History of Lewes, (Sussex County) Delaware United States of America

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Biographies:

Daniel Rodney, senator, was born in Lewes, Sussex county, Del., Sept. 10, 1764; son of John and Ruth (Hunn) Rodney, and great-grandson of William Rodney, the emigrant. He was master of a coasting vessel when a youth, and was twice captured by the British, and after the war he settled in business in Lewes, and was married, March 5, 1788, to Sarah, daughter of Maj. Henry Fisher. He was judge of the court of common pleas of Delaware for twelve years; presidential elector in 1809, and was governor of the state of Delaware, 1814?17. In 1821 he received the four electoral votes of Delaware for vice-president of the United States; was a representative in the 17th congress, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of C?sar A. Rodney , serving from Dec. 2, 1822, to March 3, 1823, and was appointed U.S. senator to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Nicholas Van Dyke, serving from Dec. 4, 1826, to Jan. 23, 1827, when a successor was elected. He died in Lewes, Del., Sept. 2, 1864.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Caleb Rodney, governor of Delaware, was born in Lewes, Del., April 29, 1767; son of John and Ruth (Hunn) Rodney, and brother of Senator Daniel Rodney . He engaged in the mercantile business in Lewes; was speaker in the state senate, and on the death of Governor John Collins in April, 1822, he was chosen acting governor of Delaware, serving until 1823, when he was succeeded by Samuel Paynter. He died in Lewes, Del., April 29, 1840.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Joshua Hall McIlvaine, educator, was born in Lewes, Del., March 4, 1815. He was prepared for college at Wilmington, Del., matriculated at Lafayette with the class of 1837, changed to Princeton, and was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1837, and from Princeton Theological seminary in 1840. He was licensed to preach in 1839. He served as stated supply at the Second church, Freehold, N.J., and the First church, Paterson, N.J., and was pastor at Little Falls, N.Y., 1841-42. He was ordained by the presbytery of Albany, June 28, 1842, removed to Utica, N.Y., in 1843, and organized the Westminster Presbyterian church, the first of that name in the United States, and the first organized with a rotary eldership in the Presbyterian denomination. He ministered there until 1848. He was pastor of the 1st Presbyterian church, Rochester, N.Y., 1848-60; was professor of belles-lettres at the College of New Jersey, 1860-70; pastor of the High Street church, Newark, N.J., 1870-87; founded Evelyn college for girls at Princeton, N.J., in 1887, and was president of the institution, 1888-97. He delivered a course of lectures on comparative philology and ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution in 1859, and a course on social science in Philadelphia under the auspices of the University of Pennsylvania in 1869. He declined the professorship of social science in the University of Pennsylvania in 1869. He was a member of the American Oriental society, and received the degree D.D. from the University of Rochester, N.Y., in 1854. He contributed to the Princeton Review and other periodicals and is the author of: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (1854); Elocution, the Source and Elements of its Power (1870); The Wisdom of Holy Scripture, with Reference to Sceptical Objections (1883); The Wisdom of the Apocalypse (1886), and various magazine articles. He died in Rochester, N.Y., Jan. 30, 1897.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Shepard Kollock, editor, was born in Lewes, Del., in September, 1750; son of Shepard and Mary (Goddard) Kollock; grandson of Simon and Comfort (Shepard) Pettyman Kollock, and great grandson of Jacob Kollock, who died in Lewes, Del., in 1720, and of Hercules Shepard. Shepard Kollock, Jr., was commissioned 1st lieutenant in the 2d artillery, Continental army, Jan. 1, 1777, and participated in the battle of Princeton, Jan. 31, 1777, and in other engagements in New Jersey. He was married, June 5, 1777, to Susan-nah, daughter of Isaac and Hannah Arnett; she died, April 13, 1846. He resigned his commission, Jan. 3, 1779, and at the request of General Knox established the New Jersey Journal in Chatham, which he devoted to the cause of the patriots. He removed to New York city in 1783, and established the New York Gazetteer, at first published weekly and then three times a week. He also engaged in printing and book publishing, and issued the first New York directory, compiled by David Franks. He removed to Elizabethtown, N.J., in 1788, where he revived the New Jersey Journal, of which he was 'editor and proprietor until 1818. He was judge of the court of common pleas of New Jersey for thirty-five years and postmaster of Elizabethtown, N.J., 1520-29. He was member of the Society of the Cincinnati. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., July 28, 1839.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor