john witherspoon declaration of independence family tree

William James Stone, Declaration of Independence, the Stone engraving, 1823. Elias Boudinot is responsible for our Thanksgiving Holiday, he proposed in 1789 in the United States House of Representatives, a resolution that we officially celebrate a day of public thanksgiving. (2.) Brother of Captain David Witherspoon; Susan Ann Witherspoon; Josias Witherspoon; James Alexander Witherspoon, IV and Margaret Ann Witherspoon, A Patriot of the American Revolution for NEW JERSEY. Many referred to it as the "Presbyterian Rebellion" and a Hessian soldier wrote, "America-call this war dearest friend by whatever name you may, only call it not an American Rebellion. Witherspoon Society, an organization of laypeople within the. President of College of New Jersey, 1768-1792; Delegate to the Continental Congress, 1776-1782; Twice elected to State Legislature of New Jersey. Born in Scotland and educated at the University of Edinburgh, Witherspoon was well known for his publications in Scotland before he was invited to be president of the College of New Jersey (todays Princeton University), where he succeeded Jonathan Edwards and served from 1768 until 1794. John Witherspoon arrived in Philadelphia to take their place as new members of Congress meeting at the State House (now Independence Hall). As president of Princeton, Witherspoon educated five delegates to the U.S. Amidst all the compliments which have been made on this occasion, be assured, madam, that the agreeable manner, and the very pleasing sentiments in which yours is conveyed, have affected my mind with the most lively sensations of joy and satisfaction. That such men were present at the moment of America's birth strongly suggests that the same Divine Providence they invoked in the Declaration of Independence had indeed planned it that way. [23] An inventory of Witherspoon's possessions taken at his death included "two slaves valued at a hundred dollars each".[24]. [11] During his two pastorates he wrote three well-known works on theology, notably the satire "Ecclesiastical Characteristics" (1753),[12] which opposed the philosophical influence of Francis Hutcheson.[13]. The fifth son of Richard, eight year old John Stockton, inherited much of his fathers land after Richard died in 1709. This article was originally published in 2009. 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. The three South Carolinians were given their freedom in a prisoner exchange in late 1781. John Hancock of Massachusetts, the president of the Congress, had been the first to sign. The colonies' most respected doctors, educators, and clergymen were numbered among their ranks. Park Service 1973Glynn, John C. & Kathryn Glynn, His Sacred Honor Judge Richard Stockton A Signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was not much concerned with politics, but applied his talents and person to the revolutionary cause when the day came. With the passage of the Stamp Act, such arguments were overcome by colonial backlash. According to the petition, "paying such honor to someone who participated actively in the enslavement of human beings, and used his scholarly gifts to defend the practice, is today a distraction from . He made a profound impression on his student James Madison, whose suggestions for the United States Constitution followed both Witherspoon's and Hume's ideas. 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. Witherspoon was born on March 22, 1976 at Southern Baptist Hospital, in New Orleans, Louisiana, while her father, Dr. John Draper Witherspoon, was a student at Tulane University medical school. The British occupied the area and did much damage to the college, nearly destroyed it. George III. 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. Frances, the youngest daughter, married Dr. David Ramsay, a delegate from South Carolina to the Continental Congress, on March 18, 1763. However, he changed his position a year later when the controversy over the Stamp Act arose. in Near Princeton, New Jersey, USA , United States, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: John WITHERSPOON (1723), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. After the death of Mrs. Witherspoon, the Doctor, at the age of seventy, married a young woman of twenty-three, an alliance which occasioned much gossip and noise in the neighborhood and family circle. War Timeline | Previously offered for $12M. The main building, Nassau Hall, was badly damaged, and his papers and personal notes were lost. Americans prominently involved with First Amendment issues, prohibited clergymen from serving in the state legislature, http://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1233/john-witherspoon. His wife was poet Annis Boudinot Stockton, sister of New Jersey statesman Elias Boudinot. From 1758-1768, he was minister of the Laigh Kirk, Paisley (Low Kirk). 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. He lived in poverty for years before he was able to restore his property. Later that year he was elected to the Continental Congress in time to vote for R. H. Lee's Resolution for 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 practice was also impolitic, as slaves never are so good or faithful servants, as those who become so for a limited time by consent. Just one grandparent can lead you to many Even George Read of Delaware, who had voted against the Declaration on July 2nd, signed it, as did Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, who had stayed away from the session rather than vote no as he was formally instructed to do. There were no defectors. John R. Vile. He attended grammar school at the neighboring town of Haddington. He lost all of his extensive library, writings, and all of his property during the British invasion. