Thomas Clayton

Thomas Clayton

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = Thomas Clayton
honorific-suffix =


imagesize =
small

office = U. S. Senator from Delaware
term_start = January 9 1837
term_end = March 3 1847
predecessor = John M. Clayton
successor = Presley Spruance
office2 = Chief Justice of Delaware
term_start2 = January 18 1832
term_end2 = January 9 1837
predecessor2 = Samuel M. Harrington
successor2 = John M. Clayton
office3 = U. S. Senator from Delaware
term_start3 = January 8 1824
term_end3 = March 3 1827
predecessor3 = Caesar A. Rodney [this seat was vacant from January 29 1823 until January 8, 1824.]
successor3 = Louis McLane
office4 = U. S. Representative from Delaware
1st "at-large"
term_start4 = March 4 1815
term_end4 = March 3 1817
predecessor4 = Henry M. Ridgely
successor4 = Louis McLane
birth_date = July 1777
birth_place = Cecil County, Maryland
death_date = death date and age|1854|8|21|1777|7|1
death_place = New Castle, Delaware
spouse = Jennette Macomb
party = Federalist
Whig
residence = Dover, Delaware
alma_mater = Newark Academy
occupation =
profession = lawyer
religion = Presbyterian

Thomas Clayton (July 1777 – August 21 1854) was an American lawyer and politician from Dover in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist Party and later the Whig Party. He served in the Delaware General Assembly, and as Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, U. S. Representative from Delaware, and U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Early life and family

Clayton was born July 1777 at Massey in Kent County, Maryland, son of the former Governor of Delaware, Dr. Joshua Clayton, and Rachael McCleary Clayton. It is said he was born while his mother was fleeing invading British troops on the way from their Elk River landing to the Battle of Brandywine. While the Clayton’s were natives of Kent County, Rachael McCleary was the niece and adopted daughter of Richard Bassett, the aristocratic heir to the expansive Bohemia Manor estates. The family lived at Bohemia Manor and through this connection, Joshua Clayton later acquired his homestead from these estates, in Pencader Hundred, New Castle County.

Thomas Clayton graduated from the Newark Academy, now the University of Delaware, in Newark, Delaware, studied law under Nicholas Ridgely in Dover, Delaware, and began a law practice there in 1799. His wife's name was Jennette Macomb, they had four children, and belonged to the Presbyterian Church. He was the cousin of U.S. Senator John M. Clayton.

Political career

While pursuing his practice of the law, Clayton began his public career as the clerk of the Delaware House of Representatives in 1800. He then served as a member of that body for 8 years, between the 1803 session and the 1814 session. He was elected to the Delaware Senate for the 1808 session, but resigned to become the Delaware Secretary of State, for 2 years. Subsequently, he was appointed the Attorney General of Delaware, and served in that office from 1810 until 1815.

In 1814 Clayton was elected as a Federalist to one of two at-large seats Delaware had in the U.S. House of Representatives, and served one term there, from March 4 1815 until March 3 1817. While he was in Congress, it was proposed that the compensation given U.S. Representatives be increased $6 a day to $1,500 a year. Clayton supported the change, but it became very controversial, and his support of it caused him to lose the nomination of the Federalist Party to Louis McLane, beginning a long rivalry between the two men.

Clayton narrowly failed in an attempt to return to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1818 election, but was returned to the Delaware Senate again in 1821. Then, when Caesar A. Rodney resigned as U.S. Senator from Delaware, the General Assembly elected him to serve out the term, from January 8 1824 to March 3 1827. This was the time when the old party system of Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans was giving way to the Jacksonian Democrats, and those opposed to Jackson. Clayton, his family, and much of the old Federalist following in Delaware, aligned themselves with John Quincy Adams, and those who would later become Whigs.

After his term in the U.S. Senate ended, Clayton was appointed Chief Justice of the Delaware Court of Common Pleas in 1828. This court ceased to exist with the new Delaware Constitution of 1831, and Clayton was appointed Chief Justice of the new Delaware Superior Court in 1832. In 1833, Chief Justice Clayton became one of the initial trustees of Newark College in Newark, Delaware, which would later become the University of Delaware.

In 1837, Clayton's cousin, U.S. Senator John M. Clayton, resigned his office. Thomas Clayton was once again elected to the U.S. Senate to finish the term. After it ended, he was reelected in 1841 and served from January 9 1837 to March 3 1847. During this second period of service in the Senate, Clayton was at various times the Chairman of the Committee on Printing and a member of the Committee of Revolutionary Claims.

Death and legacy

Clayton died August 21 1854 at his retirement home in New Castle, Delaware and is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Dover, Delaware.

"A handsome man with polished manners, he was a stickler for dignity, decorum and punctuality at court session, and once ordered himself fined $10 for being 10 minutes late in appearing in court." [cite book |last = Wilson |first = W. Emerson |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 1969 |title = Forgotten Heroes of Delaware |publisher = Deltos Publishing Company |location = Cambridge, MA |id =]

Thomas Scharf comments: “Chief Justice Clayton was profoundly versed in the principles of the law. He had a marvelous skill in perceiving the vital points of a case, largely due to his almost intuitive grasp of fundamental principles. He was prompt in deciding the merits of an issue and felicitous in the precision with which he formulated facts and conclusions. His words were few but masterly in force and point. Judge Clayton was eminently impartial in his judicial capacity. Neither distinction of the person nor relationships swayed his judgments. With respect to the lawyers at the bar, he made no difference in the administration of rules between the eminent John M. Clayton and his own son who was a practitioner at the same bar. He meted out to all the same even-handed justice, and required of all the same respectful regard for the law and for decorum.” [ *cite book |title = History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols. |last = Scharf |first = John Thomas |]

Public service summary

Elections were held the first Tuesday of October. Members of the General Assembly took office on the first Tuesday of January. State Senators had a three year term and State Representatives had a one year term. The Secretary of State and Attorney General were appointed by the Governor and took office on the third Tuesday of January for a five year term. U.S. Representatives were popularly elected for a two year term, and the General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, for a six year term. Both took office the following March 4th.

