Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. I, Part 10

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa.
Number of Pages: 1482

USA > Delaware > Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. I > Part 10

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We can close this tribute to the "little State," with nothing more appropriate in words and sentiment, than the poem entitled "Our Delaware," composed and dedicated to "The Sons of Delaware," by Joshua Pusey, and sung to the air of "My Maryland":

Our little State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware ! Now, brothers all, let none forbear ! Sing, "Delaware, our Delaware !" Proud offspring of the azure bird, With swelling tones our hearts be stirred, And loud our praiseful song be heard : "Delaware, our Delaware !"

Our beloved State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware ! Can she be equalled anywhere? 4

Delaware, our Delaware !

Fill high the cup with draught divine, Not potion brought from foreign clime- But deeply drink old Brandywine To Delaware, our Delaware !

3 Our knightly State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware ! Of courtly men and ladies fair Beyond compare-our Delaware ! Where love on beauty ever waits, Where brother help ne'er hesitates- The diamond in the crown of States ! Delaware, our Delaware !

4 Our precious State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware ! Her fields nor gold nor silver bear, Delaware, our Delaware ! But flower and peach and golden corn O'erflowing Plenty's bounteous horn, Are jewels "to the manor born" In Delaware, our Delaware !

5 Our glorious State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware ! Of Rodney, Clayton, Bayard rare, Delaware, our Delaware ! A land of true historic pride, A land where heroes lived and died, Their Country loved, her foes detied- Delaware, our Delaware !

6 Our free born State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware ! She's ever loved sweet Freedom's air, Delaware, our Delaware ! Since Swedish tongue her land bespoke, Since Holland's guns her echoes woke, Since came Britannia's hearts of oak - Delaware, our Delaware !

7 Our noble State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware! Our thoughts are ever turning there, To Delaware. dear Delaware ! Where men are of heroic mould, Where duty leads -- not sinful gold, Where mem'ries cluster 'round the old. In Delaware, our Delaware !

8 Our loyal State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware ! Thy watch-word be : "To do and dare." Delaware, our Delaware ! Or gentle peace be evermore, Or Honor loose the dogs of war, Let manly virtues guard thy door, Delaware, our Delaware !

9 Our little State of Delaware, Delaware, our Delaware ! O God ! forever be Thy care, Delaware, our Delaware ! From good old Sussex' farthest lea, From bright Henlopen's sparkling sea, To the arch of her north boundary, Delaware, our Delaware !

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BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

GOVERNORS OF DELAWARE.

Although small in extent and population, when compared with some of the great States of this Union, Delaware has had a long line of governors since the first settlement of white men was made within her territory, and many of them have been noted for their ability and high attainments in civil and military life. In 1867, J. Henry Rogers, Esq., of New Castle, compiled and printed a list of the gov- ernors of the State from 1627 to 1867, em- bracing a period of two hundred and forty years. In order to give the dates of service correctly he devoted much care to the prepara- tion of this list, copies of which are now hard to obtain. His dates during that long period will in this chapter be followed in their chron- ological order but in addition to the time of service of each governor a brief biographical sketch will be given, which, it is believed, will make the compilation more valuable to the general reader, as well as greatly facilitate the work of any one who may be searching for in- formation relating to any particular official. Nothing of the kind has been given in any history of Delaware heretofore printed.

Peter Minuit is generally regarded by his- torical writers as the first legitimate gover- nor of the settlements on the Delaware. Ilis claim is based on the fact that on the 1st of May, 1627, Gustavus Adolphus, in granting the charter for the Swedish West India Com- pany, said it should be considered as con- meneing on that date; when in fact it was dated at Stockholm June 14, 1626, but did not become operative till over one year later.

In the meantime Peter Minuit appears on the stage of action. He was a native of Wesel, Rhenish Prussia, where he was born about 1580. When a young man he removed to Ilolland, where he resided for several years. On the 19th of December, 1625, he was ap- pointed by the Dutch West India Company its director in the New Netherlands. The com- pany gave him enlarged powers, so that he may very properly be called the first governor of New Netherlands. He sailed from Amster- dam, landed on Manhattan Island May 4, 1626, and purchased it from the Indians for trinkets that were valued at about $24. Ow- ing to some difficulty which soon afterwards arose with the home government he was re- called. In the course of a few years he of-

fered his services to the Swedes and Finns, was accepted, and sailed for Delaware Bay in 1637. Having made the voyage with safety, he began in March, 1638, to build Fort Chris- tina, so memmed in honor of the young daugh- ter of Gustavus Adolphus, afterwards Queen Christina. This settlement, it is claimed, was the first permanent one made on the Delaware river by white men, although attempts had been made before at points lower down the river.

