Cornelius P. Comegys

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cornelius P. Comegys

Cornelius Parsons Comegys (born January 15, 1780 in Kent County , Maryland , † January 27, 1851 in Dover , Delaware ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Delaware from 1837 to 1841 .

Early years and political advancement

Cornelius Comegys attended public schools in Baltimore . Around 1800 he came to Delaware, where he worked as a farmer. During the British-American War of 1812 he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the militia of his state.

Between 1809 and 1811 Comegys was Kent County's tax officer. He was then from 1811 to 1817 a member of the House of Representatives from Delaware, whose president he became. Between 1829 and 1830 he was to become a member of this chamber again and from 1818 to 1834 he was State Treasurer of Delaware. After the reorganization of the party landscape in the United States around 1830, Comegys became a member of the Whig Party , as its candidate he was elected governor of his state in 1836. With 52 percent he prevailed against Nehemiah Clark, the Democratic candidate .

Delaware Governor

Comegys began his four-year term on January 17, 1837. During his tenure, the governor worked on reforming the judiciary, which, however, met with strong domestic opposition. He also promoted the further expansion of the school system and infrastructure. In 1840 he could not be directly re-elected due to a constitutional clause. Therefore, he resigned on January 17, 1841 from his office.

After the end of his governorship, Comegys withdrew from politics and devoted himself to his private affairs. Cornelius Comegys died in January 1851. He was married twice and had a total of eleven children. His son Benjamin later became president of the National Bank in Philadelphia, and another son, Joseph , was a US Senator and later Chief Justice in Delaware from 1856 to 1857 .

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 1, Meckler Books, Westport 1978, 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Comegys, Cornelius P.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Comegys, Cornelius Parsons (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH January 15, 1780
PLACE OF BIRTH Kent County , Maryland
DATE OF DEATH January 27, 1851
Place of death Dover , Delaware