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. Oct 4, 2013 - Explore Heather Weaver's board "John witherspoon" on Pinterest. Great hardships and suffering were also inflicted upon three signers from neighboring New Jersey. Family tree of John WITHERSPOON. : Rowman and Littlefield, 200&a. In 1780 he was elected to a one-year term in the New Jersey Legislative Council representing Somerset County. Had you known the pleasure it would have communicated, I flatter myself, your diffidence would not have delayed it to this time. Soon, Witherspoon came to support the American Revolution, joining the New Jersey Committee of Correspondence and Safety in early 1774. The British considered his college to be a "seminary of sedition." (Painting by Charles Willson Peale, public domain via Wikimedia Commons) John Witherspoon is Don Rigali . A bronze statue at Princeton University by Scottish sculptor Alexander Stoddart is the twin of one outside The University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland. John Witherspoon (1723-1794) was a Scottish-born American Presbyterian divine and educator. Born in 1723, he received the finest education available to a bright young gentleman of that era. Richard gave a short but energetic speech at the close of the debate. 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. 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]. Doctor Samuel Smith, vice president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University)and son-in-law of Rev. The two remaining sons were bred to professions, and arose to distinction. There is absolutely no proof this occurred. There were no negative votes among the five southernmost colonies (South Carolina went along for the sake of unity), and when the roll had been completed 12 colonies had voted in favor of separation from Britain, with only New York abstaining. Biography by Rev. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. At age 68, he married a 24-year-old widow, with whom he had two more children. Witherspoon personally taught courses in eloquence or belles lettres, chronology (history), and divinity. Witherspoon was responsible for its reconstruction after the war, which caused him great personal and financial difficulty. The oldest, James, was a major in the Revolutionary army, and fell at the battle of Germantown. They were empowered by Congress to contract for provisions, provide barracks, make regulations for hospitals and report back to Congress on the state of the army. 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. John Stockton married his cousin Abigail and assumed his wifes Presbyterian faith. Paisley, Scotland, honored Witherspoon's memory by naming a new street in the town center after him, in honor of his having lived in Paisley for a portion of his adult life. Trustees of Princeton University. The British considered his college to be a "seminary of sedition." Behold here 'the end of all perfection.' If so, login to add it. ", His remains were conveyed to Nassau Hall, where a large audience of citizens, friends and students of the college were in attendance. John Witherspoon was always aware that many in England (even King George) saw the Revolution as more than a war for the independence of the American Colonies. The Institute was founded in 2003 by Princeton University professor and conservative Robert P. George, Luis Tellez, and others involved with the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. He also served twice in the state legislature. Five months after signing the Declaration, the British burned his library. Mailer, Gideon. From the pocket of his close-fitting coat Washington drew his carefully written reply. Half continued to serve their country after the war - several as President, many as members of Congress, governors, and state legislators - and a number of them played a role in drawing up the Constitution of the United States. He registered for military service in 1780. The servant therefore retains all his other natural rights. 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. Like Benedict Pictet (1655-1724), Witherspoon held firmly to the tenets of confessional Calvinism. 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. John Witherspoon was the only clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration of Independence. They were moral men, and all men of integrity who had been welded together in a common purpose. "His Majesty can now read my name without spectacles, and can now double his reward of 500 pounds for my head. Wrong username or password. 