Great strife ensued between the Dutch and Swedes, and a feud existed for several years, on account of prior possession by the Dutch. Different parts of the present territory on the Delaware were held by each of those nations till the Swedes were subdued by the Dutch in 1655.

In the meantime William Kieft (1638), had been appointed Director General of the New Netherlands to succeed Peter Minuit, and he protested against Minuit's settlement, on the ground of prior possession.

SWEDISH GOVERNORS.

The Swedish governors may be enumer- ated as follows: In 1627 Peter Minuit began his goverment, was dispossessed, resumed in 1638, and retired in 1640. By some writers it is asserted that Minuit died in, 1641 at Fort Christina, which he built; others declare that le was lost in a storm at sea about this time. The latter statement is correct. After ar- ranging everything in the colony on the Dela- ware he set sail for the West Indies with a cargo of goods, to exchange for tobacco as a valuable return cargo to Old Sweden. He was successful, and was ready to sail for the Dela- ware when he and the captain of his ship ac- Pepted an invitation to visit a Dutch ship. While enjoying the hospitalities of the Dutch captain, a violent hurricane arose and all the vessels, to the mumber of twenty, in the har- bor of St. Christopher, were driven out to sca. All were seriously damaged and some were never seen again, having gone to the bot- tom of the sea. Among the latter was the "Flying Deer," with Governor Mimit and the captain of his ship aboard.

"Such," says Rev. Cyrus Cort, in his me- morial address, "was the sad end and un- timely death of the gifted and enterprising founder of civil government on the banks of

STATE OF DELAWARE

the Hudson and also on the banks of the Dela- ware; the pioneer governor of Christian com- monwealths in the New World."

Lieutenant Peter Hollender, or Hollen- dare, succeeded Minuit, being commissioned governor of New Sweden, and arrived with fresh immigrants on the 11th of April, 1640, just as the colony had resolved to break up. Hollender infused new life into the settlement and served as governor from 1640 to 1642. Early writers represent him as a native Swede and a knight, but no mention is made of his birth and parentage. He returned home to Sweden, and was a major in the military ser- vice at Stockhohn in the year 1655. Time and place of death unknown.

John Printz, governor from 1643 to 1654, was a remarkable man. Hle was bluff and irascible. Ilis Dutch contemporary, De Vries, describes him as "Captain Printz, who weighs four hundred pounds and drinks three horns at every meal." He was born in Sweden about 1600 and died in 1663. After well directed studies in home and foreign universities, he turned his attention to military life and rose therein, during the Prussian and German war, until, in the year 1638, he became lieu- tenant colonel of cavalry. In 1640 he shame- fully and disgracefully surrendered the fort- ress of Chemnitz, and thereupon left his com- mand without the authority of his superior officer, and returned to Stockholm. Here he was put under arrest; but after six weeks was dismissed on parole. He was finally court- martialed and senteneed to be deprived of his commission, which sentence was approved, February 17, 1641. But his wife and children, who, with their furniture, had been placed un- der arrest, had been upon his humble petition released in 1640. It seems that Printz soon gained favor with the civil authorities, for on Angust 16, 1642, he was appointed governor of New Sweden. During his administration he maintained with little assistance from home the supremacy of the Swedish Crown on the Delaware against the Dutch. He kept up forts at Wilmington, on Tinieum Island, where he resided, and at the mouth of the Schuylkill. Becoming tired of waiting for support in the settlement of certain matters, he went to Sweden in person in the year 1652, after having been here ten years. In his place he appointed his son-in-law, John Papegoija, vice-governor. Papegoija had married Arma-

got, daughter of John Printz, and they con- tinned to reside in the family home at Tini- cm. It so happened that Printz never re- turned to this country. He was appointed general in the Swedish army, and in 1658, governor of the district of Jonkoping. He died in 1663, without male issue, and the family ended with him on the Swedish side. llis daughter, Mrs. Armagot Papegoija, in- herited the estate on Tiniemm, and lived there for some time; she, too, finally returned to Sweden whither her husband preceded her.

