Richard Stockton (1730-1781)
Encyclopedia
Richard Stockton was an American lawyer, jurist, legislator, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence
.
, New Jersey
, attended Samuel Finley
's academy at Nottingham
, which later became West Nottingham Academy
, and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University
), graduating in 1748. He studied law with David Ogden, of Newark
, who was at that time the head of the legal profession in the province. Stockton was admitted to the bar in 1754 and soon rose to great distinction. He was a longtime friend of George Washington
. His wife was poet Annis Boudinot Stockton
, sister of New Jersey
statesman Elias Boudinot
. The Stocktons had six children. Their son Richard Stockton became an eminent lawyer and prominent Federalist leader. Coincidentally, Elias Boudinot
was married to Stockton's sister Hannah Stockton (1736–1808).
Stockton initially showed little interest in politics. He once wrote, "The public is generally unthankful, and I never will become a Servant of it, till I am convinced that by neglecting my own affairs I am doing more acceptable Service to God and Man." Stockton did, however, later take an active role as a trustee of the College of New Jersey.
. He first took a moderate stance in the troubles between the colonies and Great Britain
. He did not favor separation; rather, he suggested in 1764 that some colonial members be appointed to the Parliament
. However, he changed his position a year later when the controversy over the Stamp Act
arose. In 1774 he drafted and sent to Lord Dartmouth
"with a plan of self-government for America, independent of Parliament, without renouncing the Crown
." This Commonwealth approach was not acceptable to the King.
He served the College, afterwards known as Princeton University
, as a trustee. In 1766 and 1767, he gave up his practice for the purpose of visiting England
, Scotland
, and Ireland
. While he was in Scotland, his personal efforts resulted in the acceptance of the presidency of the College by the Reverend John Witherspoon
.
Witherspoon's wife had opposed her husband's taking the position but her objections were overcome with the aid of his son-in-law Benjamin Rush
, who was a medical student in Edinburgh. This was an exceedingly important event in the history of higher education in America. Stockton returned to America and the following year, 1768, he was made a member of the executive council of the province and in 1774 was promoted to the supreme bench of New Jersey.
, where he took a very active role. That August, when elections were held for the state governments of the new nation, Stockton and William Livingston
each received the same number of votes to be the Governor of New Jersey
on the first ballot. Although Livingston later won the election by one vote, Stockton was unanimously elected to serve as the Chief Justice
of the New Jersey Supreme Court, but he turned down that position to remain in the Congress. Stockton was the first person from New Jersey to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Stockton was appointed by Congress, along with fellow signer George Clymer
, to an exhausting two-month journey to Fort Ticonderoga
, Saratoga
and Albany, New York
to assist the Continental Army
in the American Revolutionary War
. On his return to Princeton, he traveled 30 miles east to the home of a friend, John Covenhoven, to evacuate his family to safety, and away from the path of the British
army. While there, on November 30, 1776, he and Covenhoven were captured in the middle of the night, dragged from their beds by loyalists, stripped of their property and marched to Perth Amboy and turned over to the British. Just before Stockton was captured, General William Howe had offered amnesty to those willing to renounce the American "rebellion" and renew their loyalty to the King George III
. Although many took the offer of amnesty, Stockton did not and was marched to Perth Amboy
where he was put in irons, and brutally treated as a common criminal.
He was then moved to Provost Prison in New York where he was intentionally starved and subjected to freezing cold weather. After nearly five weeks of brutal treatment, Stockton was released, his health ruined. Over 12,000 prisoners died in the prison ships and prisons in New York compared to 4,435 soldiers that died in combat over the six years of war. His estate, Morven, in Princeton was occupied by General Cornwallis
during Stockton's imprisonment; his furniture, all household belongings, crops and livestock were taken or destroyed by the British. His library, one of the finest in the colonies, was burned.
Stockton's treatment in the New York prison prompted Continental Congress to pass a resolution directing George Washington to inquire into the circumstances and not long afterward, Stockton was exchanged on January 3, 1777. The U.S. National Archives contains other messages showing that Washington duly contacted Howe in New York regarding the exchange or release of Stockton and others.
While he had been in prison, under torture, he had been forced to sign an "oath of allegiance to King George III". He also gave him "word of honor" that he would no longer be involved in American politics or affairs. In December of 1777 Stockton was forced by Whig leaders to again swear an oath of allegiance to the United States. If he had refused, he would have been banished from Morven.
.
In 1888, the state of New Jersey donated a marble statue of Stockton to the National Statuary Hall Collection
at the United States Capitol
. He is one of only six signers to be honored.
In 1969, the New Jersey Legislature
passed legislation establishing a state college which was named after Stockton, to honor the memory of New Jersey's signer of the Declaration of Independence. Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is the current name for this educational institution which was previously known under the names Stockton State College and Richard Stockton State College.
