Conditions were horrific in prison where over 12,000 men died in prison ships and prisons in New York compared with 4,435 battle casualties during the entire war. Ann, the eldest daughter, was married to the Rev. He opposed slavery, advocated free public schools, and sought improved education for women and a more enlightened penal system. At the age of four, he could read the Bible. In his Lectures on Divinity, Rev. He was not much concerned with politics, but applied his talents and person to the revolutionary cause when the day came. He argued that the colonies should be represented in the Parliament. Unanimity was essential, so Edward Rutledge of South Carolina moved that a final vote be postponed until the following day. Witherspoon served in Congress from June 1776 until November 1782 and became one of its most influential members and a workhorse of prodigious energy. Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote: The whole of Mr. Stocktons furniture, apparel, and even valuable writings have been burnt. The revisions were completed on the evening of July 4th, the document was adopted without dissent, and the Declaration of Independence was ordered proclaimed throughout the United States. Wrong username or password. At the age of 13, he entered college and at age 20, he was licensed to preach. Great hardships and suffering were also inflicted upon three signers from neighboring New Jersey. In 1764, Stockton became the Grand Master of the first chartered Masonic lodge (St. Johns No 1) in Princeton, New Jersey. He remained at the university to study divinity. explains the conversion of the young Virginian to the philosophy of the Enlightenment."[27]. He also served twice in the New Jersey Legislature and strongly supported the adoption of the United States Constitution during the New Jersey ratification debates. He was in his home surrounded by family, and died on Tuesday, May 11th 1779, at the age 66. Philip Stockton, Susanna Pintard, Oct 1 1730 - Morven, Princeton, New Jersey, Feb 28 1781 - Morven, Princeton, New Jersey, Annis Stockton (Signer Of Declaration Of Independence) (born Boudinot), Oct 1 1730 - Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, Feb 28 1781 - Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, dinot Rush (born Stockton), Mary Stockton, Susan Stockton, Lucius Horatio Stockton, Abigal Field, Abigail Stockton, Stockton, Hon. The settled opinion among the American founding fathers, including Dr. Witherspoon, was that slavery would eventually disappear naturally within a generation. John Knox Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 - November 15, 1794) was a Scots Presbyterian minister and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence [1] as a representative of New Jersey. It was only through a protracted effort on the part of several eminent Americans, including Richard Stockton and Benjamin Rush, that the colonies were able to acquire his service. Whenever I can serve my native country, I leave no occasion untried. He frequently attended Westminster Hall and advised all who would listen that the colonies would never submit to be taxed by the British parliament without representation. Richard Stockton was born near Princeton, on October 1, 1730. At this point he was twenty. Revolutionary War. [11], On March 7, 1781, The New Jersey Gazette acknowledged his worth to his country: "The ability, dignity, and integrity, with which this gentleman discharged the duties of the several important offices to which he was called by the voice of this country are well known.". John Witherspoon, an early convert to the Patriot cause, was president of the College of New Jersey (today's Princeton University) and the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. [1] John married Elisabeth Montgomerie in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire on 14 August 1748. Two weeks later, on August 2, 1776, the Congress met again at the State House in Philadelphia to formalize with their legislatures what they had adopted a month before. He likely also would have been selected to the Constitutional Convention had he not been meeting simultaneously in Philadelphia to draw up a constitution for his own denomination, which paralleled the national document in a number of key respects. Stone was the engraver. John Witherspoon was the only clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration of Independence. Family. In 1777, his son was killed at the Battle of Germantown, and later that year, the British burned their home. As he raced through the stormy darkness, it must have occurred to Caesar Rodney that a political storm was rising out of Philadelphia that would change the course of history. The darkest days of his life were spent locked in irons, starving and shivering in the cold winter of 1776-77 in the notorious Provost prison in New York City. Moses Coit Tyler "President Witherspoon in the American Revolution" The American Historical Review Volume 1, Issue 1, July 1896. pp. The militia commander was signer Thomas Nelson Jr., who noticed that the artillery gunners were shelling everything in the vicinity except his own stately brick mansion, which was being used as British headquarters. Since that period, he hath represented New Jersey in the Congress of the United States. He is one of only six signers to be honored. Senators, and 49 U.S. 