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Thomas Stockton
Stockton
33rdGovernor of Delaware
In office January 21, 1845 – March 2, 1846
Preceded by	William B. Cooper
Succeeded by	Joseph Maull
Personal details
Born	(1781-04-01)April 1, 1781 New Castle County, Delaware, U.S.
Died	March 2, 1846(1846-03-02) (aged 64) New Castle, Delaware, U.S.
Political party	Whig
Spouse	Fidelia Johns
Residence(s)	New Castle, Delaware, U.S.
Occupation	Soldier

Thomas Stockton (April 1, 1781 – March 2, 1846) was an American soldier and politician fromNew Castle inNew Castle County, Delaware. He was a veteran of theWar of 1812, and a member of theWhig Party, who served asGovernor of Delaware.

Stockton was born inNew Castle Hundred,New Castle County, Delaware, on April 1, 1781, son of John and Nancy Griffin Stockton. His father was a brigadier general in theWar of 1812, leading the 1st Brigade of Delaware militia. He married Fidelia Johns, daughter of ChancellorKensey Johns, and they had five children, Thomas, William, James, Elizabeth, and Fidelia. They lived in the Kensey Johns-Van Dyke house at 300 Delaware Street and were members of the Immanuel Episcopal Church inNew Castle.

He attended and graduated fromPrinceton College.

After graduating from Princeton, Stockton joined the Delaware militia. During theWar of 1812 he was part of the attack on Fort George on the Niagara River and fought atLundy's Lane. He was promoted to a major in the 42nd Infantry, and he retired from theU.S. Army in 1825.

Stockton was theNew Castle County Register in Chancery from 1832 to 1835. Several years later, in 1844, he was electedGovernor of Delaware by defeatingWilliam Tharp, theDemocratic Party candidate. He took office January 21, 1845 and served until his death on March 2, 1846. He was the sixthGovernor of Delaware to die in office.

He was a member of theSociety of the Cincinnati.

Stockton died atNew Castle and is buried there at theImmanuel Episcopal Church Cemetery. Several of his sons and grandsons served in theCivil War.

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. The governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four-year term.

• Conrad, Henry C. (1908).History of the State of Delaware. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Wickersham Company.
• Martin, Roger A. (1984).A History of Delaware Through its Governors. Wilmington, Delaware: McClafferty Press.
• Scharf, John Thomas (1888).History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols. Philadelphia: L. J. Richards & Co.ISBN 0-87413-493-5.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)

• Hall of Governors Portrait GalleryPortrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover.

• Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States
• Delaware’s Governors
• Thomas Stockton atFind a Grave
• The Political Graveyard

• Delaware Historical Society;website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
• University of Delaware;Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965

• 1781 births
• 1846 deaths
• 19th-century American Episcopalians
• 19th-century Delaware politicians
• Delaware Whigs
• Governors of Delaware
• People from New Castle, Delaware
• Whig Party state governors of the United States

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