One of Reese ancestors, John Witherspoon, was one of those who signed the Declaration of Independence. Previously known as "Stockton State College" and "Richard Stockton State College", it is now known as "Richard Stockton College of New Jersey". Born: February 15, 1723. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. Born in Scotland to a family of clergymen, he was trained to become a Presbyterian minister. 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. Clara Elizabeth Judgwyn , Edward Parrish, Philippa de Luxembourg , Jean I de Hainaut, Elizabeth Parrott , John Beauford. Richard Stocktons home Morven became the New Jersey Governors Mansion from 1954-1981. In addition, part of the Battle of Princeton in 1777 was fought on the college campus the college was so badly damaged that it was closed for several years. "These are the times that try men's souls," Thomas Paine wrote in COMMON SENSE. The British offered freedom for the boys if he would abandon the cause, but Abraham Clark refused. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can.". He studied law with David Ogden, of Newark, who was at that time the head of the legal profession in the province. As previously mentioned, he educated a great number of future American leaders, and his strong support for democracy and republicanism was transmitted to his students. In colonial American, the best educated men were often found in the clergy. Witherspoon was a very active member of congress, serving on more than a hundred committees through his tenure and debating frequently on the floor. While in London Stockton met with Benjamin Franklin and conferred with London merchants on the issue of paper money by the colonies and an act of Parliament forbidding it. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, he gained a reputation in the Church of Scotland as a leader of the left-wing "Popular Party," and his works made him well-known in the American colonies. In the days that followed, copies of the Declaration of Independence was posted throughout the 13 states and read in public places. John Witherspoon, Parson and Patriot "He was one of the "Signers of the Declaration of Independence" John Witherspoon, son of James Witherspoon and Anne Walker was baptised in the parish of Yester, East Lothian on 10 February 1723. John Penn signed America's first governing document, the Articles of Confederation, as well as the Declaration of Independence. Consequently, he was opposed to the Roman Catholic Legitimist Jacobite rising of 174546. I shall empty my portmanteau of the stockings I have for my own use on this journey, excepting a pair to take back home, but this is a drop of water in the Ocean. Richard Stocktons heartfelt compassion for his fellow countrymen in dire need of everything was apparent in his letter as he was one of the few signers that actually traveled with the Continental Army. A merchant ship, the SS John Witherspoon, saw service during World War II as part of convoy PQ-17, and was sunk by a German U-boat in the North Atlantic on 6 July 1942. 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. Witherspoon, in accordance with the Scottish moral sense philosophy, taught that all human beings, Christian or otherwise, could be virtuous, but he was nonetheless committed to Christianity as the only route to personal salvation. Just one grandparent can lead you to many "His Majesty can now read my name without spectacles, and can now double his reward of 500 pounds for my head. Adams at first refused, but when Stockton again repeated his request and at the urging of Edward Rutledge who said only Adams had the facts at his command Adams rose to the occasion and gave a stirring speech in favor of independence. ", On July 3rd, Jefferson's draft of the Declaration was submitted to the delegates from the 13 Colonies, and he suffered the pain of all authors at the hands of editors - in this case, half a hundred of them. He is co-editor of the. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense realism, and while president of the College of New Jersey became an influential figure in the development of the United States' national character . Jan l8, 21, 22, 29, Feb 7, 1777, Tatum, ed., Jour. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Thus had the stage been set as Caesar Rodney galloped up Chestnut Street to the State House in Philadelphia on the morning of July 2nd. He said that the task should fall to his rival Jefferson on three counts: "Reason first, you are a Virginian, and Virginia ought to appear at the head of this business. There were no negative votes among the five southernmost colonies (South Carolina went along for the sake of unity), and when the roll had been completed 12 colonies had voted in favor of separation from Britain, with only New York abstaining. Wolcott 's wife and children, and other ladies of the town, melted down the statue into 42,088 bullets for the American Army. Stockton became an eminent Lawyer with one of the largest practices in the colonies. After several days of heated debate, final action on Lee's resolution was deferred until July 1st, and men on both sides of the issue used the intervening weeks to lobby for their own positions. 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. That Jefferson did his job well is obvious to anyone who has read the Declaration of Independence, particularly his statement of the self-evident truths that "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. 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. 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. Judge Richard Stockton was the only signer to be put in irons, starved and imprisoned under brutal conditions by the British four months after signing the Declaration of Independence. As they had not been present for the entire speech Richard asked Adams to repeat what they had missed. -----------------------------------------------------------------. [19] In Congress, he was appointed congressional chaplain, and in July 1776, he voted to adopt the Virginia Resolution for Independence. Nelson, who died in poverty after paying off his wartime debts "like an honest man," said he was only honoring a pledge he had made six years before. He studied law with David Ogden of Newark. 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. Family. John Witherspoon was the only clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration of Independence. In his Lectures on Divinity, Rev. Witherspoon has been described by some historians as being "not a profound scholar" but "an able college president". Witherspoon Society, an organization of laypeople within the. Richard Stockton (1730-1781)Signer of the Declaration of Independence. There was no debate or discussion. The ancestors of Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton are not known. [22], Witherspoon suffered eye injuries and was blind by 1792. And Continental Congresses were convened at Philadelphia in 1774, to deal with Britain's passage of the Intolerable Acts, and in 1775, shortly after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. John Witherspoon brought some impressive credentials and a measure of public acclaim with him when he joined the colonies in 1768, as president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton). Lately Stockton has been maligned by a few writers claiming that Stockton took a pardon from General Howe and swore allegiance to the