Thomas Stockton (April 1, 1781 – March 2, 1846) was an American soldier and politician from New Castle in

New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

. He was a veteran of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, and a member of the Whig Party, who served as

Governor of Delaware A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

Early life and family

Stockton was born in New Castle Hundred,

New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

, Delaware, son of John and Nancy Griffin Stockton. His father was a brigadier general in the

, 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.

Military career

After graduating from

Princeton College Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

, Stockton joined the Delaware militia. During the

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 The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

in 1825.

Political career

Stockton was the

by defeating

William Tharp William Tharp (November 27, 1803 – January 9, 1865) 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 Delawar ...

, the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

candidate. He took office January 21, 1845 and served until his death on March 2, 1846. He was the sixth

to die in office. He was a member of the

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

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 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 ...

.
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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 ...

''(sessions while Governor)'' , - !Year !Assembly ! !Senate Majority !Speaker ! !House Majority !Speaker , - , 1845-1846 , 63rd , , , Whig , ,

Joseph Maull Joseph Maull (September 6, 1781 – May 3, 1846) 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 serv ...

, , , Whig , , William Temple , -

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. The governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four-year term.
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Judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

, New Castle , 1832 , 1835 , , - ,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

, 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 ,

, , , Thomas Stockton , , Whig , , 6,140 , , 50% , , ,

, , Democratic , , 6,095 , , 50%

References

* * *

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:Stockton, Thomas 1781 births 1846 deaths People from New Castle, Delaware Delaware Whigs Governors of Delaware Burials in New Castle County, Delaware Whig Party state governors of the United States 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American Episcopalians