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. Because of the storm they had arrived late, at the end of a speech John Adams was giving in favor of independence. During the war he devoted a super-human effort to outfitting the Continental Navy, activity which alienated him from his fellow Quakers. John Witherspoon was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. In John Trumbull's famous painting Declaration of Independence, Witherspoon is among those shown in the background facing the large table, the second seated figure from the viewer's right. It took only a few minutes to complete the signing, and it was agreed not to make the signatures public for six months to give the signers and their families as much time as possible to secure themselves against certain reprisals. Documents of the American Revolution. John Witherspoon was an American Founding Father, a noted clergyman, and an educator.He played an influential role in his home country of Scotland and in his adopted country, the United States.Witherspoon was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of . Miss Montgomery, at an early age, and at the time of his immigration had three sons and two daughters. Heyward defied the guards by writing new words to "God Save the King" and teaching the other prisoners to sing, "God Save the States" to the old tune. [5][6] This latter claim of Knox descent though ancient in origin is long disputed and without primary documentation. But none of the signers ever betrayed his pledged word. Notre Dame, Ind. 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. He argued that the colonies should be represented in the Parliament. Stockton slowly regained his health and returned to his law practice to support his family but later developed cancer. Only John Hancock signed the declaration that day, and a formal signing by all the delegates was scheduled for August 2nd. "[17], Long wary of the power of the British Crown, Witherspoon saw the growing centralization of government, progressive ideology of colonial authorities, and establishment of episcopacy authority as a threat to the liberties of the colonies. "My country is entitled to my services, and I shall not shrink from the cause, even though it should cost me my life," he declared. Dreading the possibility of war, on December 12, 1774; he drew up and sent to Lord Dartmouth, Secretary for the Colonies An Expedient for the Settlement of the American Disputes, a plan for self-government of America, independent of Parliament but owing allegiance to the Crown. He read it, and the simple ceremony was over. Witherspoon was an early convert to the Patriot cause, and the British considered his college to be a seminary of sedition (Morrison 2005: 13). 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. These 56 men who spoke for two and a half million American free men were a spectacular group of individuals. New Hampshire delegates voted first because they were from the northernmost colony. Richard was born at the Stockton family home now known as Morven in the Stony Brook neighborhood of Princeton, New Jersey, attended Samuel Finley's academy at Nottingham, which later became West Nottingham Academy, and the College of New Jersey located in Newark, graduating in 1748. He did not favor separation; rather, he suggested in 1764 that some colonial members be appointed to the Parliament. They had ten children, with five surviving to adulthood. Born in Scotland and educated at the University of Edinburgh, Witherspoon was a prominent 18th-century intellectual associated with the moral philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment. The College of New Jersey needed a first rate scholar to serve as its first president. He helped organize Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. Family Court 1st Judicial Circuit, . He died in 1778 while separated from his family by the war. In 1768, John Witherspoon, Presbyterian leader of the evangelical Popular party faction in the Scottish Kirk, became the College of New Jersey's sixth president. He signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, being the only clergyman and college president to do so. Declaration House | He is one of only six signers to be honored. 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.". At Princeton, he mentored constitutional architect James Madison; as a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress, he was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. This was an exceedingly important event in the history of higher education in America. He became an invalid and died at Princeton on February 28, 1781. Her parents are still legally married, although they separated in 1996. The time had come to vote again on Richard Henry Lee's resolution. American actress, producer, and entrepreneur, Born on March 22, 1976 Born in Scotland to a family of clergymen, he was trained to become a Presbyterian minister. 