He studied law with David Ogden, of Newark, who was at that time the head of the legal profession in the province. He died October 24, 1821. This is the same day, just the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Committees of Correspondence were organized in 1772 to exchange information among the colonies and mold public opnion in the developing struggle. Behind that fleet were all the wealth and power of the British Empire. In 1776 he was elected to the Continental Congress in time to urge adoption of the Declaration of Independence and to be the only clergyman to sign it. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 3 daughters. While in Scotland as a trustee of the College of New Jersey, Stockton visited Reverend John Witherspoon. Despite personal setbacks Witherspoon never lost his belief that America would prevail in the struggle for independence. On his deathbed, John Morton sent these final words to those who had rejected him: " Tell them that they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge it [the signing] as the most glorious service I have ever rendered to my country.". He married (1) 2 Sept. 1748, Elizabeth Montgomerie (1722-1789), daughter of Robert Montgomerie. In 1752, John Stockton and his stepfather, Thomas Leonard, gave money and land to establish the College of Princeton (later Princeton University) in Princeton, New Jersey. "John Witherspoon." A statue of Richard Stockton by Henry Kirke Brown was dedicated by congressional proceedings in 1888 and placed in Statuary Hall in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Stockton is one of only six signers to be so honored. He lived in poverty for years before he was able to restore his property. Famously, when told that the country was not yet ready for independence, Witherspoon replied that it was "not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of rotting for the want of it." Witherspoon would go on to be one of the Founding Fathers of the United States as a signatory to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. This was an exceedingly important event in the history of higher education in America. As of Fall 2022, the petition has garnered over 250 signatures in support of removing the statue on the basis that it is a distraction to the University's mission and makes community members uncomfortable because of Witherspoon's racist history. This claim is based on a private letter quoting a rumor spread by an enemy of Stockton. There is not a single shoe or stocking to be had in this part of the world, or I would ride a hundred miles thought the woods, and purchase them with my own moneyfor youll consider that the weather here must be different from that in New Jersey; it is very cold now I assure you. John Witherspoon was the only clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration of Independence. George III. New Hampshire delegates voted first because they were from the northernmost colony. View Transcript The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. . He resigned his royal appointments and New Jersey elected him to the Continental Congress in June 1776. In his lectures on moral philosophy at Princeton, required of all juniors and seniors, Witherspoon argued for the revolutionary right of resistance and recommended checks and balances within government. He would not live see his country win independence. Elias Boudinot served his country in many positions during the difficult times of the American Revolution. He argued that the colonies should be represented in the Parliament. Richard Stocktons home Morven became the New Jersey Governors Mansion from 1954-1981. [9] "Common report, moreover, may be attributed to Judge Stockton some of the exploits of a distant cousin, Major Richard Stockton an obnoxious Tory, who did take Howe's protection and went over to the British until he was captured in Feb. Such was the caliber of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, the men who risked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to establish the American Republic and guarantee our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In 1763 he received the degree of Sergeant at law the highest degree of law at that time. Considered firm but good-humored in his leadership, Witherspoon was very popular among both faculty and students. Joseph Hewes of North Carolina was a Quaker with a long pacifist heritage, and for many months he sided with those in Congress who were opposed to independence. Philip Stockton, Rebecca Te kton, Susannah Cuthbert (born Stockton), Mary Stockton, Molly Rush (born Simpson), Richard Arthur Stockton, Lucius Horatio Stockton, Abig Oct 1 1730 - Princeton, Somerset, Province Of New Jersey, Feb 28 1781 - Princeton, Somerset, New Jersey, Usa, Susan STOCKTON, Julia STOCKTON, Richard Arthur STOCKTON, Abigail STOCKTON, Lucius STOCKTON, Susanna STOCKTON, Hannah STOCKTON, Rev. He held to old concepts from the Roman Republic of virtuous leadership by civil magistrates, but he also regularly recommended that his students read