| Office: | Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives |
| Term Start: | 1876 |
| Term End: | 1878 |
| Birth Date: | 18 January 1849 |
| Birth Place: | South Carolina, U.S. |
| Death Place: | New York, New York, U.S. |
| Resting Place: | Randolph Cemetery |
| Spouse: | Julia Simons |
| Relatives: | Dave Chappelle (great-great-grandson) |
Robert John Palmer (born January 18, 1849 – May 12, 1928) (there are multiple reported birth and death dates all within the same month)[1] was a tailor and politician born into slavery in South Carolina.[2] Palmer was a state representative from 1876 to 1878 and had a tailor shop opposite the post office on Main Street in Columbia, South Carolina.[3] [4]
He had a daughter, Rosina C. Palmer, with Julia Simons in Columbia in the 1870s.[5] He subsequently married Adelaide Perry and had eight children.[3] After Adelaide died he married Leila P. Bruce January 12, 1913.[5]
He is the great-great-grandfather of stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle.[6]
He is buried in Randolph Cemetery along with eight other Reconstruction Era legislators.[7]