Stockton's name is also well known amongst travelers as well, as one of the southbound rest areas of the New Jersey Turnpike
, south of Interstate 195
.
, also a signer of the Declaration), Mary, Susan, Richard
, Lucius
and Abigail.
Stockton's oldest son Richard
was an eminent lawyer and later a Senator
from New Jersey. His son, Commodore Robert Field Stockton
, was a hero of the War of 1812
, and in 1846 became the first military governor of California
and later a Senator from New Jersey.
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
.
Early life
A son of John Stockton, he was born near PrincetonPrinceton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, attended Samuel Finley
Samuel Finley
The Rev. Samuel Finley , 1763 DD University of Glasgow . Evangelical preacher and academic, he founded the West Nottingham Academy, and was the fifth president and an original trustee of the College of New Jersey from 1761 until 1766.-Family and students:Finley was the...
's academy at Nottingham
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
, which later became West Nottingham Academy
West Nottingham Academy
West Nottingham Academy was founded in 1744 by the Presbyterian preacher Samuel Finley, who later become President of Princeton College . Today, the independent co-ed school serves both boarding and day students in grades 9-12...
, and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
), graduating in 1748. He studied law with David Ogden, of Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, who was at that time the head of the legal profession in the province. Stockton was admitted to the bar in 1754 and soon rose to great distinction. He was a longtime friend of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. His wife was poet Annis Boudinot Stockton
Annis Boudinot Stockton
Annis Boudinot Stockton was an American poet.Stockton was born in Darby, Pennsylvania, to Elias Boudinot, merchant and silversmith, and Catherine Williams. Annis was also known as the Duchess of Morven—their estate in Princeton, New Jersey was named Morven, after the legendary Scottish King...
, sister of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
statesman Elias Boudinot
Elias Boudinot
Elias Boudinot was a lawyer and statesman from Elizabeth, New Jersey who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a U.S. Congressman for New Jersey...
. The Stocktons had six children. Their son Richard Stockton became an eminent lawyer and prominent Federalist leader. Coincidentally, Elias Boudinot
Elias Boudinot
Elias Boudinot was a lawyer and statesman from Elizabeth, New Jersey who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a U.S. Congressman for New Jersey...
was married to Stockton's sister Hannah Stockton (1736–1808).
Stockton initially showed little interest in politics. He once wrote, "The public is generally unthankful, and I never will become a Servant of it, till I am convinced that by neglecting my own affairs I am doing more acceptable Service to God and Man." Stockton did, however, later take an active role as a trustee of the College of New Jersey.
Political career
In 1768, Stockton had his first taste of government service when he was appointed to the governing Council of New Jersey; he was later (1774) appointed to the New Jersey Supreme CourtNew Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
. He first took a moderate stance in the troubles between the colonies and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. He did not favor separation; rather, he suggested in 1764 that some colonial members be appointed to the Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. However, he changed his position a year later when the controversy over the Stamp Act
Stamp Act 1765
The Stamp Act 1765 was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America. The act required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp...
arose. In 1774 he drafted and sent to Lord Dartmouth
William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth
William Legge 2nd Earl of Dartmouth PC, FRS , styled as Viscount Lewisham from 1732 to 1750, was a British statesman who is most remembered for his part in the government before and during the American Revolution....
"with a plan of self-government for America, independent of Parliament, without renouncing the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
." This Commonwealth approach was not acceptable to the King.
He served the College, afterwards known as Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, as a trustee. In 1766 and 1767, he gave up his practice for the purpose of visiting England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. While he was in Scotland, his personal efforts resulted in the acceptance of the presidency of the College by the Reverend John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. As president of the College of New Jersey , he trained many leaders of the early nation and was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration...
.
Witherspoon's wife had opposed her husband's taking the position but her objections were overcome with the aid of his son-in-law Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
, who was a medical student in Edinburgh. This was an exceedingly important event in the history of higher education in America. Stockton returned to America and the following year, 1768, he was made a member of the executive council of the province and in 1774 was promoted to the supreme bench of New Jersey.
Revolutionary War
In 1776, Stockton was elected to the Second Continental CongressSecond Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
, where he took a very active role. That August, when elections were held for the state governments of the new nation, Stockton and William Livingston
William Livingston
William Livingston served as the Governor of New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War and was a signer of the United States Constitution.-Early life:...
each received the same number of votes to be the Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
on the first ballot. Although Livingston later won the election by one vote, Stockton was unanimously elected to serve as the Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the New Jersey Supreme Court, but he turned down that position to remain in the Congress. Stockton was the first person from New Jersey to sign the Declaration of Independence.
George Clymer
George Clymer was an American politician and founding father. He was one of the first Patriots to advocate complete independence from Britain. As a Pennsylvania representative, Clymer was, along with five others, a signatory of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution...
