Willard Saulsbury Sr.: Difference between revisions

Willard Saulsbury Sr.
Willard Saulsbury Sr.
Chancellor of Delaware
	In office; November 14, 1873 – April 6, 1892
Preceded by	Daniel M. Bates
Succeeded by	James L. Wolcott
United States Senator; from Delaware
	In office; March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1871
Preceded by	Martin W. Bates
Succeeded by	Eli Saulsbury
10th Attorney General of Delaware
	In office; 1850–1855
Governor	William Tharp; William H. H. Ross
Preceded by	Edward W. Gilpin
Succeeded by	George P. Fisher
Personal details
Born	June 2, 1820; Kent County, Delaware
Died	April 6, 1892 (aged 71); Dover, Delaware
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Annie Ponder
Relations	Eli Saulsbury (brother); Gove Saulsbury (brother)
Children	3, including Willard Jr.
Residence	Georgetown, Delaware
Alma mater	Delaware College
Profession	Lawyer

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Willard Saulsbury Sr. (June 2, 1820 – April 6, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician from Georgetown, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as Attorney General of Delaware, U.S. Senator from Delaware and Chancellor of Court of Chancery of Delaware.

Early life and family

Saulsbury was born in Mispillion Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, son of William & Margaret Ann Smith Saulsbury. He was a younger brother of Governor Gove Saulsbury and U.S. Senator Eli Saulsbury. He married Annie Ponder, sister of Governor James Ponder, and they had three children, John Ponder, Margaret, and Willard Jr. They were members of the Episcopal Church. Saulsbury was educated at Dickinson College and Delaware College, which is now the University of Delaware, studied law, was admitted to the Delaware Bar, and began his practice in Georgetown, Delaware. He was a slaveholder.^[1]

Political career

Saulsbury was the Delaware Attorney General from 1850 until 1855, and was elected to the United States Senate in 1858, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Martin W. Bates. Saulsbury was reelected in 1864, but was defeated for a third term in 1870 by his older brother, Eli Saulsbury. He served two full terms from March 4, 1859, to March 4, 1871. He then continued his law practice and served as Chancellor of Delaware from 1873 until his death in 1892.

In 1863, Saulsbury was a vehement critic of President Abraham Lincoln's administration. Opposing the war in general and the suspension of habeas corpus specifically, Saulsbury attempted to prevent a vote sustaining that controversial executive order. Apparently intoxicated, Saulsbury verbally attacked the President on the Senate floor in what John Hay described as "language fit only for a drunken fishwife". Senator Saulsbury called Lincoln "an imbecile" and stated that the President was "the weakest man ever placed in a high office". When Vice President Hannibal Hamlin called Saulsbury to order, the Senator refused to take his seat. Finally, the Senate's sergeant-at-arms approached to remove Saulsbury from the Senate floor when the Senator suddenly brandished a revolver, placed it against the sergeant's head and said, "Damn you, if you touch me I'll shoot you dead!" Eventually, Saulsbury was calmed and removed from the Senate floor.^[2]

Death and legacy

Saulsbury died at Dover and is buried there in the Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery. His son Willard Saulsbury Jr. was also a U.S. Senator.

Almanac

The General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, who took office March 4 for a six-year term.

Public offices
Office	Type	Location	Began office	Ended office	Notes
Attorney General	Executive	Dover	1850	1855	Delaware
U.S. Senator	Legislature	Washington	March 4, 1859	March 3, 1865
U.S. Senator	Legislature	Washington	March 4, 1865	March 3, 1871
Chancellor	Judiciary	Dover	November 14, 1873	April 6, 1892	State Chancery Court

United States congressional service
Dates	Congress	Chamber	Majority	President	Committees	Class/District
1859–1861	36th	U.S. Senate	Democratic	James Buchanan		class 2
1861–1863	37th	U.S. Senate	Republican	Abraham Lincoln		class 2
1863–1865	38th	U.S. Senate	Republican	Abraham Lincoln		class 2
1865–1867	39th	U.S. Senate	Republican	Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson		class 2
1867–1869	40th	U.S. Senate	Republican	Andrew Johnson		class 2
1869–1871	41st	U.S. Senate	Republican	Ulysses S. Grant		class 2

References

^ Weil, Julie Zauzmer; Blanco, Adrian; Dominguez, Leo. "More than 1,800 congressmen once enslaved Black people. This is who they were, and how they shaped the nation". Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
^ "The Battle of Three Brothers". Senate Historical Office. January 17, 1871. Retrieved November 10, 2012.)

