Thomas Stone
| Founding Fathers | |
|---|---|
| |
| Thomas Stone | |
| State | New Hampshire |
| Religion | Christian- Episcopalean* |
| Founding Documents | Declaration of Independence |
Thomas Stone (b. 1743; d. October 5, 1787 ) is an American Founding Father. He was a lawyer, a prosperous land owner, and he was a member of the committee that framed the Articles of Confederation. Thomas Stone was a delegate of Maryland in the Continental Congress that signed the Declaration of Independence.
Early life
Thomas Stone was born at Poynton Manor in Charles County, Maryland, the son of David and Elizabeth Jenifer Stone. At age fifteen, he would ride horseback 10 miles to his schooling. He would pursue a law degree and worked for Thomas Johnson, a respectable lawyer in Annapolis. He was admitted to the Bar in 1764 and set up practice in Frederick Maryland.[1] At the age of twenty-five, Stone purchased 400 acres of land and built a magnificent plantation home for his wife Margaret Brown, called "Habre-de-Venture" now a national historical site. Margaret and Thomas had three children.
His uncle, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer was a framer of the United States Constitution.[2]
Politics
Thomas Stone was elected to the Continental Congress in 1774, taking his seat in 1775. He participated in the Annapolis Convention and later voted for independence. After signing the Declaration of Independence, he working diligently in committee until the Articles of Confederation were finally settled and agreed to by the vote of November 15, 1777. Stone was reelected to Congress again in 1783 and served as chairman, but retired at the end of his term. He was elected to attend the Constitutional Convention in 1787, but declined the office because of his wife's failing health. His wife died that same year.
Death
After Stone's wife passed away, he decided to travel to England. Stone was very close with his wife and it is believed that he suffered from severe depression due to a broken heart.[3] Before his ship would embark, Thomas died at the age of forty-four years old in Alexandria.[4] Not many records exist for Thomas Stone and his religious beliefs are believed to have been Anglican.
References
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