king. The office of a judge of the province, was never filled with more integrity and learning than it was by him, for several years before the revolution. His sons later moved from Hopewell, but his daughters' married men from the surrounding area. Witherspoon was a staunch Protestant, nationalist, and supporter of republicanism. Like his father, John Stockton a founder of the College and trustee, Richard served as a trustee of the College of New Jersey for 24 years, as would his eldest son Richard. Stockton had the honor of personally presenting to King George III an address of the trustees of the College of New Jersey, acknowledging the repeal of the Stamp Act, and his address was favorably received by the king. [25] The next oldest son, John, graduated from Princeton in 1779, practiced medicine in South Carolina, and was lost at sea in 1795. Witherspoon cast his affirmative vote for independence on July 2, 1776. The servant therefore retains all his other natural rights. William James Stone, Declaration of Independence, the Stone engraving, 1823. "Give me the cannon," Nelson shouted. New Hampshire delegates voted first because they were from the northernmost colony. 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. According to John Witherspoon, he arrived on or before July 3rd. An error has occured while loading the map. Tonight there was to be no rest for this weary patriot. He attended the West Nottingham Academy under Dr. Samuel Finley, and then earned his degree at the College of New Jersey (Now Princeton) in 1748. He was born at Gifford which is the neighbouring parish to the one John Knox was born in. When he was at last able to return to his home, John Hart found that his wife had died and his 13 children were scattered throughout the countryside or in captivity. See more ideas about john witherspoon, declaration of independence, stone barns. Philip STOCKTON, Susanna STOCKTON, Hannah STOCKTON, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, British Colonial America, Princeton, Mercer County, NJ, United States, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, British America, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, Morven, Princeton Township, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, Patriots - Daughters of the American Revolution, Richard Signer of US Declaration of Independence Stockton, Judge Richard Stockton (Signer of Declaration of Independence), Richard, Signer Of The Declaration Of Independence Stockton, Richard Signer Of Us Declaration Of Independence STOCKTON, http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/stockton.htm, http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/richard-stockton. Stockton served the College, afterwards known as Princeton University, as a trustee 26 years. Princeton University is considering a petition, signed by nearly 300 members of the campus community, to remove a statue of John Witherspoon. Witherspoon Names. Stockton was admitted to the bar in 1754 and soon rose to great distinction. Of his courses, none was more important than Moral Philosophy (a required course), which Witherspoon considered vital for ministers, lawyers, and those holding positions in government (magistrates). The 47 year-old son of a plantation owner, he was first elected to the colonial legislature in 1761, and sent to the first and second Continental Congresses. Page 201.The Collections of the Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. 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. After much soul-searching, Hewes decided that his belief in liberty outweighed his pacifist convictions, and he joined those urging separation from England. 1972Sanderson, John, Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Her father Elias Boudinot Sr, apprenticed as a silversmith and merchant, then traveled to the West Indies to run a plantation. Plaque on Edinburgh University School of Divinity, Biographical sketches of distinguished Jerseymen (1845), President Witherspoon in the American Revolution (July 1, 1896), The Works of the Rev. American affairs assumed great importance in England at that time and the opinions of so distinguished an American were sought after. Col. Daytons Regiment is moved from Fort Stanwix to Tyconderoga the Col and Major Barber came here last evening and the Regiment is now a few miles of this place, marching with cheerfulness, but a great part of the men barefooted and barelegged. He died October 24, 1821. Stockton's oldest son Richard was an eminent lawyer and later a Senator from New Jersey. Stockton was appointed to committees supporting the war effort. In Princeton today, a University dormitory built in 1877, the street running north from the University's main gate, and the local public middle school all bear his name. John later became a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856, Convening Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Witherspoon&oldid=1132410668. Entitled 'COMMON SENSE', the 25,000 word tract by Thomas Paine challenged British authority over the Colonies and bluntly stated that "the period of debate is closed. In the last years of life he suffered injuries, first to one eye then the other, becoming totally blind two years before his death. In 1987, the LDS Reference Unit at the Family History Library, in Salt Lake City, compiled the "Founding Fathers Project." Witherspoon accepted the impossibility of maintaining public morality or virtue in the citizenry without an effective religion. That August, when elections were held for the state governments of the new nation, Stockton and William Livingston each received the same number of votes to be the Governor of New Jersey on the first ballot. Despite this precaution, it is probable that the British government and their Tory allies knew the names of every signer long before they were released to the public. 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. I hope therefore that already a considerable quantity of shoes and stockings at least may be provided and that you will take immediate order for the sending of the parcels. Dr. In fact, an ancestor, John Witherspoon, signed the Declaration of Independence. This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 19:20. 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. President of College of New Jersey, 1768-1792; Delegate to the Continental Congress, 1776-1782; Twice elected to State Legislature of New Jersey. Handkerchief in hand they lashed at the hungry pests to no avail.". While he at first abstained from political concerns, he came to support the revolutionary cause, accepting appointment to the committees of correspondence and safety in early 1776. 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 petitions suggests replacing the statue with "an informational plaque which details both the positive and negative aspects of Witherspoon's legacy. He also served twice in the state legislature. The other New York signer, Lewis Morris, lost his magnificent estate, "Morrisania", which was sacked and burned. John attended the preparatory school in Haddington Scotland. Most of the 4,836 colonists who took advantage of the proclamation had done so before Trenton while British troops were enjoying their greatest success; AT NO TIME, however, HAD A LEADING REBEL SOUGHT PARDON. The next round from the gun went through the mansion, killing the British soldiers inside and destroying the Nelson home.