such modern philosophers as Machiavelli, Montesquieu, and David Hume, even though he disapproved of Hume's "infidel" stance on religion. He managed to move his family to safety, but was captured and imprisoned by the British. John Witherspoon was a prominent member of the Continental Congress for eight years and signed the Declaration of Independence and other important documents. [2] Located in Princeton, it promotes the application of fundamental principles of republican government and ordered liberty to contemporary problems through a variety of centers, research programs, seminars, consultations, and publications. The British considered his college to be a "seminary of sedition." (Painting by Charles Willson Peale, public domain via Wikimedia Commons) [2] Later, he signed the Articles of Confederation and supported ratification of the Constitution of the United States. Some are superior to others in mental powers and intellectual improvementsome by the great increase of their property through their own, or their predecessors industry, and some make it their choice, finding they cannot live otherwise better, to let out their labor to others for hire. Witherspoon was a staunch Protestant, nationalist, and supporter of republicanism. The black gowned students of Princeton surrounded the door to Nassau Hall and cheered as Washington entered. In 1768, John Witherspoon, Presbyterian leader of the evangelical Popular party faction in the Scottish Kirk, became the College of New Jersey's sixth president. John Knox Witherspoon (February 15, 1723 November 15, 1794) was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. At age 68, he married a 24-year-old widow, with whom he had two more children. Philip STOCKTON, Rev. From the pocket of his close-fitting coat Washington drew his carefully written reply. Stockton was given a parole by General Howe in mid January, requiring him to no longer participate in the war effort as was common on both sides. Not all of those who had voted for independence on July 2nd were present in August. At the age of four, he could read the Bible. Witherspoon has been described by some historians as being "not a profound scholar" but "an able college president". Washington ordered his forces to withdraw and the Redcoats laid waste to most of the countryside, destroying in the process homes and lands of the four who signed for New York. Half continued to serve their country after the war - several as President, many as members of Congress, governors, and state legislators - and a number of them played a role in drawing up the Constitution of the United States. Richard Stockton, was denuded of its library and furniture." On July 2, 1776, the day of the vote on independence, another delegate claimed that America wasn't yet ripe enough for independence. udinot (born Stockton), Abigail Pintard (born Stockton), Susanna Pintard (born Stockton), John Stockton, Rev. Therefore, public religion was a vital necessity in maintaining the public morals. Sold June 4, 2008, in Printed & Manuscript Americana for $132,000. Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote: The whole of Mr. Stocktons furniture, apparel, and even valuable writings have been burnt. http://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1233/john-witherspoon, The Free Speech Center operates with your generosity! He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. He was a moderate with regard to Colonial autonomy. John Witherspoon was an American Founding Father, a noted clergyman, and an educator.He played an influential role in his home country of Scotland and in his adopted country, the United States.Witherspoon was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of . The practice was also impolitic, as slaves never are so good or faithful servants, as those who become so for a limited time by consent. Died on November 15, 1794 in Near Princeton, New Jersey, USA , United States. Because of the storm they had arrived late, at the end of a speech John Adams was giving in favor of independence. John later became a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. In the months that followed, impassioned speeches were delivered from New Hampshire to Georgia, and the political tension became almost unbearable. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856The Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence article on StocktonThe Richard Stockton Statue at the Architect of the CapitolAppleton's cyclopdia of American Biography article on StocktonRichard Stockton at Richard Stockton CollegeAmerican Heritage article on Stockton and the Declaration of Allegiance.Richard Stockton at Find a Grave. Although he remained in prison for only a month, his health was broken. "Why do you spare my house? CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. One night in Edinburgh, Stockton was attacked by a robber and he defended himself skillfully with a small sword, the surprised and wounded robber fled. The Witherspoon Society is a body of laypeople within the Presbyterian Church (USA), in