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. Whatever their status that August, the 56 men who eventually signed the Declaration of Independence were under no illusions. In November 1777, as British forces neared, Witherspoon closed and evacuated the College of New Jersey. Have you taken a DNA test? They had eleven children. Stocktons home Morven had been occupied by British General Cornwallis. The historian Douglass Adair writes, "The syllabus of Witherspoon's lectures . Philip STOCKTON, Susanna STOCKTON, Hannah STOCKTON, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, British Colonial America, Princeton, Mercer County, NJ, United States, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, British America, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, Morven, Princeton Township, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, Princeton, Mercer, New Jersey, United States, Patriots - Daughters of the American Revolution, Richard Signer of US Declaration of Independence Stockton, Judge Richard Stockton (Signer of Declaration of Independence), Richard, Signer Of The Declaration Of Independence Stockton, Richard Signer Of Us Declaration Of Independence STOCKTON, http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/stockton.htm, http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/richard-stockton. Although many took the pardon, Stockton never did and was marched to Perth Amboy where he was put in irons, and brutally treated as a common criminal. The continental army had to depend on Congress and the states to provide for them, and help for the army was slow in coming if it came at all. "No business can be done, some say, because money is scarce", he wrote. 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. He died in 1794 on his farm Tusculum, just outside Princeton, and is buried along Presidents Row in Princeton Cemetery. Witherspoon has claimed descent from Scottish-born John Witherspoon, who signed the United States Declaration of Independence; however, this claim has not been verified by the Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence genealogists. 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. The Stocktons had six children. Elizabeth Witherspoon died in 1789. John and Elizabeth had at least nine children: Dr. Witherspoon was married to his first wife. Richard and Hannah were brother and sister, making Richard Stockton's (born 1730) parents 1st cousins.[12]. Once persuaded otherwise, however, Morton signed the Declaration and stood by his decision, though he was ostracized by his family and friends, many of whom were Tories. "I am a merchant of New York, but I am a Virginian first," he declared in the House of Burgesses. View Transcript The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. His own health began to deteriorate and he was dead by the third anniversary of the signing of the Declaration. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can.". Thus, public morality owed more to the natural moral laws of the Enlightenment than to revealed Christianity. Witherspoon Street, in: Princeton, New Jersey; Pomfret, John E.. '"Witherspoon, John" in. Address: 11-15 Wiggins St Princeton, NJ 08542. Encyclopedia Table of Contents | Case Collections | Academic Freedom | Recent News, 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. 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. 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). A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, he gained a reputation in the Church of Scotland as a leader of the left-wing "Popular Party," and his works made him well-known in the American colonies. Signers | Some are superior to others in mental powers and intellectual improvementsome by the great increase of their property through their own, or their predecessors industry, and some make it their choice, finding they cannot live otherwise better, to let out their labor to others for hire. Since that period, he hath represented New Jersey in the Congress of the United States. Exhausted, racked by cancer, Rodney set out after dusk and rode all night through the pouring rain and the crashing thunder, stopping only long enough to change horses. John Witherspoon, the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, was born in Yester, Scotland on 5 Feb 1722 or 1723. He is co-editor of the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment. 5/177. 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.". 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. Hancock is also reported to have said that "we must be unanimous. He remained at the University to study divinity. See more ideas about john witherspoon, declaration of independence, stone barns. In the months before and after the Declaration of Independence, several states were working on their own constitutions, including New York. In 1780 he was elected to a one-year term in the New Jersey Legislative Council representing Somerset County. Reese father earned his living as a surgeon and her mother was a college professor. Her father Elias Boudinot Sr, apprenticed as a silversmith and merchant, then traveled to the West Indies to run a plantation. Stocktons oldest daughter Julia wed Dr. Benjamin Rush in January 1776, six months later Rush signed the Declaration of Independence. 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. 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). Although Witherspoon can be heavily credited in the expansion and progression of the University, his ownership ties to the enslavement of Black people in America have caused for an internal Princeton petition to the CPUC Committee on Naming at Princeton University and President Eisgruber for the removal of his statue that currently stands in Firestone Plaza on campus. On his visit to Scotland he was entertained by the Earl of Levin and other noblemen at Edinburgh Castle and the freedom of the city was conferred on him. He attended the West Nottingham Academy under Dr. Samuel Finley, and then earned his degree at the College of New Jersey (Now Princeton) in 1748.

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