Kenneth Rayner (20 June 1808 - 4 March 1884) was a whig U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1839 and 1845. Born in Bertie County, North Carolina, Rayner attended Tarborough Academy, then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1829. Rayner moved to Hertford County, where he practiced law.
In 1835, Rayner wwas a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention; he served terms in the North Carolina House of Commons in 1835 and 1836 before being elected to the U.S. Congress in 1838. He served three terms as a Whig, in the 26th, 27th, and 28th Congresses (March 4, 1839 - March 3, 1845).
Rayner did not run for a fourth term in 1844, but returned to the State House in 1846, 1848, and 1850, and was elected to the North Carolina Senate in 1854. He was then appointed by President Grant as court commissioner of Alabama claims, and, from 1877 to 1884, was solcitior of the United States Treasury. He died in Washington, DC in 1884 and is buried in Raleigh, North Carolina.
This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
