Stockton Family
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE STOCKTON FAMILY OF NEW JERSEY AND OTHER STOCKTONS BY THOMAS COATES STOCKTON, M. D .. of San Diego, Ca.li:fornia W ASHJNGTON, D. C. THE CARNAHAN P!{~S 1_.'J I I COPYRIGHT, rgn, BY :MRS. THOMAS COATES STOCKTON. Dedication To THE MEMORY OF MY HusBAND, The late Thomas Coates Stockton, M. D., Who gave to the collection of these records many years of effort: and who, at the time of his death, was looking forward with pleasure to their early completion and publication. Although this satisfaction was denied him, the work has been continued according to his plans, and the book is issued as a loving tribute to his memory. Dr. Stockton might well be taken as a typical representative of many of the qualities which have made his family distinguished. He was imbued with that proper pride which makes a man a better citizen because he has family traditions to maintain. Both as a man and a citizen he set up for himself a high standard, and main tained it with a consistency which won and held the respect of his neighbors and associates. He was a man of much steadfastness and tenacity of purpose,~ yet broad-minded and considerate, and greatly beloved as a physician. This work will also ·bear testi mony to his conscientiousness, for he spared neither pains nor expense to verify statements of fact and to resolve doubtful ques tions. The reader may rest assured that every means in his power \Vas exhausted to have the work free from errors. It is sin cerely hoped that his ambition to have it become the standard ,vork on the Stockton Familv for manv vears to come mav be -· .,., - realized. San Diego, ·Cal., lviarch I, 1911. Contents PAGE Dedication . • . III Preface . VII Public interest in the Stockton Family. Stocktons in public life 700 years. Ancient English records. · Settlement in America. Founders of Princeton, New Jersey. Prosperity of New Jersey Stocktons. Many Richard Stocktons. Hig-h offices held. "Morven," the Stockton homestead. Acknowledgments. Introduction ................................................... XVII The Stocktons of English descent. Origin of the name.· · Stocktons have not all the same origin. Name-substitution common. l\iiddle names are of recent origin. The Stockton coat of arms. Heraldry, historical and explanatory. The New Jersey Family from Malpas, England. Ancient memorials in the church at Malpas-Records of knights, pilgrims, a Lord Mayor of London, etc. · The Stocktons in America-An honorable and distinguished record. Some statistics. Explanatory notes .............• ................. ~ ................ XXVII Richard Stockton, of New Jersey, and his descendants ............. 1-230 Appendix: Other Stocktons than the "Stockton. Family of New JerseJ·'' ......................... - . • • •. • • • · · • • • · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 23r-3o6 Index to Stockton Family of New Jersey ......................... 307-338 Index to the .Appendix .......................................... 339-349 Portraits and Illustrations. The Stockton Coat of Arms ................................ Frontispiece Sir John Stockton, Lord Mayor of London . XXIII ":iNiorvent the Stockton Homestead . 6 Map showing, by his will, division of the estate of Richard Stockton, 2d .......· . 7 Richard Stockton '"the Signer" . 34 Richard Stockton '~the Signer," from the statue in the Capitol at Washington, D. C. 38 Annis Boudinot Stockton, wife of Richard "the Signer" . 42 Hon. Elias Boudinot . 46 VI PAGE Ashbel Green, D. D., LL. D. .................................... 74 Richard Stockton '"the Duke" ................................... 76 Dr. Benjamin Rush ............................................. 78 l\1ary Stockton Hunter .......................................... 80 Lucius Witham Stockton, 1st .................................... 84 Colonel Thomas B. W. Stockton ................................ g8 Charles Lewis Stockton, lVI. D. ................................. 102 Charles Witham Stockton ....................................... 104 Alice Coates Stockton, wife of Charles \Vitham .................. 104 Commodore Robert Field Stockton .............................. II2 Lucius Witham Stockton, 2d ............. ~ ....................... 136 "Ben Lomond," residence of Lucius vVitham Stockton, 2d ......... 137 Baylis Garland Stockton ........................................ 156 Charles Gleason Stockton, ~1. D. ............................... 157 William A. W. Stockton ........................................ 162 Thomas Coates Stockton, l\;L D. ................................ 168 Hon John Potter Stockton _..................................... 176 Thomas Hewlings Stockton, D. D., LL. D ........................ 186 Rear-Admiral Charles Herbert Stockton ........ ." ................ I.9.l Sidney Stockton Taylor ....................... : ................. 20I Selina Elizabeth Stockton Keith ................................. 293 Hon Alfred Augustus Stockton, Ph.D., D. C. L., LL. D., K. C., M. P 204 Hon. Afred Augustus ·Stockton, in his barrister's robes ........... 206 John Wishart Stockton .......................................... 226 Francois G. de Martelly ......................................... 227 Portraits and Illustrations in the Append-ix: Stephenson Pernell Stockton .................................... Gov-ernor Thomas Stockton ..................................... Landing of Captain ( afterward Governor) Thomas Stockton and his men at the storming of Fort George, on Lake Ontario, Canada, lVIay 27, 1813 ....................................... 270 \Villiam Barnett Stockton ................. ~ ........... _........ 270 ~athaniel Hiram Stockton, l\I. D ................................. 27I Isaac Denton Stockton, lvl. D. .................................. 272 Louisa l\1arion Spiller Stockton, wife of Dr. Isaac D .............. 273 Rev. John Stockton, D. D ................................ ~ ...... 282 X a than iel Stephenson Stockton .................................. 286 -,g- Samuel Whitesides Stockton .................................... - I Robert L. Stockton ............................................. 288 George Stockton, :\I. D. ........................................ 291 General Joseph Stockton ....................................... 297 Preface The Adams fa1nily of Massachusetts, the Jay family of New York, and the Stockton family of N~w Jersey, are some of the families that have been prominent in America continuously for nearly three hundred years. As illustrative of the interest manifested by the public in the Stockton family, here_ follows a news item that was first printed in a New York publication and copied extensive1y throughout the entire country : In the seven hundred years that ·history sho,vs that the Stock tons have been in public life in England and America, the family has produced 111en of marked ability, who have held many offices of distinction. vVhether under the crown of England or the bald eagle of America, it has been distinctively a family of public servants. It is probabit ~o other family in America can show such a marked family characteristic or boast of such a continuous heritage of greatness. It has produced in the seven centuries crusaders, knights, a Lord l\fayor of London, Judges, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, naval and military heroes, United States Senators, diplomats who ·,von hono·rs in many countries, cabinet officers, Congressmen, Governors, a State Co1nptroller, a Secretary of State, an Attorney-General, and states1nen who have been active in National and State conventions for a century. It is not a case of spasmodic office-holding, but continuous in every generation. It is the family that produced the fa1nous Richard Stockton, "the Signer;" Richard Stockton. "the Duke;" Bob Stockton, "the fighter," and John Stockton, "the eloquent." .A.s this article deals n1ore vv·ith the past than with the future, some historical facts 111ust be discussed; but as much of it is now dragged f ro111 dark corners for the first time and concerns a family ,vhose connections are found in every social center of this country, the mustiness of some of the facts ,vill acquire a flavor not at all pedantic. VIII FROM ANCIENT TOMBSTONES There are times when tl:ie quoting of ancient history is ,var ranted, particularly to prove a statement of such a character as is named in connection with the Stockton family. Even with the history studied from tombstones in uncanny fragments, it is not a dull recital, for it. tells the story of an ambition acquired in the remotest past and continued for centuries. One memorial in London tells the fact that Right Hon. John Stockton was Lord Mayor of London in 1470 and in 1471. His bones lie in the old St. Pancras Churchyard, now on Queen street, Cheapside, in the city of London. It is now a deserted graveyard. In those days the Lord Mayor of London took rank after the King. He was the son of Richard Stockton, who ,vas knighted on the field by King Edward IV. Another memorial recites that Sir Edward Stockton was vicar of the Church at Cookham, in Berkshire, and that he was a leader in one of the early expeditions to the Holy Land. A memorial to John Stockton, of Kiddington, ,vho died in 1700, says that he was an "Esquire," while that of Owen Stock-· ton, who died as early as 1610, tells posterity that he ,vas a "gentleman." · One of the progenitors of the present New Jersey family was John Stockton, who died in 1610. The stone over his bones is inscribed in Latin and the last paragraph is significant : Eugenio patri posuit. E1,genius filius, obiit 2 die Dece1n.bris, Anno