, to an exhausting two-month journey to Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
, Saratoga
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
and Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
to assist the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. On his return to Princeton, he traveled 30 miles east to the home of a friend, John Covenhoven, to evacuate his family to safety, and away from the path of the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
army. While there, on November 30, 1776, he and Covenhoven were captured in the middle of the night, dragged from their beds by loyalists, stripped of their property and marched to Perth Amboy and turned over to the British. Just before Stockton was captured, General William Howe had offered amnesty to those willing to renounce the American "rebellion" and renew their loyalty to the King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. Although many took the offer of amnesty, Stockton did not and was marched to Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
where he was put in irons, and brutally treated as a common criminal.
He was then moved to Provost Prison in New York where he was intentionally starved and subjected to freezing cold weather. After nearly five weeks of brutal treatment, Stockton was released, his health ruined. Over 12,000 prisoners died in the prison ships and prisons in New York compared to 4,435 soldiers that died in combat over the six years of war. His estate, Morven, in Princeton was occupied by General Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
during Stockton's imprisonment; his furniture, all household belongings, crops and livestock were taken or destroyed by the British. His library, one of the finest in the colonies, was burned.
Stockton's treatment in the New York prison prompted Continental Congress to pass a resolution directing George Washington to inquire into the circumstances and not long afterward, Stockton was exchanged on January 3, 1777. The U.S. National Archives contains other messages showing that Washington duly contacted Howe in New York regarding the exchange or release of Stockton and others.
While he had been in prison, under torture, he had been forced to sign an "oath of allegiance to King George III". He also gave him "word of honor" that he would no longer be involved in American politics or affairs. In December of 1777 Stockton was forced by Whig leaders to again swear an oath of allegiance to the United States. If he had refused, he would have been banished from Morven.
Later days and legacy
Because of his actions, Stockton is often remembered as the "only signer of the Declaration of Independence who abandoned the American cause". Even after signing a new oath to the emerging United States of America, Stockton remained a "sad and pathetic figure" because of what he went through. His heath began declining not long after, until his death at his family's estate in Princeton on February 28, 1781. He was then buried at the Stony Brook Meeting House and CemeteryStony Brook Meeting House and Cemetery
Stony Brook Meeting House and Cemetery are historic Quaker sites located at the Stony Brook Settlement at the intersection of Princeton Pike/Mercer Road and Quaker Road in Princeton Township, New Jersey, United States. The first Europeans to settle in the Princeton area were six Quaker families who...
.
In 1888, the state of New Jersey donated a marble statue of Stockton to the National Statuary Hall Collection
National Statuary Hall Collection
The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol comprises statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history...
at the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
. He is one of only six signers to be honored.
In 1969, the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
passed legislation establishing a state college which was named after Stockton, to honor the memory of New Jersey's signer of the Declaration of Independence. Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is the current name for this educational institution which was previously known under the names Stockton State College and Richard Stockton State College.
Stockton's name is also well known amongst travelers as well, as one of the southbound rest areas of the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
, south of Interstate 195
Interstate 195 (New Jersey)
Interstate 195 is an auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its western end is at I-295 and Route 29 just south of Trenton, New Jersey in Hamilton Township, Mercer County while its eastern end is at the Garden State Parkway, Route 34 and Route...
.
Family
Stockton and his wife had six children, four daughters and two sons: Julia Stockton (married to Benjamin RushBenjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
, also a signer of the Declaration), Mary, Susan, Richard
Richard Stockton (1764-1828)
Richard Stockton was a lawyer who represented New Jersey in the United States Senate and later served in the United States House of Representatives. He was the first U.S...
, Lucius
Lucius Horatio Stockton
align="right"|Lucius Horatio Stockton was an American lawyer who served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 1798 to 1801.-Biography:...
and Abigail.
Stockton's oldest son Richard
Richard Stockton (1764-1828)
Richard Stockton was a lawyer who represented New Jersey in the United States Senate and later served in the United States House of Representatives. He was the first U.S...
was an eminent lawyer and later a Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from New Jersey. His son, Commodore Robert Field Stockton
Robert F. Stockton
Robert Field Stockton was a United States naval commodore, notable in the capture of California during the Mexican-American War. He was a naval innovator and an early advocate for a propeller-driven, steam-powered navy. Stockton was from a notable political family and also served as a U.S...
, was a hero of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, and in 1846 became the first military governor of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and later a Senator from New Jersey.
Ancestry
Richard was born to John Stockton (b.1701) & Abigail Phillips. John's father was Richard Stockton. Abigail is the daughter of Phillip Phillips and Hannah Stockton. Richard and Hannah were brother & sister, making Richard Stockton's (b. 1730) parents 1st cousins. (info from the LDS genealogy website)External links
- Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856
- http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/stockton.htm
- http://president.stockton.edu/richard.html
- http://www.rebelswithavision.com/RichardStockton.net/
- American Heritage article on Stockton and the Declaration of Allegiance.