Henry Molleston

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = Henry Molleston, III
honorific-suffix =

---

imagesize =
small

office = Governor of Delaware
term_start = died before
term_end = taking office
predecessor =
successor =
birth_date = birth date|1762|1|1|mf=y
birth_place = Kent County, Delaware
death_date = death date and age|1819|11|11|1762|1|1
death_place = Dover, Delaware
spouse = Mary (Molly) Combe
party = Federalist
residence = Dover, Delaware
alma_mater =
occupation =
profession = physician
religion = Methodist

Dr. Henry Molleston, III (January 1 1762 – November 11 1819) was an American physician and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist, who served in the Delaware General Assembly, and was elected Governor of Delaware, but died before taking office.

Early life and family

Molleston was born January 1 1762, in Mispillion Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, near Thompsonville. He was the son of Henry and Sarah Manlove Molleston. His ancestor, Alexander Mollestine, was probably Dutch, and was an early settler of Lewes, Delaware. His grandfather, Henry, was a member of the Colonial Assembly in 1687. Henry III was the brother of Jemima Ann, the wife of Colonel John Haslet, and uncle of Dr. William G. Molleston, surgeon in the Delaware Regiment and member of the State House. He married Mary (Molly) Combe in 1793 and they had three known children: Elizabeth, Jemima Ann, and a son. They were members of the Methodist Church.

Molleston was a physician, but was also a miller and was known to have had two mills on Isaac's Branch of the St. Jones River. He was also a Trustee of Union Academy in Camden. In 1800 it is believed he lived at "Passey" or "Cooper's Corner, where State Street crosses U.S. Highway 13.

Political career

Molleston was a member of the convention that wrote and approved the Delaware Constitution of 1792. In 1799 he was elected to the State House and served from the 1800 session through the 1808 session. After serving as State Treasurer from 1808 until 1813, he was elected again to the State House for the 1814 session and then to the State Senate where he served from the 1815 session through the 1819 session. He was Speaker of the State Senate from the 1817 session through the 1819 session.

In 1819 he was elected Governor of Delaware by defeating Manaen Bull of Laurel, the Democratic-Republican candidate, but died shortly after the election and before taking office. His death precipitated something of a political crisis, as this situation was not anticipated in the constitution. The agreed upon solution was for the newly elected State Senate to elect a Speaker, Jacob Stout, and for the incumbent Governor, John Clark to resign before the end of his term, so the newly elected Speaker could succeed to the office. It was also agreed that Stout would serve only one year as Governor before a special election was held.

Death and legacy

Molleston died November 11 1819 at his home in Dover, Delaware. His burial location is unknown. Possibilities include the property where his home was located, the old Whatcoat Cemetery in Camden, or the old Banning Chapel Cemetery on the Dover-Magnolia Road.

No known portrait of Henry Molleston exists.

Almanac

Elections were held the first Tuesday of October. Members of the Delaware General Assembly took office the first Tuesday of January. State Senators had a three year term and State Representatives had a one year term. The Governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and had a three year term.

{|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
Delegate
Convention
Dover
1791
November 1792
June 12 1792
State Constitution
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1799
January 7 1800
January 6 1801|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1800
January 6 1801
January 5 1802|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1801
January 5 1802
January 4 1803|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1802
January 4 1803
January 3 1804|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1803
January 3 1804
January 1 1805|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1804
January 1 1805
January 7 1806|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1805
January 7 1806
January 6 1807|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1806
January 6 1807
January 5 1808|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1807
January 5 1808
February 1808|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Treasurer
Executive
Dover|
February 1808
1813|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1813
January 4 1814
January 3 1815|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Senator
Legislature
Dover
1814
January 3 1815
January 6 1818|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Senator
Legislature
Dover
1817
January 6 1818
November 11 1819|
###@@@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
1800
24th
State House
Federalist
Richard Bassett|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1801
25th
State House
Federalist
Richard Bassett|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1802
26th
State House
Federalist
David Hall|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1803
27th
State House
Federalist
David Hall|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1804
28th
State House
Federalist
David Hall|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1805
29th
State House
Federalist
Nathaniel Mitchell|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1806
30th
State House
Federalist
Nathaniel Mitchell|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1807
31st
State House
Federalist
Nathaniel Mitchell|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1808
32nd
State House
Federalist
George Truitt|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1814
38th
State House
Federalist
Daniel Rodney|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1815
39th
State Senate
Federalist
Daniel Rodney|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1816
40th
State Senate
Federalist
Daniel Rodney|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1817
41st
State Senate
Federalist
John Clark
Speaker
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1818
42nd
State Senate
Federalist
John Clark
Speaker
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1819
43rd
State Senate
Federalist
John Clark
Speaker
Kent "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!%
-
1819
Governor|
Party shading/Federalist |Henry Molleston
Party shading/Federalist |Federalist
Party shading/Federalist |3,823
Party shading/Federalist |55%|
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Manaen Bull
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Democratic-Republican
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |3,185
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |45%
###@@@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= A 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 |pages= |year= 1995 |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 |pages= |year= 1888 |id= ISBN 0-87413-493-5

External links

* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=1fda224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Henry Molleston at the "Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States"]
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov2.htm#molles Henry Molleston at "Delaware’s Governors"]

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]