Hoffecker, Carol E. (2004). Democracy in Delaware. Cedar Tree Books, Wilmington. ISBN 1-892142-23-6.
Munroe, John A. (1993). History of Delaware. University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-493-5.
Scharf, John Thomas (1888). History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols. Philadelphia: L. J. Richards & Co. ISBN 0-87413-493-5.
Conrad, Henry C. (1908). History of the State of Delaware, 3 vols. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Wickersham Company.

Images

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

External links

Places with more information

Delaware Historical Society; website Archived 1996-12-31 at the Wayback Machine; 505 Market St, Wilmington, Delaware; (302) 655-7161.
University of Delaware; Library website; 181 South College Ave, Newark, Delaware; (302) 831-2965.

Legal offices
Preceded by Edward W. Gilpin	Attorney General of Delaware 1850–1855	Succeeded by George P. Fisher
U.S. Senate
Preceded by Martin W. Bates	U.S. senator (Class 2) from Delaware March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1871 Served alongside: James A. Bayard Jr., George R. Riddle, James A. Bayard Jr., Thomas F. Bayard	Succeeded by Eli Saulsbury

[1] Weil, Julie Zauzmer; Blanco, Adrian; Dominguez, Leo. "More than 1,800 congressmen once enslaved Black people. This is who they were, and how they shaped the nation". Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2023.

[2] "The Battle of Three Brothers". Senate Historical Office. January 17, 1871. Retrieved November 10, 2012.)

