John M. Vining

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = John M. Vining
honorific-suffix =


imagesize =
small

office = U. S. Senator from Delaware
term_start = March 4 1793
term_end = January 19 1798
predecessor = Richard Bassett
successor = Joshua Clayton
office2 = U. S. Representative from Delaware
term_start2 = March 4 1789
term_end2 = March 3 1793
predecessor2 = new office
successor2 = John Patten
office3 = Continental Congressman
from Delaware
term_start3 = April 8 1784
term_end3 = October 27 1786
predecessor3 = James Tilton
successor3 = Nathaniel Mitchell
birth_date = birth date|1758|12|23|mf=y
birth_place = Dover Delaware
death_date = death date and age|1802|2|1|1758|12|23
death_place = Wilmington Delaware
spouse = Anna Maria Seaton
party = Federalist
residence = Dover Delaware
alma_mater =
occupation =
profession = lawyer
religion = Episcopalian

John Middleton "Jack" Vining (December 23 1758 – February 1802) was an American lawyer and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a Continental Congressman from Delaware, and a member of the Federalist Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Early life and family

Vining was born in Dover, Delaware on December 23 1758, son of John and Phoebe Wynkoop Vining. His father was a prominent and successful lawyer and landholder, who had been a Speaker of the Colonial Assembly and Chief Justice of Delaware. He was also the good friend of Caesar Rodney, who stood as godfather for his son John, the subject of this article. Vining's father died when his son was eleven years old, and from him John and his sister inherited a large fortune. On November 29 1790, while he was a U.S. Representative in New York, he married Anna Maria Seaton, a poet, musician, and daughter of William Seaton of New York. She fit well into Vining's social swirl. They had four sons, John, William, Benjamin, and Charles, but she died prematurely in 1800.

Political career

Vining studied law under George Read in New Castle Delaware, and was admitted to the Bar in 1782, starting a practice in Dover. Because of his family's wealth and prominence he was elected three times to represent Delaware in the Continental Congress. First elected April 8 1784, he served until October 27 1786, although, like many of his contemporaries, his attendance was irregular. He was then elected to the 1787/88 and 1788/89 sessions of the Delaware House of Assembly.

In a special election on January 7 1789, Vining defeated four other candidates to win election as Delaware's only delegate to the First U.S. House of Representatives. Two years later he was re-elected to a second term. Although he arrived weeks late for every session, he was an energetic and conscientious legislator, consistently voting in support of the administration, particularly favoring a strong executive. He served on thirty-eight committees in the 1st U.S. House, including the committee considering the first proposed amendments to the Constitution, and the joint committee on rules.

Vining's positions were generally loose-constructionist, or Hamiltonian. Accordingly, he strongly favored the federal assumption of the state's Revolutionary war debts. In the debate over the location of a national capital, he sought consideration for Wilmington, Delaware, but once that lost, supported an immediate move to Philadelphia, and the later construction of a city on the Potomac River.

In 1793 he returned to Dover, Delaware as a State Senator, but was soon elected to the U.S. Senate. He served there for five years, from March 4 1793 until his resignation on January 19 1798, and subsequent retirement from public life.

Death and legacy

Vining died February 1802 at Wilmington, Delaware and is buried in an unmarked grave in the Christ Episcopal Church cemetery in Dover, Delaware.

Vining was a handsome, friendly, and outspoken member of a prominent and wealthy family. He was described as a "colorful," speaker who "brandished a florid metaphor," but also as "verbose" and "not above resorting to inflammatory language." His sister, Mary, who was a frequent companion of Anthony Wayne, lived with Vining, and together they entertained frequently and lavishly. Because of this hospitality and generosity he was known as "the pet of Delaware." But he spent through his fortune and suffering from alcoholism, and the death of his wife, went through a rapid decline on the way to an impoverished and premature death. His sister dedicated herself raising Vining's four sons, but they died young as well, within a year of her death in 1821.

Elizabeth Montgomery in her "Reminiscences in Wilmington" wrote: "His brilliant talents, not nourished by application, withered in the bud. Indolence and generosity engendered extravagance that wasted his substance." [cite book |last = Montgomery |first = Elizabeth |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = |title = Reminiscences in Wilmington |publisher = by Roger A. Martin |location = in "Delawareans in Congress" |id = ]

Almanac

Elections were held October 1st. Members of the General Assembly took office on October 20th, or the following weekday. State Assemblymen had a one year term and Legislative Councilmen had a three year term. Members of the U.S. House took office March 4th for a two year term. The General Assembly chose the Continental Congressmen for a one year term and the U.S. Senators, who took office March 4, and had a six year term.