existence since 1979, that is activist in liberal and progressive causes. John Witherspoon, signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Jersey, was born at Yester, Scotland, 5 Feb. 1722. As to the first it seems to be only that the master has a right to the labors and ingenuity of the servant for a limited time, or at most for life. At the urging of Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton, whom he met in Paisley, Witherspoon finally accepted a second invitation to become president and head professor of the small Presbyterian College of New Jersey in Princeton. Caesar Rodney was also afflicted with a painful and unsightly facial cancer. He was never free of pain until he died on February 28, 1781, at his home "Morven. Danny Pieper was elected on May 23, 2007, and the SC Supreme Court, Seat 2 to which the Hon. Scots Presbyterian minister and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey, Born on February 05, 1723 The first signer to die, in 1777, was John Morton of Pennsyvania, a former Crown officer who had been sent to Philadelphia to oppose independence. He was called before the Board, took the Oath and was dismissed (It is noted that Stockton did not turn in any protection papers as was required if you signed Howe's Proclamation and were given a pardon). "[7] 4,836 Declarations were subscribed but Stockton as a Signer of the Declaration of Independence and a leading rebel never did according to General Howe. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. Wrong username or password. Stockton returned to America in August 1767. Boykin Witherspoon was an early plantation owner in De Soto, South Carolina. Handkerchief in hand they lashed at the hungry pests to no avail.". Stockton's oldest son Richard was an eminent lawyer and later a Senator from New Jersey. Besides paper documents, it is one of four still-existing objects that were present during the Constitutional Convention, along with the Liberty Bell, the chair that George Washington sat in as the Constitutional Convention's . Witherspoon immediately declared "It is not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of rotting for the want of it." Since that period, he hath represented New-Jersey in the congress of the United States. Although he was released unharmed a few days later, he later had trouble sleeping, and would often faint in broad-daylight. Rush and Stockton's recruiting letters can be found in Butterfield, L. H., "John Witherspoon Comes to America", Princeton University Library, Princeton, New Jersey. Exhausted, racked by cancer, Rodney set out after dusk and rode all night through the pouring rain and the crashing thunder, stopping only long enough to change horses. That reaction deeply hurt Morton, particularly when he was ignored even after he fell gravely ill early in 1777. ", Nelson demanded of the gunners. After the death of Mrs. Witherspoon, the Doctor, at the age of seventy, married a young woman of twenty-three, an alliance which occasioned much gossip and noise in the neighborhood and family circle. His own health began to deteriorate and he was dead by the third anniversary of the signing of the Declaration. John Stockton, Abigail Stockton (born Phillips), Hannah Boudinot (born Stockton), Susanna Pintard (born Stockton), Rev. The rebels captured him, imprisoned him in a castle, and threatened to kill him. In August 1767, he boarded a ship in London and 26 days later arrived in New York. Parades and demonstrations, patriotic observances and celebrations, were held across the states. On July 1st the colonies, balloting according to a majority of each delegation, approved the Lee resolution by a vote of 9-2, with South Carolina and Pennsylvania opposed, Delaware deadlocked and New York abstaining. The next round from the gun went through the mansion, killing the British soldiers inside and destroying the Nelson home. Although Witherspoon can be heavily credited in the expansion and progression of the University, his ownership ties to the enslavement of Black people in America have caused for an internal Princeton petition to the CPUC Committee on Naming at Princeton University and President Eisgruber for the removal of his statue that currently stands in Firestone Plaza on campus. Moses Coit Tyler "President Witherspoon in the American Revolution" The American Historical Review Volume 1, Issue 1, July 1896. pp. Illinois University LibrariesCorner, George W., The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush. In March 1777, only two months after Stocktons release, in a letter to British Parliament General Howe wrote at no time had a leading rebel sought pardon. The book His Sacred Honor comes to Stocktons defense against these revisionist writers using rumors and innuendo to spread this false claim against a founding father. There was no place to acquire these items and unfortunately no money to purchase them with if they were to be found. He was appointed to the royal council of New Jersey in 1765 and remained a member until the government was reformed. He also wrote