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American politician}}
-{{Infobox Officeholder
+{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
-| honorific-prefix    =
+{{Infobox officeholder
-| name                = Willard Saulsbury, Sr.
-| honorific-suffix    =
+| honorific-prefix =
-| image               = Willard Saulsbury, Sr. - Brady-Handy.jpg
+| name             = Willard Saulsbury Sr.
+| honorific-suffix =
-| imagesize           =
+| image            = Willard Saulsbury, Sr. - Brady-Handy.jpg
-| smallimage
-| office              = [[Delaware Court of Chancery|Chancellor of Delaware]]
+| imagesize        =
+| smallimage       =
+| office           = [[Delaware Court of Chancery|Chancellor of Delaware]]
-| term_start          = November 14, 1873
+| term_start       = November 14, 1873
-| term_end            = April 6, 1892
+| term_end         = April 6, 1892
-| predecessor         = Daniel M. Bates
+| predecessor      = Daniel M. Bates
-| successor           = James L. Wolcott
+| successor        = James L. Wolcott
-| office2             = [[United States Senate|United States Senator]]<br/>from [[Delaware]]
+| office2          = [[United States Senate|United States Senator]]<br/>from [[Delaware]]
-| term_start2         = March 4, 1859
+| term_start2      = March 4, 1859
-| term_end2           = March 3, 1871
+| term_end2        = March 3, 1871
-| predecessor2        = [[Martin W. Bates]]
+| predecessor2     = [[Martin W. Bates]]
-| successor2          = [[Eli M. Saulsbury]]
+| successor2       = [[Eli Saulsbury]]
-| birth_date          = {{birth date|1820|6|2|mf=y}}
+| office3          = 10th [[Attorney General of Delaware]]
+| term_start3      = 1850
-| birth_place         = [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]], [[Delaware]]
+| term_end3        = 1855
-| death_date          = {{death date and age|1892|4|6|1820|6|2}}
-| death_place         = [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]], [[Delaware]]
+| governor3        = [[William Tharp]]<br>[[William H. H. Ross]]
-| spouse              = Annie Ponder
+| preceded3        = [[Edward W. Gilpin]]
-| children            =
+| succeeded3       = [[George P. Fisher]]
+| birth_date       = {{birth date|1820|6|2}}
-| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
-| residence           = [[Georgetown, Delaware|Georgetown]], [[Delaware]]
+| birth_place      = [[Kent County, Delaware]]
+| death_date       = {{death date and age|1892|4|6|1820|6|2}}
-| alma_mater          = [[University of Delaware|Delaware College]]
-| occupation          =
+| death_place      = [[Dover, Delaware]]
-| profession          = lawyer
+| spouse           = Annie Ponder
+| children         = 3, including [[Willard Saulsbury Jr.|Willard Jr.]]
-| religion            = [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopalian]]
+| relations        = [[Eli Saulsbury]] (brother)<br />[[Gove Saulsbury]] (brother)
+| party            = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
+| residence        = [[Georgetown, Delaware]]
+| alma_mater       = [[University of Delaware|Delaware College]]
+| occupation       =
+| profession       = Lawyer
 }}
-'''Willard Saulsbury, Sr.''' (June 2, 1820 &ndash; April 6, 1892) was a lawyer and politician from Georgetown, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as Attorney General of Delaware, U.S. Senator from Delaware and Chancellor of Delaware.
+'''Willard Saulsbury Sr.''' (June 2, 1820 – April 6, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician from [[Georgetown, Delaware]]. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as [[Attorney General of Delaware]], U.S. Senator from Delaware and Chancellor of Court of Chancery of Delaware.
 ==Early life and family==
-Saulsbury was born in Mispillion Hundred, [[Kent County, Delaware]], son of William & Margaret Ann Smith Saulsbury. He was a younger brother of Governor [[Gove Saulsbury]] and U.S. Senator Eli M. Saulsbury. He married Annie Ponder, sister of Governor [[James Ponder]], and they had three children, John Ponder, Margaret, and [[Willard Saulsbury, Jr.|Willard Jr.]]. They were members of the Episcopal Church. Saulsbury was educated at [[Dickinson College]] and Delaware College, which is now the [[University of Delaware]], studied law, was admitted to the Delaware Bar, and began his practice in Georgetown, Delaware.
+Saulsbury was born in Mispillion Hundred, [[Kent County, Delaware]], son of William & Margaret Ann Smith Saulsbury. He was a younger brother of Governor [[Gove Saulsbury]] and U.S. Senator [[Eli Saulsbury]]. He married Annie Ponder, sister of Governor [[James Ponder]], and they had three children, John Ponder, Margaret, and [[Willard Saulsbury Jr.|Willard Jr.]] They were members of the Episcopal Church. Saulsbury was educated at [[Dickinson College]] and Delaware College, which is now the [[University of Delaware]], studied law, was admitted to the Delaware Bar, and began his practice in Georgetown, Delaware. He was a [[Slavery in the United States|slaveholder]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Weil |first1=Julie Zauzmer |last2=Blanco |first2=Adrian |last3=Dominguez |first3=Leo |title=More than 1,800 congressmen once enslaved Black people. This is who they were, and how they shaped the nation. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/interactive/2022/congress-slaveowners-names-list/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}} </ref>
