Charles C. Stratton

For the little person of the same name, see General Tom Thumb.

Charles Creighton Stratton
15th Governor of New Jersey
In office 1845–1848
Preceded by	Daniel Haines
Succeeded by	Daniel Haines
Personal details
Born	March 6, 1796(1796-03-06) Swedesboro
Died	March 30, 1859(1859-03-30) (aged 63) Swedesboro
Political party	Whig
Spouse(s)	Sarah Taggart
Religion	Episcopalian

Charles Creighton Stratton (March 6, 1796 – March 30, 1859) was a politician from New Jersey, who served in the United States House of Representatives and was later the 15th Governor of New Jersey.

Biography

He was born, and died, in Swedesboro, in Gloucester County, New Jersey. He is interred at Trinity Church Cemetery in Swedesboro.^[1]

He graduated from Rutgers College in 1814, and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly in 1821, 1823, and again in 1829. He was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-fifth United States Congress (1837–1839); presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Twenty-sixth Congress, but the House declined to seat him ; reelected to the Twenty-seventh United States Congress (1841–1843). He chose not to run again in 1842. Stratton served as a member of the 1844 Constitutional convention (political meeting) that created a revised New Jersey State Constitution.^[2]

The new 1844 New Jersey State Constitution provided for direct election of a Governor for a single three-year term. Stratton ran on the Whig ticket, and campaigned on a platform opposing the powerful railroad interests of the state. The Democratic candidate was Pennsylvania-born John R. Thomson, who was a stockholder in the railroad and a vigorous advocate of internal improvements.^[3]

Stratton won, and served as Governor from January 21, 1845, to January 17, 1848. After his term he resumed agricultural pursuits. He married Sarah Taggart of Philadelphia in 1854. Because of ill health, he resided in Europe in 1857 and 1858.

Although he had no children, he had two notable nephews. Benjamin Franklin Howey was a Republican member of the Forty-eighth United States Congress (1883–1885) from the 4th Congressional District. Another nephew, Thomas Preston Carpenter, served as an Associate Justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court.

References

1. ^ Find-A-Grave info for Charles C. Stratton
2. ^ Charles Creighton Stratton biography, United States Congress. Accessed July 29, 2007.
3. ^ HarpWeek | American Political Prints 1766–1876 | Medium Image

External links

• Charles C. Stratton at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Biographical information of Charles C. Stratton, New Jersey State Library – document is damaged as of July 6, 2006.
• New Jersey Governor Charles Creighton Stratton, National Governors Association

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Philemon Dickerson, Samuel Fowler, Thomas Lee, James Parker, Ferdinand Schureman Schenck, William Norton Shinn, and William Chetwood on a General ticket	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's At-large congressional district alongside John Bancker Aycrigg, William Halstead, John Patterson Bryan Maxwell, Joseph Fitz Randolph, and Thomas Jones Yorke on a General ticket March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839	Succeeded by Joseph Fitz Randolph, William Raworth Cooper, Philemon Dickerson, Joseph Kille, Daniel Bailey Ryall, and Peter Dumont Vroom on a General ticket
Preceded by Joseph Fitz Randolph, William Raworth Cooper, Philemon Dickerson, Joseph Kille, Daniel Bailey Ryall, and Peter Dumont Vroom on a General ticket	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's At-large congressional district alongside John Bancker Aycrigg, William Halstead, John Patterson Bryan Maxwell, Joseph Fitz Randolph, and Thomas Jones Yorke on a General ticket March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843	Succeeded by Lucius Q.C. Elmer, George Sykes, Isaac G. Farlee, Littleton Kirkpatrick, William Wright in separate districts
Political offices
Preceded by Daniel Haines	Governor of New Jersey January 21, 1845 – January 18, 1848	Succeeded by Daniel Haines

Persondata
Name	Stratton, Charles C.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 6, 1796
Place of birth	Swedesboro
Date of death	March 30, 1859
Place of death	Swedesboro