Richard Stockton (April 17, 1764March 7, 1828) was a lawyer who represented

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 ...

in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

and later 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

. He was the first

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey is the chief federal law enforcement officer in New Jersey. On December 16, 2021, Philip R. Sellinger was sworn in as U.S. Attorney. The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey has juris ...

, holding that office from 1789 to 1791, and ran unsuccessfully for

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

in the 1820 election as a member of the

Federalist Party The Federalist Party was a Conservatism in the United States, conservative political party which was the first political party in the United States. As such, under Alexander Hamilton, it dominated the national government from 1789 to 1801. De ...

, which did not nominate a candidate for president.

Life

Stockton was born in

Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...

, the son of Richard Stockton, a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

. He was tutored privately, and graduated from the College of New Jersey (now

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

) in 1779. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1784 and commenced practice in Princeton. Stockton was a presidential elector in the

1792 Events January–March * January 9 – The Treaty of Jassy ends the Russian Empire's war with the Ottoman Empire over Crimea. * February 18 – Thomas Holcroft produces the comedy '' The Road to Ruin'' in London. * February ...

and 1800 presidential elections. He was elected as a Federalist to the

to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Frederick Frelinghuysen and served from November 12, 1796, to March 4, 1799, but declined to be a candidate for reelection. He was an unsuccessful candidate for

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 res ...

in 1801, 1803, and 1804. He was elected as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

to the Thirteenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1815, and declined to be a candidate for renomination to the

Fourteenth Congress The 14th 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 the Old Brick Capitol in Washingto ...

. Stockton was elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

in 1815.American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
/ref> After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of his profession. He died at Morven, near Princeton, and was interred in

Princeton Cemetery Princeton Cemetery is located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the Nassau Presbyterian Church. John F. Hageman in his 1878 history of Princeton, New Jersey refers to the cemetery as "The Westminster Abbey of the United State ...

in Princeton.

Family

In 1788, Stockton married Mary Field (1766–1837). They were the parents of nine children, including Mary Field, Richard, Julia, Robert Field, Horatio, Caroline, Samuel Witham, William Bradford, and Annis. His brother Lucius Horatio Stockton served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. His son Commodore

Robert F. Stockton Robert Field Stockton (August 20, 1795 – October 7, 1866) was a United States Navy 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-p ...

was the Military Governor of California who defeated the Mexican army in 1846. He later became a senator from New Jersey like his father before him. His daughter Annie Stockton was the first wife of U.S. Senator

John Renshaw Thomson John Renshaw Thomson (September 25, 1800September 12, 1862) was an American merchant and politician from New Jersey. Life Thomson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Edward Thomson (1771-1853) and Ann Renshaw (1773-1842). His fath ...

References

External links

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005: The Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States, from the First Through the One Hundred Eighth Congresses, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 2005, Inclusive. p. 1983
'' United States Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office,'' (2005)

at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Stockton, Richard (1764-1828) 1764 births 1828 deaths Burials at Princeton Cemetery Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey Federalist Party United States senators Members of the American Antiquarian Society New Jersey lawyers People from Princeton, New Jersey Princeton University alumni Stockton family of New Jersey United States Attorneys for the District of New Jersey United States senators from New Jersey 1820 United States vice-presidential candidates 1792 United States presidential electors 1800 United States presidential electors