Charles Creighton Stratton (March 6, 1796 – March 30, 1859) was a politician from
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
who served in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
and was later the 15th
governor of New Jersey
The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...
.
Biography
He was born, and died, in
Swedesboro, in
Gloucester County, New Jersey.
He is interred at
Trinity Church Cemetery
The parish of Trinity Church has three separate burial grounds associated with it in New York City. The first, Trinity Churchyard, is located in Lower Manhattan at 74 Trinity Place, near Wall Street and Broadway. Alexander Hamilton, Albert Gal ...
in Swedesboro.
He graduated from
Rutgers College
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
in 1814, and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a member of the
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
in 1821, 1823, and again in 1829. He was elected as a
Whig to the
Twenty-fifth United States Congress
The 25th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 183 ...
(1837–1839); presented credentials as a Member-elect to the
Twenty-sixth Congress
The 26th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 183 ...
, but the House declined to seat him ; reelected to the
Twenty-seventh United States Congress
The 27th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. between March 4, ...
(1841–1843). He chose not to run again in 1842. Stratton served as a member of the 1844
Constitutional convention (political meeting) that created a revised
New Jersey State Constitution.
The new 1844 New Jersey State Constitution provided for direct election of a governor for a single three-year term. Stratton ran on the Whig ticket, and campaigned on a platform opposing the powerful railroad interests of the state. The
Democratic candidate was
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
-born
John R. Thomson, who was a stockholder in the railroad and a vigorous advocate of internal improvements.
Stratton won, and served as governor from January 21, 1845, to January 17, 1848. After his term he resumed agricultural pursuits. He married Sarah Taggart of Philadelphia in 1854. Because of ill health, he resided in Europe in 1857 and 1858.
Although he had no children, he had two notable nephews.
Benjamin Franklin Howey
Benjamin Franklin Howey (March 17, 1828 – February 6, 1893) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term from 1883 to 1885. ...
was a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of the
Forty-eighth United States Congress
The 48th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883, ...
(1883–1885) from the
4th Congressional District. Another nephew,
Thomas Preston Carpenter, served as an
Associate Justice
Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some sta ...
on the
New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging th ...
.
His home in
Woolwich Township, New Jersey
Woolwich Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 10,200, reflecting an increase of 7,168 (+236.4%) from the 3,032 counted in the 2000 census.
Woolwich was formed by ...
, the
Gov. Charles C. Stratton House, was built in 1791 and added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
on January 29, 1973.
New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places: Gloucester County
, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff ...
Historic Preservation Office, October 27, 2015. Accessed November 8, 2015.
References
External links
Biographical information of Charles C. Stratton
New Jersey State Library
The New Jersey State Library, based in Trenton, New Jersey, was established in 1796 to serve the information needs of New Jersey's Governor, Legislature and Judiciary. The State Library is also responsible to assist in the provision of library and ...
– document is damaged as of July 6, 2006.
New Jersey Governor Charles Creighton Stratton
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stratton, Charles C.
1796 births
1859 deaths
People from Swedesboro, New Jersey
People from Woolwich Township, New Jersey
Politicians from Gloucester County, New Jersey
Governors of New Jersey
Members of the New Jersey General Assembly
Burials in New Jersey
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey
19th-century American politicians
Whig Party state governors of the United States
Rutgers University alumni
19th-century American Episcopalians