John Claudius Rising was appointed the successor of Printz in 1654. Hle administered the affairs of the colony until 1655, when the Dutch from Manhattan, under Stuyvesant, captured the forts on the Delaware, took Ris- ing prisoner and sent him home. His history after his departure is obseure.

DUTCH GOVERNORS.

In 1629 Walter Van Twiller was appointed governor of New Amsterdam and of the set- tlements on the Delaware. In 1638 he was succeeded by William Kieft. He served un- til 1646, when the irascible Peter Stuyvesant was appointed, who continued to act as gov- ernor until 1664, when the Dutch settlements in North America were surrendered to the English.

Peter Stuyvesant, who figures so conspicu- ously in the history of these colonies, was born in Friesland in 1602, and died in New York (formerly New Amsterdam), in 1682. Stuy- vesant was the son of a clergyman, and early in life evinced a taste for the military profes- sion. He served in the West Indies, and was made governor of the colony of Curacoa. During the unsuccessful attack on the Portu- guese island of St. Martin he lost a leg, after which he returned to Holland. Soon after- wards Stuyvesant was appointed Director General of New Amsterdam, took the oath of office July 28, 1646, and reached there May 11, 1647. The name, New Amsterdam, was officially announced February 2, 1653. In 1665, Stuyvesant sailed in to the Delaware River with a fleet of seven vessels, manned by seven hundred men, and took possession of the colony of New Sweden, which he called New Amstel (now known as New Castle), on the Delaware.

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BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

The following were deputies of Governor Stuyvesant on the Delaware: In 1655, John Paul Jacquett; 1657, John Alrichs; 1658, Alexander D'Hinoyossa; 1659, Gerardus Beekman.

ENGLISH GOVERNORS.

In 1664, Richard Nicolls became governor, and held the office until 1667, when Francis Lovelace was appointed. In July, 1673, the Dutch seized on the colony and held it until 1674, during which time Anthony Colve was governor. October 1, 1664, the colony passed into British control under the Duke of York, who claimed the territory as part of his grant in Maryland. New Amstel surrendered to Sir Robert Carr, who was sent by Charles II. with a fleet to subject the country. Having accomplished his purpose, Sir Robert, on the 3d of November, 1664, changed the name to New Castle, which it has borne to the present day. It was so named in honor of the Duke of New Castle.

When the English succeeded the Dutch the colonists, consisting of Swedes, Dutch and English, became subject to the laws and gov- ernment of the Duke of York. Thereupon the judicial system of England was steadily introduced by the royal government.

In 1674 Sir Edmund Andros was made governor, and continued until the grant by the Duke of York to William Penn, dated .August 24, 1682. On the 24th of October following, William Penn arrived at New Castle, and after a brief visit re-embarked and sailed up the river to what is now Chester, where he went ashore for a short time and proceeded to the work of organizing his gov- ernment. This work accomplished, he vested the executive power in his council, of which Thomas Lloyd was president, and sailed for England June 12, 1683.

In the meantime the Duke of York having conveyed to Penn the three counties now constituting the State of Delaware, and then called "the territories," these were, by the act of union in 1682, annexed to the Province of Pennsylvania under a common govern- ment. Although, in 1704, the Delaware counties, with Penn's consent, permanently withdrew from all co-legislative union with said province and established their own separ- ate assembly and subsequently had their own

district judicial tribunals, yet they remained subject to the proprietary and royal authority until the revolution of 1726.

In 1688 James Blackwell was appointed Lieutenant Governor, but he returned to Eng- land in December of the same year.

On the 21st of October, 1692, owing to some difficulty or misunderstanding with Penn, the King of England seized on the goverment and entrusted it to Governor Fletcher, of New York, who, in 1693, ap- pointed William Markham his deputy, be- cause the people of the three lower counties had requested that he be designated as their governor.

In 1694 the government was restored to William Penn, and he appointed William Markham lieutenant governor. Five years afterwards, or in December, 1699, William Penn arrived the second time in America. In 1701, on his going to England again, Andrew Hamilton was appointed lieutenant gover- nor. Ile died in 1702, when President Ship- pen exercised the office until February, 1703 or 1704; John Evans then became governor, and continued until February, 1208 or 1709. Charles Gookin succeeded him and adminis- tered the government from the close of John Evans' term until May 31, 1717, and for a second term, expiring June 22, 1726. Patrick Gordon, his successor, served from the latter date to his death, August 5, 1736. James Logan, president of Council, then acted as governor until June 1, 1738, when George Thomas came into the office and served from June 6, 1747, to October, 1748.

