Charles Clark Stockley (November 6, 1819 – April 20, 1901) was an American politician from Georgetown in
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware, on the Delmarva Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 237,378. The county seat is Georgetown.
The first European settlement in the state of Delaware w ...
. He was a member of the
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, who served in the
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. It meets at Legisla ...
and as
Governor of Delaware
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.
Early life and family
Stockley was born near
Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown is a town and the county seat of Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade.
Georgetown is part of the Salisbury, Maryland ...
, son of Jehu and Hannah Rodney Kollock Stockley. Returning from school in Philadelphia in 1839, he taught school for seven years and then opened a general store in
Millsboro, Delaware. His primary occupation was farming the extensive real estate he owned. Eventually he became one of the major peach growers in eastern Sussex County. Stockley married Ellen Anderson in 1859, and they had one child, Hannah. They lived on Cedar Lane (State Rd 318) southeast of Georgetown, near the present-day airport, and were members of
St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Professional and political career
Stockley was Sussex County Treasurer and in 1856 became Sussex County Sheriff. Elected to the state senate, he served in the 1873/74 session and 1875/76 session. In the last session he was the Speaker. Nearly eight years later the Democrats recruited him as their candidate for governor. After defeating Albert Curry of
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C ...
, the Republican candidate, he served as governor from January 16, 1883 until January 18, 1887.
The majority Democratic Party still described itself as, “the White Man’s Party”, and still promoted thinking that could criticize African American voting rights, as an “insane policy of investing an ignorant and inferior race with the sacred rights of the ballot.” Nevertheless, now twenty years after the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, the first stirrings of tolerance were heard. Stockley, on his retirement, noted that “Our colored citizens are improving their advantages by laudable efforts to acquire homes for themselves and education for their children. The prejudice against their enfranchisement is fast disappearing, and I trust will soon pass away forever."
Death and legacy
Stockley died at his home and is buried in the St. Paul's Episcopal Churchyard at Georgetown.
The Stockely Center, a facility of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, is named in his honor because of his early advocacy of services for the "feebly-minded."
Almanac
Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Members of the Delaware General Assembly took office the first Tuesday of January. State senators have a four-year term. The governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four-year term.
References
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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*
Places with more information
*
Delaware Historical Society
The Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a statewide historical institution with several buildings, including Old Town Hall and the Delaware History Muse ...
website 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
*
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
Library website 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stockley, Charles C.
1819 births
1901 deaths
Methodists from Delaware
People from Georgetown, Delaware
Farmers from Delaware
Democratic Party Delaware state senators
Democratic Party governors of Delaware
Burials in Sussex County, Delaware
Delaware sheriffs