frequent essays on subjects of interest to the colonies. John attended the preparatory school in Haddington Scotland. The gallery was crowded; the floor was reserved for members of Congress; and on the wall hung the empty frame of the portrait of George II, which Alexander Hamiltons cannon ball had destroyed in the fighting of January 3rd at the battle of Princeton six years before. He lost all of his extensive library, writings, and all of his property during the British invasion. Named after John Witherspoon, one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, the . The British considered his college to be a "seminary of sedition." Arrayed against such might was a Continental Army of 10,000 men and a handful of poorly equipped and badly trained militia in the several states. Brother of Sarah Stockton; John "The Elder" Stockton; Hannah Boudinot; Abigail Pintard; Susanna Pintard and 4 others; Reverend Philip Stockton; John Stockton; Rebecca Tennent and Samuel W. Stockton less. Stockton was the first person from New Jersey to sign the Declaration of Independence. He is co-editor of the. (14 August 1750 - 1756), James Witherspoon, Major (17 November 1751 - 4 October 1777), Barbara Witherspoon, d.s.p. Here were the elite of the 18th century America, but few were elitist. His estate, Morven, in Princeton was occupied by General Cornwallis during Stockton's imprisonment; his furniture, all household belongings, crops and livestock were taken or destroyed by the British. Following the Jacobite victory at the Battle of Falkirk, he was briefly imprisoned at Doune Castle,[10] which had a long-term effect on his health. An advocate of natural law within a Christian and republican cosmology, Witherspoon considered moral philosophy vital for ministers, lawyers, and those holding positions in government (magistrates). On January 3, 1777, General George Washington was directed by Congress to protest against the shocking and inhuman treatment of the honorable Richard Stockton to General William Howe. In 1774, he drafted and sent to Lord Dartmouth "a plan of self-government for America, independent of Parliament, without renouncing the Crown." In 1780 he was elected to a one-year term in the New Jersey Legislative Council representing Somerset County. Richard and Hannah were brother and sister, making Richard Stockton's (born 1730) parents 1st cousins.[12]. Susannah later married Thomas Leonard and remained in Princeton after her husbands death. Rev. Rev. 03.12('53) DVD Upon his arrival, Witherspoon found the school in debt, with weak instruction, and a library collection which clearly failed to meet student needs. : Rowman and Littlefield, 200&a. John Witherspoon stated: "Religion is the grand concern of us all the salvation of our souls is the one thing needful." After his wife died in 1789, John Witherspoon headed up a committee in the New Jersey legislature to abolish slavery. He was captured there November 30, 1776, by loyalists in the dead of night, drug from his bed and marched in freezing weather clad only in a nightshirt and breeches. John Witherspoon: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence John Witherspoon was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He died in 1794 on his farm Tusculum, just outside of Princeton, and is buried in the Princeton Cemetery. These 56 men who spoke for two and a half million American free men were a spectacular group of individuals. In council he was wise and firm, but always prudent and moderateThe office of Judge of the province was never filled with more integrity and learning that it was by him for several years before the revolution. Some had left Congress; others were away and had to sign later; and several new delegates had since been elected. [15] Thus, Witherspoon and his family emigrated to New Jersey in 1768. John Witherspoon participated in the American Revolution. A young English woman Esther DeBerdt, engaged to Stocktons former law student Joseph Reed remarked, I like Mr. Stockton exceedingly. Categories: Patriotic Service, New Jersey, American Revolution | American Founding Fathers | Signers of the Articles of Confederation | Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence | Presbyterian Ministers | Princeton University | NSDAR Patriot Ancestors, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. , 2008, in Printed & amp ; Manuscript Americana for $ 132,000 others were away and had to the! For the measure, but in danger of rotting for the measure, but danger..., 5 Feb. 1722 historians as being `` not a profound scholar '' but `` an able college president.... When he was ignored even after he fell gravely ill early in 1777 of law at that time 2 1748. Parents of at least 6 sons and 3 daughters was reformed coat Washington drew his carefully written reply June,... Killing the British soldiers inside and destroying the Nelson home facial cancer and Gregorian calendars of rotting for the of. Where the ancestors of the United States the measure, but was captured and by! 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