{|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
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 Senator
Legislature
Dover
1807
January 5 1808
January 19 1808
resigned
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Secretary of State
Executive
Dover|
January 19 1808
January 16 1810|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Attorney General
Executive
Dover|
January 16 1810
January 17 1815

-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1810
January 1 1811
January 7 1812|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1812
January 5 1813
January 4 1814|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Representative
Legislature
Dover
1813
January 4 1814
January 3 1815|
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
U.S. Representative
Legislature
Washington
1814
March 4 1815
March 3 1817|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State Senator
Legislature
Dover|
January 3 1821
January 6 1824|
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
U.S. Senator
Legislature
Washington|
January 8 1824
March 3 1827
[ He was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Caesar A. Rodney in the preceding Congress. There was a vacancy in this class from January 29 1823 until January 8 1824.]
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Court of Common Pleas
Judiciary
Dover|
February 8 1828
January 18 1832
Chief Justice
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Superior Court
Judiciary
Dover|
January 18 1832
January 9 1837
Chief Justice
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
U.S. Senator
Legislature
Washington

January 9 1837
March 3 1841
[ He was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John M. Clayton.]
-Party shading/Anti-Masonic
U.S. Senator
Legislature
Washington|
March 4 1841
March 3 1847|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly service [ Clayton was Attorney General of Delaware during the 1811, 1813 and 1814 General Assembly sessions, and while there was no prohibition to holding both offices, there were many Claytons in Kent County, and it seems a reasonable possibility that the person in the General Assembly may have been another relative with the same name. ]
-! Dates! Congress! Chamber! Majority! Governor! Committees! Class/District
-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 Senate
Federalist
George Truitt|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1811
35th
State House
Federalist
Joseph Haslet|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1813
37th
State House
Federalist
Joseph Haslet|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1814
38th
State House
Federalist
Daniel Rodney|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1821
45th
State Senate
Federalist
John Collins|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1822
46th
State Senate
Federalist
John Collins
Caleb Rodney|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Democratic-Republican
1823
47th
State Senate
Democratic-Republican
Joseph Haslet
Charles Thomas|
Kent "at-large"
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |U.S. Congressional Service
-! Dates! Congress! Chamber! Majority! President! Committees! Class/District
-Party shading/Democratic-Republican
1815-1817
14th
House
Republican
James Madison|
1st "at-large"
-Party shading/Democratic-Republican
1823-1825
18th
Senate
Republican
James Monroe|
class 1
-Party shading/National Republican
1825-1827
19th
Senate
National Republican
John Quincy Adams|
class 1
-Party shading/Democratic
1835-1837
24th
Senate
Democratic
Andrew Jackson|
class 2
-Party shading/Democratic
1837-1839
25th
Senate
Democratic
Martin Van Buren|
class 2
-Party shading/Democratic
1839-1841
26th
Senate
Democratic
Martin Van Buren|
class 2
-Party shading/Whig
1841-1843
27th
Senate
Whig
William H. Harrison
John Tyler
Printing
class 2
-Party shading/Democratic
1843-1845
28th
Senate
Whig
John Tyler|
class 2
-Party shading/Democratic
1845-1847
29th
Senate
Democratic
James K. Polk
Revolutionary Claims
class 2
###@@@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!%
-
1814
U.S. Representative|
Party shading/Federalist |Thomas Clayton
Thomas Cooper
Party shading/Federalist |Federalist
Party shading/Federalist |3,964
3,960
Party shading/Federalist |30%
30%|
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Willard Hall
George Read, II
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Democratic-Republican
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |2,547
2,545
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |20%
20%
-
1818
U.S. Representative|
Party shading/Federalist |Thomas Clayton
Louis McLane
Party shading/Federalist |Federalist
Party shading/Federalist |2,902
3,098
Party shading/Federalist |25%
26%|
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Willard Hall
George Read, II
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |Democratic-Republican
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |3,007
2,818
Party shading/Democratic-Republican |25%
24%
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Notes

References

*cite book |title = History of the State of Delaware, 3 vols. |last = Conrad |first = Henry C. |coauthors = |work = |publisher = Wickersham Company |location = Lancaster, Pennsylvania |year = 1908 |id =
*cite book |title = Delawareans in Congress |last = Martin |first = Roger A. |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 2003 |publisher = Roger A. Martin |location = Middletown, DE |id = ISBN 0-924117-26-5
*cite book |title = Memoirs of the Senate |last = Martin |first = Roger A. |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 1995 |publisher = Roger A. Martin |location = Newark, DE |id =
*cite book |title = Federalist Delaware 1775-1815 |last = Munroe |first = John A. |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 1954 |publisher = Rutgers University |location = New Brunswick, New Jersey |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 = Forgotten Heroes of Delaware |last = Wilson |first = W. Emerson |authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 1969 |publisher = Deltos Publishing Company |location = Cambridge, MA |id =

External links

*CongBio|C000499
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/clayton.html#R9M0ISSDP Thomas Clayton at the "Political Graveyard"]
*Find A Grave|id=7504148
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/sentbio.htm#clayton1 Thomas Clayton at "Delaware’s Senators"]

Places with more information

* [http://www.hsd.org/ Historical Society of Delaware] , 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware (302) 655-7161
* [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library] , 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 831-2965


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