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). Stockton did, however, take an active role as a trustee of the College of New Jersey. He was not released until several years later, badly treated and in very poor condition. Frances, the youngest daughter, married Dr. David Ramsay, a delegate from South Carolina to the Continental Congress, on March 18, 1763. John is first cousin to Rev. Delaware was called next by Charles Thompson, the clerk of the Congress, and Caesar Rodney, in a tired but clear voice, responded: "As I believe the voice of my constituents and of all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, and my own judgment concurs with them, I vote for independence.". The New York signers - William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, and Lewis Morris - were particularly vulnerable to British retaliation. Paintings of Richard Stockton, George Washington and Elias Boudinot hang in Nassau Hall to this day. Philip Stockton, Julia Rush (born Stockton), Susan Stockton, Lucius Stockton, Richard Arthur Stockton, Abigail Field (born Stockton), Mary Stockton, Oct 1 1730 - Princeton, New Jersey Colony, British Colonial America, Feb 28 1781 - Princeton, New Jersey Colony, British Colonial America, John Stockton, Abigail Stockton (born Phillips), Oct 1 1730 - Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, Feb 28 1781 - Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, USA. He remained at the University to study divinity. Just one grandparent can lead you to many "No business can be done, some say, because money is scarce," he wrote. 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. In 1789 he was convening moderator of the First General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. (19 February 1756 - 1763), John Knox Witherspoon, Jr. (29 July 1757 - 30 January 1796), Frances Witherspoon (16 August 1759 - 11 November 1784). His work turned Princeton into the Ivy League school it is today. The second time his life was preserved was in Ireland. John C. Witherspoon was the Calvinist preacher, President of Princeton College, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Morrison, Jeffry H. John Witherspoon and the Founding of the American Republic. He immediately began fund-raisinglocally and back home in Scotlandadded three hundred of his own books to the library, and began purchasing scientific equipment including the Rittenhouse orrery, many maps, and a terrestrial globe. John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Born on February 05, 1723 in Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland , United Kingdom. Richard Stockton (1730-1781)Signer of the Declaration of Independence. He died from 9 April 1804 to 2 April 1805, in Salem . . Stockton wrote fellow signer Abraham Clark Dear Sir, Before I left Philadelphia Congress appointed a Committee, consisting of one member from each state, to devise ways and means for furnishing the Army with clothing and etc. . John Witherspoon participated in the American Revolution. Witherspoon immediately declared "It is not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of rotting for the want of it." I have the honor to be, madam youre most obedient and respectful servant, G. Washington. Many of the letters they wrote are included in Stocktons Biography His Sacred Honor. [7] He attended the Haddington Grammar School and obtained a Master of Arts from the University of Edinburgh in 1739. 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. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. In Washington, D.C. near the Washington Monument there is a memorial park to the signers with 56 granite boulders, each engraved with the name of a signer. John Witherspoon was born at Gifford, a parish of Yester, at East Lothian, Scotland, as the eldest child of the Reverend James Alexander Witherspoon and Anne Walker, a descendant of John Welsh of Ayr and John Knox. He voted in favor, and shortly after voted for the Declaration of Independence. Stocktons oldest daughter Julia wed Dr. Benjamin Rush in January 1776, six months later Rush signed the Declaration of Independence. SOURCE: Wikipedia, Richard Stockton (Continental Congressman) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stockton_%28Continental_Congre Caesar Rodney was weary when he reached his plantation near Dover on the night of July 1, 1776. The mere communication of that congressional order to General Howe was enough to end the persecution of the Clark brothers and they survived their imprisonment. 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. He became a Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) minister at Beith, Ayrshire, serving there from 1745 to 1758, where he married Elizabeth Montgomery. "Give me the cannon," Nelson shouted. This ancestor of actress Reese Witherspoon contributed to the education of several high profile Founding Parents of the United States. Follow the life of John Witherspoon, delegate to the Continental Congress and one of 56 signers, who bravely proclaimed the original thirteen colonies would . 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 . Previously known as "Stockton State College" and "Richard Stockton State College", it is now known as "Richard Stockton College of New Jersey". Lampo (1942) (CatZDech's Style) 44 Cats (2018) The Aristocats (1970) Lady and the Tramp (1955) Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp's Adventure (2001) Pokemon (1997) Pokemon: The First Movie (1998) Pikachu's Vacation (1998) Pokemon: The Movie 2000 (1999) Pikachu & Pichu (2000) Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters out of the Gate (2006) Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) Sport Goofy in Soccermania . They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 3 daughters. Philadelphia, July 22, 1782. In 1776, Stockton was elected to the Second Continental Congress, where he took a very active role. However, in this framework, non-Christian societies could have virtue, which, by his definition, could be found in natural law. 