john witherspoon declaration of independence family tree
John Witherspoon was always aware that many in England (even King George) saw the Revolution as more than a war for the independence of the American Colonies. An error has occured while loading the map. He became the sixth president of the college, now known as Princeton University. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular; you are very much otherwise. Stockton served the College, afterwards known as Princeton University, as a trustee 26 years. "My country is entitled to my services, and I shall not shrink from the cause, even though it should cost me my life," he declared. He also obtained a Master of Arts from the University of Edinburgh in 1739. 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. Birth of Rev. He was in his home surrounded by family, and died on Tuesday, May 11th 1779, at the age 66. 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. [1], John married Elisabeth Montgomerie in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire on 14 August 1748.[2]. 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. Ramsay, the celebrated historian. The colonies' most respected doctors, educators, and clergymen were numbered among their ranks. Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House Burial Ground, Princeton Township, New Jersey, United States, Oct 1 1730 - Princeton, Somerset, Province of New Jersey, Feb 28 1781 - Princeton, Somerset, New Jersey, USA, Richard Arthur Stockton, Julia Rush, Mary Stockton, Susan Stockton, Lucius Stockton, Abigail Field, Hannah Boudinot, Rev. John Witherspoon (17231794) was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as well as serve at the convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution in New Jersey. 1823, SOURCE: The Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Born in 1723, he received the finest education available to a bright young gentleman of that era. of Serle, 176-177, 178-179, 180, 186: John Shuttleworth to (Walter Spencer) Stanhope, June 29, (i.e., Jan. 29), 1777, Sterling, Annals of a Yorkshire House, II, 21: Henry Laurens to John Laurens, Feb. 3, 1777, C.O.5/40; the Howes to Germain, March 25, 1777, and (enclosed therein) declarations subscribed as a result of the proclamation of Nov. 30, 1777, C.O. The passage of the Stamp Act of 1765 had infuriated many wealthy and influential colonists, and was responsible for beginning the storm that settled over that historic assembly in Philadelphia in July 1776. "[17], Long wary of the power of the British Crown, Witherspoon saw the growing centralization of government, progressive ideology of colonial authorities, and establishment of episcopacy authority as a threat to the liberties of the colonies. Related Information | When the General had seated himself, Boudinot proceeded to read an address of welcome. Five months after signing the Declaration, the British burned his library. [19] In Congress, he was appointed congressional chaplain, and in July 1776, he voted to adopt the Virginia Resolution for Independence. He fought against the flood of paper money and opposed the issuance of bonds without provision for their amortization. John C. Witherspoon was the Calvinist preacher, President of Princeton College, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. 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. Witherspoon cast his affirmative vote for independence on July 2, 1776. John is first cousin to Rev. Annis Boudinot Stockton died February 6, 1801, surviving her beloved Richard by nearly twenty years. There was no place to acquire these items and unfortunately no money to purchase them with if they were to be found. She was a close friend and favorite correspondent of General George Washington. In 1888, the state of New Jersey donated a marble statue of Stockton to the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol. He became a Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) minister at Beith, Ayrshire, serving there from 1745 to 1758, where he married Elizabeth Montgomery. A son-in-law was Congressman David Ramsay, who married Frances Witherspoon on 18 March 1783. Witherspoon's mother's name has alternatively been spelled as "Anna Walker". Park Service 1973Glynn, John C. & Kathryn Glynn, His Sacred Honor Judge Richard Stockton A Signer of the Declaration of Independence. 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. Wrong username or password. In the famous painting The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Richard Stockton is standing on the far left side of the painting the third figure from the left. He is co-editor of the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment. John Witherspoon: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence John Witherspoon was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Eleven delegates were prosperous merchants, nine were wealthy farmers or landowners, and 24 were lawyers or judges. 2006Gruber, Ira D., The Howe Brothers and the American Revolution. Witherspoon is not quite the hick she makes herself out to be, at least offscreen. Since that period, he hath represented New-Jersey in the congress of the United States. valuable signature in the world, outranked only by that of Martin Luther and Button Gwinnett, a Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence. Photographic tour of John Witherspoon's grave at Princeton Cemetery. He proceeded to Edinburgh where he attained a Master of Arts, then to four years of divinity school. Leave a message for others who see this profile. 1898, Page 18Corner, George W. The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush. Presidents of Princeton University. He died October 24, 1821. John Hart died owing money, and most of his property was sold for a pittance. He was consulted on the state of American affairs by such notable men as the Marquis of Rockingham with whom he spent a week at his country estate. 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. After hearing the irresistible and conclusive arguments of the honorable John Adams for independence, Richard fully concurred in the final vote in favor of that bold and decisive measure. Husband of Elizabeth Witherspoon and Anne Witherspoon Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote: The whole of Mr. Stocktons furniture, apparel, and even valuable writings have been burnt. Although Livingston later won the election by one vote, Stockton was unanimously elected to serve as the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, but he turned down that position to remain in the Congress. 1953. The second time his life was preserved was in Ireland. Congressmen. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. . In the last years of life he suffered injuries, first to one eye then the other, becoming totally blind two years before his death. Witherspoon personally taught courses in eloquence or belles lettres, chronology (history), and divinity. "John Witherspoon." Stockton initially showed little interest in politics. John Witherspoon was born into a ministerial family near Edinburgh on Feb. 5, 1723. [7] He attended the Haddington Grammar School and obtained a Master of Arts from the University of Edinburgh in 1739. Wolcott 's wife and children, and other ladies of the town, melted down the statue into 42,088 bullets for the American Army. He married Mary Witherspoon about 1754, in Ireland. 2009. Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote "At Princeton I met my wife's father who had been plundered of all his household furniture and stock by the British army, and carried a prisoner to New York, from whence he was permitted to return to his family upon parole. New England was unanimously for independence. The Stocktons had six children. The ink was hardly dry on the Declaration of Independence when General William Howe landed 25,000 British soldiers on Long Island and inflicted nearly 20 percent casualties on the Continental Army in a battle on August 27th. The signers were public spirited and patriotic citizens who had for years been important in the affairs of their local communities and governments. John Hart died of kidney stones after a long and very painful suffering. Committees of Correspondence were organized in 1772 to exchange information among the colonies and mold public opnion in the developing struggle. Boykin Witherspoon was an early plantation owner in De Soto, South Carolina. Despite personal setbacks Witherspoon never lost his belief that America would prevail in the struggle for independence. John R. Vile. [2], He was then moved to Provost Prison in New York where he was intentionally starved and subjected to freezing cold weather. Dr. Betty Witherspoon earned three degrees in total, including a Ph.D in education. Her mother, Dr. Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Witherspoon (ne Reese), is from Harriman, Tennessee. On June 26th, this Livingston petitioned the New York Assembly so that he could leave the state convention and rejoin Congress in Philadelphia. [25] The next oldest son, John, graduated from Princeton in 1779, practiced medicine in South Carolina, and was lost at sea in 1795. [8] In 1764, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in divinity by the University of St Andrews.[9]. David, the youngest son, graduated the same year as his brother John, married the widow of Abner Nash, and practiced law in New Bern, North Carolina. 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. Dr. John Witherspoon, President of Princetion University and a signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Just one grandparent can lead you to many The British invaded New Jersey and Stockton rushed home and moved his family to the home of a friend thirty miles from Princeton. [5] Witherspoon became prominent within the Church as an Evangelical opponent of the Moderate Party. 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. Rush and Stockton's recruiting letters can be found in Butterfield, L. H., "John Witherspoon Comes to America", Princeton University Library, Princeton, New Jersey. He was prominent in many reforms, especially in the areas of medicine and education. He also made a mark in politics, serving as a member of the Continental Congress from 1776 until 1782. At Princeton, he mentored constitutional architect James Madison; as a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress, he was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. Page 130Glynn, John C., His Sacred Honor Judge Richard Stockton A Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Eveready Press, 2006. BYU Law Review 2003 (2003): 891-940. Stockton did, however, take an active role as a trustee of the College of New Jersey. Washington had lunch with him, then had his famous Council of War at the nearby Hunt House. In his Lectures on Divinity, Rev. 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. 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. In 1766 and 1767, he gave up his law practice for the purpose of visiting England, Scotland, and Ireland. Civil government owed more to the latter than the former in Witherspoon's Presbyterian doctrine. Stockton's oldest son Richard was an eminent lawyer and later a Senator from New Jersey. As a native Scotsman, long wary of the power of the British Crown, Witherspoon soon came to support the Revolution, joining the Committee of Correspondence and Safety in early 1774. Twelve thousand men camped on his fields-during the growing season. Their son Richard Stockton became an eminent lawyer and prominent Federalist leader. He fought against the flood of paper money, and opposed the issuance of bonds without provision for their amortization. Fleming H. Revell Company: 1906. He paid the supreme price for placing his signature on the Declaration and pledging his life, his fortune and his Sacred Honor. Trevor Colbourn (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1974) 181. He applied himself to the study of law under the honorable David Ogden of Newark, at that time the most eminent lawyer in the province. John Witherspoon participated in the American Revolution. Rush wrote that it took Stockton nearly two years to recover his health. He also wrote frequent essays on subjects of interest to the colonies. A monumental decision had been made, and now it would have to be implemented. In John Trumbull's famous painting Declaration of Independence, Witherspoon is among those shown in the background facing the large table, the second seated figure from the viewer's right. Have you taken a DNA test? Jimmy Witherspoon, born in Arkansas, was a master of the blues. Because of Stocktons poor health and the parole requiring him not to participate in the war effort he resigned from Congress. In 1780 he was elected to a one-year term in the New Jersey Legislative Council representing Somerset County. Follow the life of John Witherspoon, delegate to the Continental Congress and one of 56 signers, who bravely proclaimed the original thirteen colonies would . In 1913, a handsome bronze marker was placed at the site by the Sons of the American Revolution. In 1776, the New Jersey delegates to the Congress were holding out against Independence. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He registered for military service in 1780. 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. A member of the five-man drafting committee created immediately after the Lee resolution was introduced, Jefferson had proposed that John Adams of Massachusetts undertake the actual writing of the statement, but Adams declined. Princeton University is considering a petition, signed by nearly 300 members of the campus community, to remove a statue of John Witherspoon. Died on November 15, 1794 in Near Princeton, New Jersey, USA , United States. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.". John Penn signed America's first governing document, the Articles of Confederation, as well as the Declaration of Independence. To fulfill this, he and his family emigrated to New Jersey in 1768. He attended grammar school at the neighboring town of Haddington. A Signer of the Declaration of Independence Under Attack. In November 1777, as British forces neared, Witherspoon closed and evacuated the College of New Jersey. Following the war, Witherspoon devoted his life to rebuilding the College. There is a Richard Stockton Rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike with his portrait and a short story. John Witherspoon is Don Rigali . 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. Witherspoon was opposed to the Jacobite rising of 1745-46. 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. That such men were present at the moment of America's birth strongly suggests that the same Divine Providence they invoked in the Declaration of Independence had indeed planned it that way. The first complete facsimile printingtext and signatureswas by commissioned by the State Department in 1823. Representing New Jersey at the Continental Congress. Only John Hancock signed the declaration that day, and a formal signing by all the delegates was scheduled for August 2nd. Behold here 'the end of all perfection.' 03.12('53) DVD WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle . 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