From this time to the close of the Penn regime the line of governors was as follows: James Hamilton, October, 1748, to October, 1754; Robert Hunter Morris, from October, 1754, to August, 1756; William Denny, from August, 1756, to November 16, 1759; James Hamilton, from November, 1759, to October 29, 1763; John Penn, from November, 1763, to 1771; Richard Penn, from October, 1771, to 1773, and from this date to the Declara- tion of Independence.

PRESIDENTS OF THE STATE.

After the Declaration of Independence, and under the Constitution of September 20, 1776, the chief executive officer was termed President, and the title was continued until

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STATE OF DELAWARE

the adoption of the Constitution of 1792. Those who served as presidents were as fol- low's :

John MeKinly, the first president (or gov- ernor), was inaugurated February 21, 1777, and administered the affairs of the State until his capture by the British on the night of Sep- tember 12, 1777. Ile was born in Ireland, February 24, 1721, and died in Wilmington, August 31, 1796. He studied medicine in Ireland, and when he came to this country early in life, commenced practice in Wil- mington, where he attained eminence. Being a man of public spirit and versatile talents, he was called on to fill several local offices during the exciting times that preceded the Revolu- tion. The night after the battle of Brandy- wine, a detachment of British soldiers was sent to Wilmington to effect his capture and secure plunder. They took the governor from his bed, and placed him on board of a shallop that was lying in the river laden with plunder, including the public records, plate and jewels. He was held in captivity until August, 1778, when he was allowed to return home on pa- role, and remained there until the close of the war.

After the capture of President McKinly the presidency of the State devolved on George Read, as speaker of the Legislative Commeil, but as he soon after left the Dela- ware on important business, Thomas MeKean, speaker of Assembly, administered the office until January, 1778.

Caesar Rodney served from January, 1778, to January, 1782. He was a distinguished citizen of Delaware, a member of congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a major general of militia; he was in com- mand of Trenton some time after its capture. Ilis history will be found more fully de- tailed in another part of this work.

John Dickinson was inducted into office January, 1282, and served to January 13, 1753, when he resigned. He was succeeded by John Cook, president of the Legislative Council, who served from January 13, 1753, to February 8 following. Of Jolm Dickinson little need be said here, as his his- tory is so well known. He was born in Mary- land, November 13, 1732, and died in Wil- mington, February 14, 1808. His father, Sammel D. Dickinson, became chief justice of Kent county, and died July 6, 1760, aged

seventy-one years. John Dickinson studied law in Philadelphia and London; was a mem- ber of the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1764, and of the Colonial Congress, which met in New York to oppose the stamp art in 1705. Ile was a member of the First Continental Congress in 1774, and the author of many able letters and papers. In June, 1776, he opposed the adoption of the Declaration of Independence because he doubted the wisdom of the measure. However, he was patriotic and entered the army as a private soldier; in 1777, he was commissioned a brigadier gen- eral. In April, 1779, he was elected to Con- gress from Delaware, and in 1780 was a mem- ber of the Delaware Assembly; in the fol- lowing year he was elected president of the State. In 1783 he was influential in found- ing and in largely endowing Dickinson Col- lege at Carlisle, Pa. The remaining seven years of his life were passed in Wilmington. He died February 14, 1808.

Concerning the history of John Cook, who became governor by virtue of his position as president of the Legislative Council, and who was the first acting governor of the State after the Declaration of peace in 1783, compara- tively little is known. He was probably a native of Kent county, but the dates of his birth and death cannot be ascertained. It is probable that he was the father of Dr. Robert Cook, who was born in Kent county. He mar- ried the widow of Governor Daniel Rogers, and lived and died in South Milford.

Nicholas Van Dyke, governor from Febru- ary 8, 1783, to October 27, 1286, was born in New Castle county, September 25, 1738, and died there February 19, 1789. He studied law and attained eminence at the bar. On the breaking out of the Revolution he at onee identified himself with the cause of indepen- dence and took an active part in political and military affairs. As his name indicates, he was of Dutch descent. In the military ser- vice he was a major of militia. He was sent to Congress in place of Hon. John Dickinson and John Evans, who declined to serve, and was a signer of the Articles of Confederation. Ile was the father of Nicholas Van Dyke, Jr., an able and eloquent lawyer, a United States Senator, and the maternal grandfather of the late Victor Dupont.