 ==Political career==
-Saulsbury was the [[Delaware Attorney General]] from 1850 until 1855, and was elected to the United States Senate in 1858, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Martin W. Bates. Saulsbury was reelected in 1864, but was defeated for a third term in 1870 by his older brother, [[Eli M. Saulsbury]]. He served two full terms from March 4, 1859, to March 4, 1871. He then continued his law practice and served as Chancellor of Delaware from 1873 until his death in 1892.
+Saulsbury was the [[Delaware Attorney General]] from 1850 until 1855, and was elected to the United States Senate in 1858, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Martin W. Bates. Saulsbury was reelected in 1864, but was defeated for a third term in 1870 by his older brother, Eli Saulsbury. He served two full terms from March 4, 1859, to March 4, 1871. He then continued his law practice and served as Chancellor of Delaware from 1873 until his death in 1892.
-In 1863, Saulsbury was a vehement critic of President Abraham Lincoln's administration.  Opposing the war in general and the suspension of habeas corpus specifically, Saulsbury attempted to prevent a vote sustaining that controversial executive order.  Apparently intoxicated, Saulsbury verbally attacked the President on the Senate floor in what [[John Hay]] described as "language fit only for a drunken fishwife".  Senator Saulsbury called Lincoln "an imbecile" and stated that the President was "the weakest man ever placed in a high office".  When Vice President [[Hannibal Hamlin]] called Saulsbury to order, the Senator refused to take his seat.  Finally, the Senate's sergeant-at-arms approached to remove Saulsbury from the Senate floor when the Senator suddenly brandished a revolver, placed it against the sergeant's head and said, "Damn you, if you touch me I'll shoot you dead!"  Eventually, Saulsbury was calmed and removed from the Senate floor.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Senate Historical Office|date= January 17, 1871|title= The Battle of Three Brothers|url= http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_battle_of_three_brothers.htm|accessdate= November 10, 2012}})</ref>
+In 1863, Saulsbury was a vehement critic of President Abraham Lincoln's administration. Opposing the war in general and the suspension of habeas corpus specifically, Saulsbury attempted to prevent a vote sustaining that controversial executive order. Apparently intoxicated, Saulsbury verbally attacked the President on the Senate floor in what [[John Hay]] described as "language fit only for a drunken fishwife". Senator Saulsbury called Lincoln "an imbecile" and stated that the President was "the weakest man ever placed in a high office". When Vice President [[Hannibal Hamlin]] called Saulsbury to order, the Senator refused to take his seat. Finally, the Senate's sergeant-at-arms approached to remove Saulsbury from the Senate floor when the Senator suddenly brandished a revolver, placed it against the sergeant's head and said, "Damn you, if you touch me I'll shoot you dead!" Eventually, Saulsbury was calmed and removed from the Senate floor.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Senate Historical Office |date=January 17, 1871 |title=The Battle of Three Brothers |url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_battle_of_three_brothers.htm |access-date=November 10, 2012}})</ref>
 ==Death and legacy==
-Saulsbury died at Dover and is buried there in the Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery. His son, [[Willard Saulsbury, Jr.]] was also a U.S. Senator.
+Saulsbury died at Dover and is buried there in the Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery. His son [[Willard Saulsbury Jr.]] was also a U.S. Senator.
 ==Almanac==
 The General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, who took office March 4 for a six-year term.
-<br/>
 {|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
 |-bgcolor=#cccccc
-!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
+!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public offices
 |-
 ! '''Office'''
@@ Line 56: / Line 63: @@
 ! '''Began office'''
 ! '''Ended office'''
-! '''notes'''
+! '''Notes'''
 |-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
 |[[Delaware Attorney General|Attorney General]]
 |[[Executive (government)|Executive]]
 |[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
 |1850
@@ Line 66: / Line 73: @@
 |-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
 |[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]
 |[[Legislature]]
 |[[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]
 |March 4, 1859
@@ Line 73: / Line 80: @@
 |-{{Party shading/Anti-Masonic}}
 |[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]
 |[[Legislature]]
 |[[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]
 |March 4, 1865
@@ Line 80: / Line 87: @@
 |-{{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
 |[[Delaware Court of Chancery|Chancellor]]
 |[[Judiciary]]
 |[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]]
 |November 14, 1873
@@ Line 89: / Line 96: @@