After 1792 elections were moved to the first Tuesday of October and members of the General Assembly took office on the first Tuesday of January. The Legislative Council was renamed the State Senate, and the House of Assembly was renamed the State House.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=8 style="background: #ccccff;" | Public Offices
-! Office! Type! Location! Elected! Took Office! Left Office! notes
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
Continental Congressman
Legislature
Annapolis
April 8 1784
April 8 1784
June 3 1784
never served
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
Continental Congressman
Legislature
Trenton
October 26 1784
November 1 1784
December 24 1784|
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
Continental Congressman
Legislature
New York
October 26 1784
January 11 1785
November 4 1785|
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
Continental Congressman
Legislature
New York
November 4 1785
November 7 1785
October 27 1786|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Assemblymen
Legislature
Dover
1787
October 20 1787
October 20 1788|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Assemblymen
Legislature
Dover
1788
October 20 1788
October 20 1789

-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
U.S. Representative
Legislature
New York|
March 4 1789
March 3 1791

-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
U.S. Representative
Legislature
Philadelphia
1790
March 4 1791
March 3 1793|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Senator
Legislature
Dover
1792
January 1 1793
January 7 1794|
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
U.S. Senator
Legislature
Philadelphia|
March 4 1793
January 19 1798

-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1798
January 3 1799
January 3 1800|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Senator
Legislature
Dover
1799
January 3 1800
February 1802
died in office
###@@@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
1787/88
12th
State House
"non-partisan"
Thomas Collins|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1788/89
13th
State House
"non-partisan"
Thomas Collins|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1793
17th
State Senate
Federalist
Joshua Clayton|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1799
23rd
State House
Federalist
Richard Bassett|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1800
24th
State Senate
Federalist
Richard Bassett|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1801
25th
State Senate
Federalist
Richard Bassett|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1802
26th
State Senate
Federalist
David Hall|
Kent "at-large"
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=8 style="background: #ccccff;" |United States Congressional "service"
-! Dates! Congress! Chamber! Majority! President! Committees! Class/District! Notes
-Party shading/Federalist
1789-1791
1st
U.S. House
Pro-Administration
George Washington|
"at-large"|
-Party shading/Federalist
1791-1793
2nd
U.S. House
Pro-Administration
George Washington|
"at-large"|
-Party shading/Federalist
1793-1795
3rd
U.S. Senate
Pro-Administration
George Washington|
class 2

-Party shading/Federalist
1795-1797
4th
U.S. Senate
Federalist
George Washington|
class 2 |
-Party shading/Federalist
1797-1799
5th
U.S. Senate
Federalist
John Adams|
class 2
[resigned January 19 1798]
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=13 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
-!Year!Office!!Subject!Party!Votes!%!!Opponent!Party!Votes!%!notes
-
1788
U.S. Representative|
Party shading/Federalist |John Vining
Party shading/Federalist |"non-partisan"
Party shading/Federalist |898
Party shading/Federalist |44%|
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Rhoads Shankland
Party shading/Democratic-Republican | "non-partisan"
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |491
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |24%
[This was a special election held January 7 1789.] [Other candidates were Gunning Bedford, Jr. received 308 votes, Joshua Clayton received 272 votes, and Allen McLane received 90 votes.]
-
1790
U.S. Representative|
Party shading/Federalist |John Vining
Party shading/Federalist |"non-partisan"
Party shading/Federalist |252
Party shading/Federalist |50%|
Party shading/Federalist |Joshua Clayton
Party shading/Federalist |"non-partisan"
Party shading/Federalist |145
Party shading/Federalist |29%
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Vining family

*Captain Benjamin Vining (1685-1735), port collector in Salem and Marblehead Massachusetts
**Married first, Ann
**Married second, Mary Middleton. She married secondly Nicholas Greenberry Ridgely (1674-1755), and were parents of Dr. Charles Greenberry Ridgely
***John Vining (1724-1770), married Phoebe Wynkoop [Roger Martin in "Delawareans in Congress," names the wife of John Vining, Sr. as Rachel Ridgely.]
****Mary "Polly" Vining (1756-1821)
****"John Middleton Vining" (1758-1802), married Anna Maria Seaton
*****John Vining (1791-1817), U.S. Navy
*****William Henry Vining (1794-1822), lawyer
*****Benjamin Vining (c1796-1822) U.S. Army
*****Charles Ridgely Vining (1798-1821)
***Mary "Polly" Vining (c1730-), married the Rev. Charles Inglis
***Benjamin Vining (c1730-1785)

Notes

References

*cite book |last = Martin |first = Roger A. |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 1995 |title = Memoirs of the Senate |publisher = Roger A. Martin |location = Newark |id =
*cite book |last = Martin |first = Roger A. |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 2003 |title = Delawareans in Congress: The House of Representatives, Vol. One 1789-1900 |publisher = Roger A. Martin |location = Newark |id = ISBN 0-924117-26-5
*cite book |last = Munroe |first = John A. |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 2004 |title = The Philadelawareans |publisher = University of Delaware Press |location = Newark |id = ISBN 0-87413-872-8
*cite book |last = Munroe |first = John A. |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 1954 |title = Federalist Delaware 1775-1815 |publisher = Rutgers University |location = New Brunswick |id =
*cite book |last = Wilson |first = W. Emerson |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 1969 |title = Forgotten Heroes of Delaware |publisher = Deltos Publishing Company |location = Cambridge, MA |id =

=

*cite book |last = Martin |first = Roger A. |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 2003 |title = Delawareans in Congress: The House of Representatives, Vol. One 1789-1900 "Portrait courtesy of the Delaware Public Archives."
*CongBio|V000104

External links

*CongBio|V000104
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/vincente-vliet.html#R9M0JG7G7 John Vining at the "Political Graveyard"]
*Find A Grave|id=7367716
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/sentbio.htm#vining John Vining at "Delaware’s Senators" ]
* [http://adh.sc.edu/fx/fcvin.xm Documentary History of the First Federal Congress ]

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]