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. Christian Witherspoon (bap Beith, Ayrshire 14 August 1750), Barbra Witherspoons (bap Beith, Ayrshire 20 February 1756), John Witherspoon (bap Beith, Ayrshire 29 July 1757), George Witherspoon (31 Mar 1762-27 July 1762), WikiTree profile Witherspoon-160 created through the import of Maltby master 08282011.GED on Aug 30, 2011 by. Witherspoon was a staunch Protestant, nationalist, and supporter of republicanism. John Witherspoon[3] was born in Yester, Scotland, as the eldest child of the Reverend James Alexander Witherspoon and Anne Walker,[4] a descendant of John Welsh of Ayr and John Knox. John Witherspoon was a Pastor, President of Princeton and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. 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. No one changed his mind. But a declining health, and a constitution worn out with application and with service, obliged him, shortly after, to retire from the line of public duty, and hath at length dismissed him from the world." Reese father earned his living as a surgeon and her mother was a college professor. In the months that followed, impassioned speeches were delivered from New Hampshire to Georgia, and the political tension became almost unbearable. His own health began to deteriorate and he was dead by the third anniversary of the signing of the Declaration. Stockton's oldest son Richard was an eminent lawyer and later a Senator from New Jersey. 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. His library, one of the finest in the colonies, was burned. Witherspoon cast his affirmative vote for independence on July 2, 1776. As the college's primary occupation at the time was training ministers, Witherspoon became a major leader of the early Presbyterian Church in America. In 1743 he became a Presbyterian Minister at a parish in Beith, where he married, authored three noted works on theology. [2], He was then moved to Provost Prison in New York where he was intentionally starved and subjected to freezing cold weather. His son, Commodore Robert Field Stockton, was a hero of the War of 1812, and in 1846 became the Military Governor of California and later a Senator from New Jersey. John Witherspoon was a prominent member of the Continental Congress for eight years and signed the Declaration of Independence and other important documents. Witherspoon was opposed to the Jacobite rising of 1745-46. 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. In 1912, after her mother married John William Coleman, the family moved into the city of Atlanta. Park Service 1973Glynn, John C. & Kathryn Glynn, His Sacred Honor Judge Richard Stockton A Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Son of Honorable John Stockton and Abigail Stockton [22], Witherspoon suffered eye injuries and was blind by 1792. Born February 5, 1723 (Gifford, Scotland) Died November 15, 1794 (Princeton, New Jersey) Protestant theologian, educator. Susannah later married Thomas Leonard and remained in Princeton after her husbands death. He died on his farm, "Tusculum," just outside of Princeton in November of 1794, a man much honored and beloved by his adopted countrymen. Upon his arrival, Witherspoon found the school in debt, with weak instruction, and a library collection which clearly failed to meet student needs. Biography by Rev. John Witherspoon wrote in a letter to his son David. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. Adair, "James Madison", Fame and the Founding Fathers, ed. In answer to an objection that the country was not yet ready for independence, according to tradition he replied that it "was not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of rotting for the want of it."[20][21]. Daniel L. Dreisbach, Mark D. Hall, and Jeffry H. Morrison, 11672146. 1777."[10]. Civil government owed more to the latter than the former in Witherspoon's Presbyterian doctrine. In the days that followed, copies of the Declaration of Independence was posted throughout the 13 states and read in public places. Richard Stockton, was denuded of its library and furniture." [2] Later, he signed the Articles of Confederation and supported ratification of the Constitution of the United States. in New Orleans, Louisiana , United States (46 years), This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Reese WITHERSPOON (1976), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. He first took a moderate stance in the troubles between the colonies and Great Britain. John Witherspoon: A Sermon Occasioned by His Death (1802), The History and Genealogy of the Witherspoon Family by Joseph Bailey Witherspoon, Protected Profile addition - Signers Declaration of Indepence, Patriotic Service, New Jersey, American Revolution, Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence. Documents of the American Revolution. Williamsburg, Virginia, Omohundro Institute of American History and Culture and Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2017. 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. Occupation President of the College of New Jersey, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1156/john-witherspoon. [4]. The Howe Brothers and the American Revolution; Ira D. Gruber; W.S. 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. He died February 28, 1781; his remains were conveyed to Nassau Hall and eulogized by the President of the College of New Jersey, Dr. Samuel Smith If what honors this young country can bestow, if many and great personal talents could save man from the graveBehold here the end of all perfectionto have been a son of this college and it was one the first honors of this college to have given birth to such a son a man who has long been foremost in his country, for power, for wisdom, and for fortune Another of the fathers of learning and eloquence is gone. Joseph Hewes died in 1779, literally from overwork, a lonely man separated by principle from his Quaker friends and family. "The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country, but he that stands it now deserves the thanks of man and woman. Father of Julia Rush; Mary Hunter; Susannah Cuhtburt; Sen. Richard Stockton; Lucius Horatio Stockton and 2 others; Abigail Field and Abigail Dunbar less My heart melts with compassion for my brave countrymen who are thus venturing their lives in the public service and yet so distressed. 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. 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. He married Elizabeth Montgomery on 2 September 1748, in Scotland, United Kingdom. Declaration of Independence Signer. 1972Sanderson, John, Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. [1], John married Elisabeth Montgomerie in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire on 14 August 1748.[2]. 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 . One lost all 13 of his children; and the wives, sons, and daughters of others were killed, imprisoned, harassed, or deprived of all material possessions. Two important ones included the Committee on Secret Correspondence and the Board of War. On Tuesday, May 11th 1779, he died at the age of 66. 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). Witherspoon was an early convert to the Patriot cause, and the British considered his college to be a seminary of sedition (Morrison 2005: 13). Morrison observed that Witherspoon responded to a provision in the Georgia State Constitution that prohibited clergymen from serving in the state legislature with a satirical essay in 1789 that suggested that the state might prefer individuals who had been defrocked for a disposition for cursing and swearing, drunkenness or uncleanness (quoted in Morrison 2004: 123). 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. A son-in-law was Congressman David Ramsay, who married Frances Witherspoon on 18 March 1783. He became an invalid and died at Princeton on February 28, 1781. It had been a long and muddy ride from Princeton, they had been caught in a violent thunderstorm, and their clothes were soaking wet. Annis and her brothers attended Franklins Academy. In 1746, he helped to raise troops to fight Scottish rebels who were rebelling against English domination in Scotland. 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. So terribly was he ravaged by the disease that he wore a green silk scarf over part of his face, and was described by one colleague as "an animated skeleton, with a bandaged head.". Soon, Witherspoon came to support the American Revolution, joining the New Jersey Committee of Correspondence and Safety in early 1774. He opened his law practice in Princeton in 1754, and later another in Newark and was recognized as one of the most eloquent lawyers in the colonies. Elizabeth Witherspoon died in 1789. John Penn - John Penn was a self-taught lawyer whose main duty during the Revolutionary War was to keep the North Carolina militia supported with supplies. In August 2021, the Princeton School Board voted to remove John Witherspoon's name from the local public middle school due to Witherspoon's history as a slave owner who opposed abolition. The first complete facsimile printingtext and signatureswas by commissioned by the State Department in 1823. 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. 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. John Witherspoon arrived in Philadelphia to take their place as new members of Congress meeting at the State House (now Independence Hall). Login to find your connection. In 1888, the state of New Jersey donated a marble statue of Stockton to the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol. Firm but good-humored in his leadership, Witherspoon was very popular among both faculty and students. Witherspoon instituted numerous reforms, including modeling the syllabus and university structure after that used at the University of Edinburgh and other Scottish universities. Caesar Rodney was also afflicted with a painful and unsightly facial cancer. John Knox Witherspoon (1723-1794)clergyman, educator, and founding fatherserved as Princeton's sixth president from 1768 until his death in 1794. He who sustained the debate, and by the force of reasoning demonstrated not only the justice, but the expediency of the measure.. 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. John Witherspoon arrived in Philadelphia to take their place as new members of Congress meeting at the State House (now Independence Hall). John Witherspoon, signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Jersey, was born at Yester, Scotland, 5 Feb. 1722. Although none of the Leaders, nor principal Instigators and Abettors of the Rebellion, thought fit to avail themselves of the opportunity given them to return to their Duty, we have some satisfaction in observing that so considerable a number of His Majesty's deluded Subjects, of inferior Rank, in those Provinces where the Proclamation could be expect to have Effect, were disposed to relinquish the unjust Cause they had been once induced to support.