Thomas Collins, governor from October 27, 1286, to his death in March. 1289, was

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BIOGRAPIIICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

born in 1732, and died near Duck Creek, Kent county. He was for some time high sheriff of Kent county, and a member of Council for four years. He served as briga- dier general of militia from 1726 till 1783; was a member of the Assembly and chief jus- tice of the Court of Common Pleas. As he died before the end of his term of office, the unex- pired portion, which ended June 2, following, was filled by Jehu Davis, Speaker of Assent- bly. Joshua Clayton succceded to the regu- lar term June 2, 1789, and served to January, 1793. With the close of this term the title was changed, under the Constitution of 1792, from President to Governor.

GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1792.

Joshua Clayton succeeded himself January, 1793, and served until 1796, being the first governor elected under the new Constitution. Governor Clayton was a physician by profes- sion, and during the Revolution introduced a substitute for Peruvian bark. Just before his death, which occurred August 11, 1798, near Middletown, he was chosen United States Senator. He was the father of Hon. Thomas Clayton, the last chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas under the Constitution of 1792, and the first Chief Justice of Delaware under the Constitution of 1831.

Gunning Bedford succeeded to the gover- James Sykes, who succeeded Richard Bas- sett and acted as governor from 1801 to 1802, was born near Dover, March 27, 1261, and died there October 18, 1822. Ili- father, James Sykes, held several offices in the State during and after the Revolution, and was a delegate to Congress in 1777-8. James Sykes, Jr., studied medicine and became renowned as a surgeon. Later in life he was a member of the State Senate, over which he presided for nearly fifteen years, and it was by virtue of his position as president of the Senate that the office of governor devolved upon him when Bassett resigned. norship, January, 1796, and administered the office until his death, September 28, 1797. The office was then filled by Daniel Rogers, Speaker of the Senate, until January, 1799, when he resigned and was succeeded by Richard Bassett, who served from January to March, 1801, when he, too, resigned. James Sykes, Speaker of the Senate, then be- came governor, and filled out the remainder of the term, ending January, 1802. Governor Bedford was born in Philadelphia about 1730, and died near New Castle, as stated above. During the French and Indian war he served as a lieutenant. He entered the Revolution- ary Army as major and deputy quartermaster general, New York Department, July 17, 1775; was lieutenant colonel of a Delaware regiment, under Colonel Haslet, January 19, 1726, to January, 1777. He was wounded at White Plains October 28, 1776; was also . of his birth September 18, 1818. After re- muster master general from June 18, 1276, to April 12, 1777. He was a delegate to Con- pre-s from Delaware, 1783 to 1285.

Daniel Rogers, who succeeded Gunning Bedford, by virtue of his position as president of the Legislative Council, was a son of James Rogers, and was born January 3, 1754, in Ac- comac county, Virginia. Governor Rogers died February 2, 1806, at his residence in South Milford, Sussex county, Delaware, aged fifty-two years and thirty days.

Richard Bassett, who succeeded Daniel Rogers, and served from January to March, 1801, when he resigned on account of hav- ing received from President Adams the ap- pointment of United States circuit judge, was born at Bohemia Manor, Md., in 1745, anddied in September, 1815. He was a lawyer by pro- fession, and a member of Congress under the old Confederation in 1787; also a member of the convention that framed the Federal Con- stitution. From 1789 to 1793, he was United States senator and was the first man that cast a vote in favor of locating the United States capitol on the Potomac. He was a presiden- tial elector in 1797, and voted for John Adams. Ilis only daughter, Anne, became the wife of James A. Bayard, 2d, who signed the treaty of Ghent. He was buried at Bo- hemia Manor, by the side of his distinguished son-in-law, who died in the same month. Gov- ernor Bassett probably descended from Wil- liam Bassett, of Plymouth, England. The name of Bassett has become extinct.

David Hall, who served as governor from January, 1802, to January, 1805, was a dis- tinguished patriot and active as an officer dur- ing the Revolution. He was born in Lewes, Sussex county, January 4, 1752, son of David and Mary Kollock Hall, and died at the place ceiving such an education as the times af- forded, he studied law, and had barely com- meneed practice when the war of the Revo-

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Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. I, Part 10

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa. Number of Pages: 1482

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa.
Number of Pages: 1482