Thomas Stone

Thomas Stone was born in 1743 at Pointon Manor in Charles County, Maryland to David Stone. David Stone was a descendant of William Stone, governor of Maryland during the protectorate of Oliver Crromwell. (http://www.colonialhall.com/stone/stone.php)

Thomas Stone's youth was distinguished by a fondness for learning and academics. At fifteen years of age his father granted Stone reluctant permission to attend a school run by a Mr. Blaizedel, a Scotchma. Stone attended this school in order to study the Greek and Latin languages. This school was ten miles away from his father's home. But every morning, Stone arose early enough every morning to travel this distance on horseback, and enter the school at the usual hour.

After leaving Mr. Blaizedel, Stone decided to study law. Stone became the protege of Thomas Johnson, a lawyer from Annapolis. After finishing his preparatory studies, Stone began to practive law in Fredericktown, Maryland. After living there for two years, Stone moved back to Charles County.

At twenty-eight years of age, he married the daughter of Dr. Gustavus Brown. For the dowry, he recieved 1000 pounds sterling. Stone used this money to purchase a farm which he still lived on by the time of the Revolutionary War.

Stone was known for his 'incorruptible integrity'. Unlike many men of his times, he never carried on an affair with another woman, so was he devoted to his wife.

Stone was somewhat of a professor of religion known for his distinguished piety. To strangers, he appeared stiff and formal, but to friends, he was cheerful, and familiar.

In the year 1774, Stone entered public life as a member of Congress. He was elected in December of that year, and took his seat the following May. For several consecutive years, Stone was re-elected to that same position.

In 1776, Stone was sent from Maryland to sign the Declaration of Independence. This was to the British king treason, a crime punishable by being hanged, then drawn and quartered. Very shortly thereafter, Stone was sent to a committee charged with drawing up the Articles of Confederation.

Stone declined being re-appointed to that committee, but instead reemerged as a member of the Maryland legislature. In 1783, Stone was again elected to Congress. In 1784, Stone acted as the president pro tempore. That year, Stone finally retired from Congress and returned to his law practice.

In 1787, Mrs. Stone became gravely ill. She was for an extended period of time extremely debilitated as a result of recievin the smallpox by innoculation. Stone watched over her with uninterrupted devotion. Unfortunately, she passed away.

Following afterward, Stone's health began to continually decline. In the autumn of that same year, his doctors advised him to take a sea trip. Stone took the advice, but shortly before the vessel was ready to sail, on October 5, 1787, Stone died at forty-five years old.

Stone left one son and two daughters. In 1793, the son died while pursuing law. As of 1856, one of his daughters was reputably alive and married in Virginia.