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. His son Richard "The Builder" bought 5,500 acres of land from William Penn in Princeton, New Jersey and settled there with his wife Susannah (nee Witham) Robinson. 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.". Committees of Correspondence were organized in 1772 to exchange information among the colonies and mold public opnion in the developing struggle. He is certainly the cleverest man I have yet seen from America. In London he attended the Queens birthday ball and was presented to King George III, later he had the honor of giving a speech to the King acknowledging the repeal of the Stamp Act and the King was impressed by Stockton. Whatever their status that August, the 56 men who eventually signed the Declaration of Independence were under no illusions. Politically active, Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress and a signatory to the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. In 1772, fifteen year old Alexander Hamilton arrived from the West Indies and lived with Elias and Hanna for two years. Ramsay, the celebrated historian. New Hampshire delegates voted first because they were from the northernmost colony. It was a storm which had been building for more than a decade as the British Parliament and King George III imposed one oppressive measure after another on the colonies, increasing their taxes and decreasing their freedoms. Hancock is also reported to have said that "we must be unanimous. I'm researching for a member of his family. John is 15 degrees from Margaret Atwood, 18 degrees from Jim Carrey, 16 degrees from Elsie Knott, 19 degrees from Gordon Lightfoot, 20 degrees from Alton Parker, 22 degrees from Beatrice Tillman, 18 degrees from Jenny Trout, 18 degrees from Justin Trudeau, 19 degrees from Edwin Boyd, 16 degrees from Barbara Hanley, 25 degrees from Fanny Rosenfeld and 17 degrees from Cathryn Hondros on our single family tree. 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. The British considered his college to be a "seminary of sedition." (Painting by Charles Willson Peale, public domain via Wikimedia Commons) He also wrote frequent essays on subjects of interest to the colonies. DAR Ancestor # A127172. Her health broke during captivity and Mrs. Lewis died shortly after being released in a 1778 prisoner exchange. Richard Stockton (1730-1781)Signer of the Declaration of Independence. 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. 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. If so, login to add it. The wife of William Floyd escaped with her children by boat across Long Island Sound into Connecticut and died in 1781 without ever again seeing her home. Morrison, Jeffry H. John Witherspoon and the Founding of the American Republic. John Witherspoon was the only clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration of Independence. He studied law with David Ogden of Newark. President of College of New Jersey, 1768-1792; Delegate to the Continental Congress, 1776-1782; Twice elected to State Legislature of New Jersey. "The remains of a man who hath been long among the foremost of his country, for power, for wisdom, and for fortune; and who, if what honors this young country can bestow, if many and great personal talents, could save man from the grave, would not thus have been lamented here by you. Two members conducted Washington to a chair beside President Elias Boudinot, who remained seated on the platform, with his hat on his head to symbolize the superiority of the civil authority over the military. President Washington later issued a proclamation designating a day of prayer and thanksgiving. At this point he was twenty. [1] The day Stockton was captured, General William Howe had written a Proclamation offering protection papers and a full and free pardon to those willing to remain in peaceable obedience to the King. "[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. He was elected to the Continental Congress from 1776-1782, elected to the state legislature in New Jersey from 1783-1789 and was the president of the College of New Jersey from 1768-1792. They had held a Stamp Act Congress in New York during September 1765, and that same year formed the Sons of Liberty, which one observer called, "a mob of gentlemen." Accounts indicate that, despite clear instruction, Justice Stockton wished to hear the arguments on either side of the issue. : University of Notre Dame Press, 2005. [29], Witherspoon was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1789[35]. He was educated in the early years by Rev. Richard was a son of John Stockton (1701-1758) the wealthy Princeton landowner who donated land and helped bring what is now Princeton University (then known as the College of New Jersey located in Newark) to Princeton, New Jersey. The British occupied the area and did much damage to the college, nearly destroyed it. (Painting by Charles Willson Peale, public domain via Wikimedia Commons). Another daughter, Ann, married Samuel Stanhope Smith, who succeeded Witherspoon as president of Princeton. The Witherspoon Institute is an independent research center that works to enhance public understanding of the moral foundations of free and democratic societies. The other New York signer, Lewis Morris, lost his magnificent estate, "Morrisania", which was sacked and burned. John Knox Witherspoon, Signer of the & Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, President of College of New Jersey [present Princeton], Presbyterian minister, Signer of Declaration Of Independance, Elizabeth Montgomery (29 May 1722 - 1 October 1789), Anne Witherspoon (23 July 1749 - 1 April 1817), Christian Witherspoon, d.s.p. William James Stone, Declaration of Independence, the Stone engraving, 1823. Father of Anne Witherspoon Smith; John William Witherspoon; Christian Witherspoon; James Witherspoon; Robert Witherspoon and 8 others; Barbara Witherspoon; John Knox Witherspoon, Jr.; Frances Ramsay; George Witherspoon; Infant Witherspoon; David Witherspoon; Mary Anne Woods and Frances Witherspoon less Elias Boudinot served his country in many positions during the difficult times of the American Revolution. Jan l8, 21, 22, 29, Feb 7, 1777, Tatum, ed., Jour. 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). When Parliament resolved to raise revenue in the colonies in 1775, Stockton declared the colonies "must each of them send one or two of their most ingenious fellows, and enable them to get into the House of Commons, maintain them there till they can maintain themselves, or else we shall be fleeced to some purpose." Boudinot was appointed by General Washington to be commissary general of prisoners in the Revolutionary Army 1776-1779. He was an affectionate husband, a tender parent and a cordial friend. BYU Law Review 2003 (2003): 891-940. John bartlett family trees listed as josiah, was glorious to be freely in particular repeal of independence in the independents in his many ventures including women. [19] In Congress, he was appointed congressional chaplain, and in July 1776, he voted to adopt the Virginia Resolution for Independence. John C. Witherspoon was the Calvinist preacher, President of Princeton College, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. These changes helped the school be more on par with Harvard and Yale, soon transforming the college into a school that would equip the leaders of a revolutionary generation. For Gods sake my dear sir, upon the receipt of this collect all the shoes and stockings you can, and send them off for Albany in light wagons; a couple of two horse wagons will bring a great many, which may be distributed among our several Regiments who will be all together at Tyconderoga in a few days if any breeches, gloves and coats be ready send them along; but do not wait for them if the shoes and stockings are ready, and the others notwe have dispatches from General Gates this morning informing that he hourly expects to be attacked by the Enemy; but our works are very strong and a Boom thrown across the water from Tyconderoga to prevent the enemies shipping from getting below us, therefore I trust with the blessing of Almighty God, that we shall disappoint their wishes and sanguinary purposesBut shall the brave troops from New Jersey stand in lines half leg deep in snow without shoes or stockingGod forbid. He also signed the 1774 Petition to the King. 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. 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. Son of Honorable John Stockton and Abigail Stockton The Stocktons had six children. Joseph Hewes died in 1779, literally from overwork, a lonely man separated by principle from his Quaker friends and family. The Syng inkstand is a silver inkstand used during the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the United States Constitution in 1787. Stockton's oldest son Richard was an eminent lawyer and later a Senator from New Jersey. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. 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 . John is first cousin to Rev. Annis Boudinot Stockton was one of Americas first female published poets. John Witherspoon arrived in Philadelphia to take their place as new members of Congress meeting at the State House (now Independence Hall). Norton and Company, Inc.; 1972 page 195:British officers and rebels agreed the proclamation of November 30 had been a failure. John Witherspoon, signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Jersey, was born at Yester, Scotland, 5 Feb. 1722. Annis Boudinot Stockton died February 6, 1801, surviving her beloved Richard by nearly twenty years. According to Herbert Hovenkamp, Witherspoon's most lasting contribution was the initiation of the Scottish common sense realism, which he had learned by reading Thomas Reid and two of his expounders Dugald Stewart and James Beattie.[26]. "His Majesty can now read my name without spectacles, and can now double his reward of 500 pounds for my head. The males in his family were all clergymen, and he was trained to become a Presbyterian minister. In 1776, Stockton was elected to the Continental Congress, where he took a very active role. by John C. Glynn, Jr. and Kathryn Glynn, 2008, Sources:American Archives. Witherspoon became the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. His father being their brother, Rev James Witherspoon, III, who was a Church of Scotland minister who served the parish of Yester from 1720 until his death in 1759. The man chosen to formally declare the reasons for independence was Thomas Jefferson, a 33 year-old lawyer and plantation owner from Virginia. He spoke often in debate; helped draft the Articles of Confederation; helped organize the executive departments; played a major role in shaping foreign policy; and drew up the instructions for the peace commissioners. Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Vol 3, p.115Glynn, His Sacred Honor Judge Richard Stockton a signer of the Declaration of Independence, 2006, page 197Patriots of the American Revolution, May/June 2010, Vol 3, Issue 3. [1] John married Elisabeth Montgomerie in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire on 14 August 1748. 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 . 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]. Declaration House | Scots Presbyterian minister and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey, Born on February 05, 1723 Feb 5 1723 - East Lothian, Ecosse, Royaume-Uni, Nov 15 1794 - Princeton, Comt De Mercer, New Jersey, tats-Unis, Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, New Jersey, United States, Feb 5 1722 - Gifford, East, Lothian, Scotland, Nov 15 1794 - Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, Scottish-American Presbyterian Minister And A Founding Father Of The United States, Manse Of Yester, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, New Jersey. Witherspoon accepted the impossibility of maintaining public morality or virtue in the citizenry without an effective religion. As the College's primary occupation at the time was training ministers, Witherspoon became a leader of the early Presbyterian church in America. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Five were jailed and brutally treated. He also made a mark in politics, serving as a member of the Continental Congress from 1776 until 1782. In 1776, Stockton was elected to the Second Continental Congress, where he took a very active role. 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.". IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. 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. He can have no right either to take away life, or to make it insupportable by excessive labor. For two generations his family had been Quakers, and it was his wish to be buried at the Stony Brook Meeting House Cemetery in Princeton. He spoke often in concurrence; helped draft the Articles of Confederation; helped organize the executive departments; played a major role in shaping public policy; and drew up the instructions for the peace commissioners. [8] Later days and legacy. But even as late as January 6, 1776, the Congress adopted a resolution stating that the colonies, "had no design to set up as an independent nation." "Give me the cannon," Nelson shouted. That reaction deeply hurt Morton, particularly when he was ignored even after he fell gravely ill early in 1777. Username and password are case sensitive. Smith, Rodney K. "James Madison, John Witherspoon, and Oliver Cowerdy: The First Amendment and the 134th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants." 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. Stockton served the College, afterwards known as Princeton University, as a trustee 26 years. John Knox was his ancestor. He also firmed up entrance requirements. 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