 {|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
 |-bgcolor=#cccccc
-!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |United States Congressional service
+!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |United States congressional service
 |-
 ! '''Dates'''
@@ Line 152: / Line 159: @@
 *{{cite book |author=Hoffecker, Carol E. |title=Democracy in Delaware |publisher=Cedar Tree Books, Wilmington |year=2004 |isbn=1-892142-23-6 }}
 *{{cite book |author=Munroe, John A. |title=History of Delaware |publisher=University of Delaware Press |year=1993 |isbn=0-87413-493-5 }}
-*{{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 |isbn= 0-87413-493-5}}
+*{{cite book |title=History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols. |last=Scharf |first=John Thomas |publisher=L. J. Richards & Co. |location=Philadelphia |year=1888 |isbn=0-87413-493-5}}
-*{{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=History of the State of Delaware, 3 vols. |last=Conrad |first=Henry C. |publisher=Wickersham Company |location=Lancaster, Pennsylvania |year=1908 }}
 ==Images==
@@ Line 161: / Line 168: @@
 *[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000074 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]
 *[http://www.russpickett.com/history/sentbio.htm#sauls1 Delaware’s Members of Congress]
+*{{Find a Grave|4362}}
-*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=4362 Find a Grave]
-*[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/sarig-saunder.html#R9M0JBUYL  The Political Graveyard]
+*[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/sarig-saunder.html#R9M0JBUYL The Political Graveyard]
 ==Places with more information==
-*[[Delaware Historical Society]]; [http://www.hsd.org/ website]; 505 Market St, Wilmington, Delaware; (302) 655-7161
+*[[Delaware Historical Society]]; [http://www.hsd.org/ website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961231010053/http://hsd.org/ |date=1996-12-31 }}; 505 Market St, Wilmington, Delaware; (302) 655-7161.
-*[[University of Delaware]]; [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ Library website]; 181 South College Ave, Newark, Delaware; (302) 831-2965
+*[[University of Delaware]]; [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ Library website]; 181 South College Ave, Newark, Delaware; (302) 831-2965.
 {{s-start}}
+{{s-legal}}
+{{succession box | title=[[Attorney General of Delaware]] | before=[[Edward W. Gilpin]] | after=[[George P. Fisher]]
+| years= 1850–1855 }}
 {{s-par|us-sen}}
-{{U.S. Senator box
+{{US Senator succession box
 |state=Delaware|class=2
 |before=[[Martin W. Bates]]
-|years=March 4, 1859 &ndash; March 3, 1871
+|years=March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1871
-|alongside=[[James A. Bayard, Jr.]], [[George R. Riddle]], [[James A. Bayard, Jr.]], [[Thomas F. Bayard]]
+|alongside=[[James A. Bayard Jr.]], [[George R. Riddle]], [[James A. Bayard Jr.]], [[Thomas F. Bayard]]
-|after=[[Eli M. Saulsbury]]}}
+|after=[[Eli Saulsbury]]}}
 {{s-end}}
-{{US Senators from Delaware|state=autocollapse}}
+{{United States senators from Delaware|state=autocollapse}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Government of Delaware}}
-{{Persondata
-| NAME              =Saulsbury, Willard Sr.
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American politician
-| DATE OF BIRTH     =June 2, 1820
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =[[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]], [[Delaware]]
-| DATE OF DEATH     =April 6, 1892
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =[[Dover, Delaware|Dover]], [[Delaware]]
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Saulsbury, Willard Sr.}}
 [[Category:1820 births]]
 [[Category:1893 deaths]]
 [[Category:19th-century American Episcopalians]]
-[[Category:People from Sussex County, Delaware]]
+[[Category:People from Georgetown, Delaware]]
 [[Category:People of Delaware in the American Civil War]]
 [[Category:University of Delaware alumni]]
@@ Line 200: / Line 201: @@
 [[Category:Delaware lawyers]]
 [[Category:Delaware Democrats]]
-[[Category:Delaware Attorneys General]]
+[[Category:Delaware attorneys general]]
-[[Category:United States Senators from Delaware]]
+[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Delaware]]
 [[Category:Chancellors of Delaware]]
 [[Category:Burials in Dover, Delaware]]
-[[Category:Democratic Party United States Senators]]
+[[Category:Saulsbury family]]
+[[Category:19th-century American judges]]
+[[Category:19th-century American lawyers]]
+[[Category:United States senators who owned slaves]]
+[[Category:19th-century United States senators]]

v t e United States senators from Delaware
Class 1	Read Latimer White Horsey C. A. Rodney T. Clayton McLane Naudain R. Bayard J. M. Clayton Wales J. Bayard Jr. Riddle J. Bayard Jr. T. Bayard Sr. Gray Ball H. du Pont Wolcott T. C. du Pont T. Bayard Jr. Townsend Tunnell Williams Roth Carper Blunt Rochester
Class 2	Bassett Vining J. Clayton Wells J. Bayard Sr. Wells Van Dyke D. Rodney Ridgely J. M. Clayton T. Clayton Spruance J. M. Clayton Comegys Bates W. Saulsbury Sr. E. Saulsbury Higgins Kenney Allee Richardson W. Saulsbury Jr. Ball T. C. du Pont Hastings Hughes Buck Frear Boggs Biden Kaufman Coons

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