Gunning Bedford, Sr.

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = Gunning Bedford, Sr.
honorific-suffix =

---

imagesize =
small

office = Governor of Delaware
term_start = January 19 1796
term_end = September 28 1797
predecessor = Joshua Clayton
successor = Daniel Rogers
birth_date = birth date|1742|4|7|mf=y
birth_place = New Castle County, Delaware
death_date = death date and age|1797|9|28|1742|4|7
death_place = New Castle, Delaware
spouse = Mary Read
party = Federalist
residence = New Castle, Delaware
alma_mater =
occupation =
profession = lawyer
religion = Episcopalian

Gunning Bedford, Sr. (April 7 1742 – September 28 1797) was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and a member of the Federalist Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware. He is often confused with his cousin, Gunning Bedford, Jr., who was a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Early life and family

Bedford was born April 7 1742 on a farm in New Castle Hundred, near the town of New Castle, the son of William & Catherine Jacquett Bedford. William Bedford was the grandson of another William Bedford who came to Delaware from Virginia around 1680, and who himself was the grandson of an English immigrant to Jamestown, Virginia in 1621. Gunning Bedford was educated at the Academy of Pennsylvania and married Mary Read, the sister of George Read in 1769. They had no children. They lived at 6 The Strand in New Castle and were members of Immanuel Episcopal Church. He began his career as a merchant at New Castle, but later studied law, and was admitted to the Bar in 1779.

Military career

Bedford was a lieutenant of the New Castle County militia in the French and Indian War. In 1776 he was commissioned a Lieutenant Colonel in the 1st Delaware Regiment of the Continental Army, under Colonel John Haslet. On June 18 1776, he was appointed muster-master-general. Although Haslet and Bedford were away that day attending a court martial, the Delaware Regiment distinguished itself at the Battle of Long Island. It did so again at the Battle of White Plains, where Bedford was wounded. With the expiration of his enlistment, perhaps nursing his wound, Bedford returned home.

Political career

Bedford was elected to four terms in the House of Assembly beginning with the 1783/84 session and serving through the 1786/87 session. He was elected a delegate to the U.S. Congress under the Articles of Confederation in 1786/87, but resigned shortly afterwards on January 15 1787. He then was elected to a term on the Legislative Council beginning with the 1788/89 session. In October 1795 he was the Federalist candidate for Governor, defeating Dr. Archibald Alexander, a retired army surgeon. He served as Governor from January 19 1796 until his death on September 28 1797.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly
"(sessions while Governor)"
-!Year!Assembly!!Senate Majority!Speaker!!House Majority!Speaker
-
1796
20th|
Party shading/Federalist |Federalist
Party shading/Federalist |Daniel Rogers|
Party shading/Federalist |Federalist
Party shading/Federalist |Stephen Lewis
-
1797
21st|
Party shading/Federalist |Federalist
Party shading/Federalist |Daniel Rogers|
Party shading/Federalist |Federalist
Party shading/Federalist |Stephen Lewis
-
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Death and legacy

Bedford died September 28 1797 at New Castle, Delaware and was buried at the Immanuel Episcopal Church Cemetery, New Castle. He was the second Governor of Delaware to die in office.

Almanac

Elections were held October 1st and members of the General Assembly took office on October 20th, or the following weekday. Legislative Councilmen had a three year term and Assemblymen had a one year term.

Beginning in 1792, elections were moved to the first Tuesday of October and members of the General Assembly took office on the first Tuesday of January. Also in 1792 the Legislative Council was renamed the State Senate and the House of Assembly, the State House. The State President became the Governor, was popularly elected, and took office the third Tuesday in January.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" | Public Offices
-! Office! Type! Location! Elected! Took Office! Left Office! notes
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1783
October 20 1783
October 20 1784|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1784
October 20 1784
October 20 1785|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1785
October 20 1785
October 21 1786|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1786
October 20 1786
October 21 1787|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Councilman
Legislature
Dover
1788
October 20 1789
October 26 1792|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Governor
Executive
Dover
1795
January 19 1796
September 28 1797|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly "service"
-! Dates! Assembly! Chamber! Majority! Governor! Committees! District
-Party shading/Federalist
1783/84
8th
State House
"non-partisan"
Nicholas Van Dyke|
New Castle "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1784/85
9th
State House
"non-partisan"
Nicholas Van Dyke|
New Castle "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1785/86
10th
State House
"non-partisan"
Nicholas Van Dyke|
New Castle "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1786/87
11th
State House
"non-partisan"
Thomas Collins|
New Castle "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1788/89
13th
State Council
"non-partisan"
Thomas Collins|
New Castle "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1790/91
14th
State Council
"non-partisan"
Joshua Clayton|
New Castle "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1791/92
15th
State Council
"non-partisan"
Joshua Clayton|
New Castle "at-large"
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
-!Year!Office!!Subject!Party!Votes!%!!Opponent!Party!Votes!%
-
1795
Governor|
Party shading/Federalist |Gunning Bedford, Sr.
Party shading/Federalist |Federalist
Party shading/Federalist |2,352
Party shading/Federalist |52%|
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Archibald Alexander
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Democratic-Republican
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |2,142
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |48%
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

References

*cite book |title = History of the State of Delaware |last= Conrad |first= Henry C. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Wickersham Company |location= Lancaster, Pennsylvania |pages= |year= 1908 |id=
*cite book |title = History of Delaware Through its Governors |last= Martin |first= Roger A. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= McClafferty Press |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 1984 |id=
*cite book |title = Memoirs of the Senate |last = Martin |first = Roger A. |coauthors = |work = |publisher = Roger A. Martin |location = Newark, Delaware |year = 1995 |id =
*cite book |title = Federalist Delaware 1775-1815 |last = Munroe |first = John A. |coauthors = |work= |publisher = Rutgers University |location = New Brunswick, New Jersey |pages = |year = 1954 |id=
*cite book |title = History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols |last = Scharf |first = John Thomas |coauthors = |work = |publisher = L. J. Richards & Co |location = Philadelphia |year = 1888 |id =
*cite book |title = Delaware Continentals, 1776-1783 |last = Ward |first = Christopher L. |coauthors = |work = |publisher = Historical Society of Delaware |location = Wilmington, DE |year = 1941 |id = ISBN 0-924117-21-4
*cite book |title = Forgotten Heroes of Delaware |last= Wilson |first= Emerson. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Deltos Publishing Company |location= Cambridge, Massachusetts |pages= |year= 1969 |id=

External links

* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=7aca224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Gunning Bedford, Sr. biography at the "Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States"]
*CongBio|B000299
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bedelle-beebe.html#RCD1ET7DN Gunning Bedford, Sr. at the "Political Graveyard"]
*Find A Grave|id=7423702
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov1.htm#bedford Gunning Bedford, Sr. at "Delaware’s Governors"]
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/bedsrbio.htm Gunning Bedford, Sr. biography by Russell Pickett]

Places with more information

* [http://www.hsd.org/ Historical Society of Delaware] , 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware [phone]
* [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library] , 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware [phone]