Richard Stockton

Portrait of a young man with wavy hair, wearing a dark coat and a white shirt, set against a dark background.

BORN - October 1, 1730, at the family home, Morven near Princeton, NJ. Parents (English ancestry) – John Stockton (b1701-d1758) and Abigail Phillips Stockton (b1708-d1757). Ten Children – Richard Stockton III (b1730-d1781), Sarah (b1732-d1737), John Stockton (b1734-d1737), Hannah Stockton Boudinot (b1736–d1808), Abigail Stockton Pintard (b1738-d1817), Susanna Stockton Pintard (b1742-d1772), John Stockton (b1744-d1765), Philip Stockton (b1744-d1792), Rebecca Stockton Tennnet (b1748-d1811), Samuel Witham Stockton (b1751-d1795).

DIED - February 28, 1781 (age 50) at his home, Morven, in Princeton, NJ, from cancer. Religion – Presbyterian. Buried – Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House Cemetery, Princeton, NJ.

APPEARANCE – The picture above is a portrait of Richard Stockton painted by John Wallaston.

FAMILY – Married - Annis Boudinot Stockton (b1736-d1801) in 1729. Six Children – Julia Stockton Rush (b1759-d1846), Mary (Polly) Stockton Hunter (b1761-d1846), Susan (Sukey) Stockton Cuthbert (b1761-d1821), Richard Stockton Jr. (b1764-d1828), Lucius Horatio Stockton (b1765-d1835) and Abigail (Nabby) Stockton Field (b1773-d1858). Julia Stockton married fellow Signer Dr. Benjamin Rush.

OCCUPATION – LAWYER, JUDGE, LEGISLATOR. Graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1748. Developed a successful law practice. Member of the Continental Congress representing New Jersey from 1776 to 1777. Longtime friends of George and Martha Washington.

AT SIGNING – Age 45 at signing. First to sign the Declaration of the five member delegation from New Jersey.

AFTER SIGNING – Continued to serve in Congress in Philadelphia until 1777. Home occupied and ravaged by British. Captured, brutally beaten and imprisoned by the British in New York Provost Jail in 1776. Starved in prison and his health suffered. Paroled in 1777, with agreement to remain neutral during the remainder of the war. Lost reputation among Patriots. Lost his personal property including his extensive library and writings. Was bankrupt when he died in 1781.

HISTORIC SITES

Princeton Home – Morven House Museum, Princeton, NJ (1750 / 1800). Located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ 08540, Phone 609-924-8144, Website www.morven.com.

Gravesite - Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House Cemetery in Princeton, NJ (1760). Located at intersection of Princeton Pike / Mercer Road and Quaker Road, Princeton, NJ

School – West Nottingham Academy, Colora, MD (1744). Located at 1079 Firetower Road, Colora, MD 21917, Phone 410-658-5556, Website www.wna.org. The oldest operating boys boarding school in Maryland. Signers Richard Stockton and Benjamin Rush were graduates of the Academy.

Princeton Inn – Nassau Inn, Princeton, NJ (1756 / 1938). Located at 10 Palmer Square Princeton, NJ 08542, Phone 609-921-7500, Website www.nassauinn.com.

A large white historic house with multiple stories, surrounded by green trees and a well-maintained lawn.

Home of Richard Stockton, Morven House Museum, Princeton, NJ (1750 / 1800).

Located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ 08540, Phone 609-924-8144, Website www.morven.com

Morven was the birthplace and lifelong home of Richard Stockton and his wife, Annis Boudinot Stockton. It was one of Princeton's social hubs during the 1700’s. The house and estate were named “Morven” by Annis after a mythical Gaelic kingdom in Ireland. The original dwelling is believed to date from the 1750’s, although recent research indicates that little of this structure remains. Much of the present building was constructed in the 1790’s, with major alterations made in the 1850’s.