetery when Graceland closed.³http://en.wikipedia.org