Stukely Stafford Ellsworth, Sr., (September 26, 1769March 31, 1837) was an American politician from

New York state New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

. He served two terms in the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

, representing Otsego County, and later served in the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

Biography

Stukeley Ellsworth was born September 26, 1769, in

West Greenwich, Rhode Island West Greenwich is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 6,528 at the 2020 census. West Greenwich was named for the historic town of Greenwich, Kent, England. It was separated from East Greenwich in 1741. Stu ...

. He was raised and lived most of his life in

Otsego County, New York Otsego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,524. The county seat is Cooperstown. The county's population center is Oneonta. The name ''Otsego'' is from a Mohawk or Oneida word m ...

, living first at the town of Laurens, then Hartwick. He was a justice of the peace and town supervisor before being elected to the

in 1817 and 1820. He served in the 41st and 44th legislative sessions. In 1824, he was elected to a four-year term in the

. He was injured in a stage coach accident during one of his trips to the Senate, and never fully recovered from the injury. He died suddenly while chopping wood at his home on March 31, 1837.

Personal life and family

Stukeley Ellsworth was the 11th child of Judiah Aylworth, who served in the

Rhode Island General Assembly The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Se ...

in 1776. Stukeley's mother was Judiah's second wife, Rosanna (' Edwards), she had previously been the widow of Stukeley Stafford, who became his namesake. Judiah Aylworth was a grandson of Arthur Aylsworth, an English settler who emigrated to the

Rhode Island Colony The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was an English colony on the eastern coast of America, founded in 1636 by Puritan minister Roger Williams after his exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It became a haven for religious ...

in 1681. Stukeley Ellsworth married Mercy Harrington in 1795. They had eight children. Two of their sons also served in elected office—

Waterman Ellsworth Waterman may refer to: People * Waterman (occupation), a river worker who transferred passengers across and along the city centre rivers in Britain * The Chesapeake Bay term for commercial fishermen, particularly those who seek oysters and the blu ...

served in the

representing Chautauqua County in

1839 Events January–March * January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre. * January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years. * January 9 – ...

, and Orlando Ellsworth served in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

, representing Milwaukee County in

1858 Events January–March * January 9 ** Revolt of Rajab Ali: British forces finally defeat Rajab Ali Khan of Chittagong. ** Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, commits suicide. * January 14 – Orsini affair: Pi ...

. Stukeley's grandson via his son Orlando was Eugene Stafford Ellsworth, the namesake of

Ellsworth Community College Ellsworth Community College is a public community college in Iowa Falls, Iowa. It was founded as Ellsworth College in 1890 by Eugene S. Ellsworth. Originally a private business academy, it later became a four-year college, a music conservator ...

in Iowa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellsworth, Stukely 1769 births 1837 deaths Politicians from Kent County, Rhode Island People from Hartwick, New York New York (state) state senators Members of the New York State Assembly New York (state) Democratic-Republicans 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature