Thomas Stockton
Encyclopedia
Thomas Stockton was an American soldier and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, and a member of the Whig Party, who served as Governor of Delaware.
, New Castle County, Delaware, son of John and Nancy Griffin Stockton. His father was a Brigadier General in the War of 1812
, leading the 1st Brigade of Delaware militia. He married Fidelia Johns, daughter of Chancellor Kensey Johns
, and they had five children, Thomas, William, James, Elizabeth, and Fidelia. They lived in the Kensey Johns-Van Dyke house at 300 Delaware Street and were members of the Immanuel Episcopal Church in New Castle.
, Stockton joined the Delaware militia. During the War of 1812 he was part of the attack on Fort George on the Niagara River and fought at Lundy's Lane
. Eventually he was promoted to a Major in the 42nd Infantry. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1825.
, the Democratic Party candidate. He took office January 21, 1845 and served until his death on March 2, 1846. He was the sixth Governor of Delaware to die in office.
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly
(sessions while Governor)
|-
!Year
!Assembly
!
!Senate Majority
!Speaker
!
!House Majority
!Speaker
|-
|1845-1846
|63rd
|
| |Whig
| |Joseph Maull
|
| |Whig
| |William Temple
|-
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
|-
! Office
! Type
! Location
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-
|Register in Chancery
|Judiciary
|New Castle
|1832
|1835
|
|-
|Governor
|Executive
|Dover
|January 21, 1845
|March 2, 1846
|
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!
!Subject
!Party
!Votes
!%
!
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1844
|Governor
|
| |Thomas Stockton
| |Whig
| |6,140
| |50%
|
| |William Tharp
| |Democratic
| |6,095
| |50%
Early life and family
Stockton was born in New Castle HundredNew Castle Hundred
New Castle Hundred is the name of an unincorporated subdivision of New Castle County, Delaware. Hundreds were once used as a basis for representation in the Delaware General Assembly, and while their names still appear on all real estate transactions, they presently have no meaningful use or...
, New Castle County, Delaware, son of John and Nancy Griffin Stockton. His father was a Brigadier General in 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...
, leading the 1st Brigade of Delaware militia. He married Fidelia Johns, daughter of Chancellor Kensey Johns
Kensey Johns (jurist)
Kensey Johns was a jurist from Delaware and father of Kensey Johns, Jr. and John Johns.-Early life:Johns was born in Maryland. His ancestral home, Sudley, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In his early years, he participated as a minuteman in the American Revolution...
, and they had five children, Thomas, William, James, Elizabeth, and Fidelia. They lived in the Kensey Johns-Van Dyke house at 300 Delaware Street and were members of the Immanuel Episcopal Church in New Castle.
Military career
After graduating from Princeton CollegePrinceton 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....
, Stockton joined the Delaware militia. During the War of 1812 he was part of the attack on Fort George on the Niagara River and fought at Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
. Eventually he was promoted to a Major in the 42nd Infantry. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1825.
Political career
Stockton was the New Castle County Register in Chancery from 1832 to 1835. Several years later, in 1844, he was elected Governor of Delaware by defeating William TharpWilliam Tharp
William Tharp was an American farmer and politician from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware....
, the Democratic Party candidate. He took office January 21, 1845 and served until his death on March 2, 1846. He was the sixth Governor of Delaware to die in office.
Death and legacy
Stockton died at New Castle and is buried there at the Immanuel Episcopal Church Cemetery. Several of his sons and grandsons served in the Civil War.{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
(sessions while Governor)
|-
!Year
!Assembly
!
!Senate Majority
!Speaker
!
!House Majority
!Speaker
|-
|1845-1846
|63rd
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
|
| |Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
| |Joseph Maull
Joseph Maull
Dr. Joseph Maull was an American physician and politician from Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, and a member of the Federalist Party, then later the Whig Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware.-Early life and...
|
| |Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
| |William Temple
William Temple (governor)
William Temple was an American merchant and politician from Smyrna, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Whig Party, and later the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as Governor of Delaware, and as U.S...
|-
Almanac
Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. The Governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four year term.{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
|-
! Office
! Type
! Location
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-
|Register in Chancery
|Judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
|New Castle
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...
|1832
|1835
|
|-
|Governor
|Executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
|Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
|January 21, 1845
|March 2, 1846
|
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!
!Subject
!Party
!Votes
!%
!
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1844
|Governor
|
| |Thomas Stockton
| |Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
| |6,140
| |50%
|
| |William Tharp
William Tharp
William Tharp was an American farmer and politician from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware....
| |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| |6,095
| |50%
Images
- Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover.
External links
- Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States
- Delaware’s Governors
- Find a Grave
- The Political Graveyard
Places with more information
- Delaware Historical SocietyDelaware Historical SocietyThe Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a state-wide historical institution with several venues and a major museum in Wilmington and the historic Read House & Gardens in New Castle.The society...
; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161 - University of DelawareUniversity of DelawareThe university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965