Joseph Maull (September 6, 1781 – May 3, 1846) was an American physician and politician from Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, and a member of the Federalist Party, then later the Whig Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware.

Joseph Maull
34th Governor of Delaware
In office
March 2, 1846 – May 3, 1846
Preceded byThomas Stockton
Succeeded byWilliam Temple
Member of the Delaware House of Representatives
In office
January 7, 1817 – January 6, 1824
January 2, 1827 – January 5, 1830
January 1, 1839 – March 2, 1846
Personal details
Born(1781-09-06)September 6, 1781
Lewes, Delaware
DiedMay 3, 1846(1846-05-03) (aged 64)
Lewes, Delaware
Political partyFederalist
Whig
Spouse(s)Penelope Shields
Sarah Davis Watson
ResidenceMilton, Delaware
ProfessionPhysician

Early life and family

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Maull was born at Pilottown, near Lewes, Delaware, son of John and Mary Marsh Maull. His father was a shipwright who ran arms from the West Indies during the American Revolution. He died, so the story goes, when a ship's mast fell on him. During the American Revolution, Joseph Maull had an uncle, Nathaniel, who piloted ships for the American Committee of Safety, and another, James, who scouted the Delaware Bay for the British. Maull, himself, served in the 3rd Brigade of Delaware Militia, defending Lewes during the War of 1812.

Maull studied medicine under Dr. John Wolfe of Lewes and spent the rest of his life as a practicing physician from his home in Milton, Delaware. He married Penelope Shields in 1802 and they had two children, Susan and George. After her death, he married Sarah Davis Watson in 1820, and they had no children. They were members of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Lewes.

Political career

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Maull served in the state senate for 21 years, from the 1816 session through the 1824 session, again from the 1827 session through the 1830 session and finally from the 1839–40 session through the 1845–46 session. As he was Speaker during the last session, he became Governor of Delaware upon the death of Governor Thomas Stockton on March 2, 1846, serving until his own death on May 3, 1846. He was the seventh Governor of Delaware to die in office. Maull began his career as a Federalist, and joined the Whig Party with the party realignment of the 1830s. When he was governor he was opposed to the foreign policy of U.S. President James K. Polk, including the annexation of Texas.

Death and legacy

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Maull died at Lewes[citation needed] and is buried there at the St. Peter's Episcopal Churchyard.

The Maull House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, with a boundary increase in 1978.[1]

Almanac

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Elections were held the first Tuesday in October and members of the Delaware General Assembly took office on the first Tuesday of January. State senators had a three-year term. Since 1831, elections have been held on the first Tuesday after November 1 and state senators have had a four-year term. The governor takes office the third Tuesday in January, and has a four-year term.

Delaware General Assembly
(sessions while Governor)
Year Assembly Senate majority Speaker House majority Speaker
1845–1846 63rd Whig Joseph Maull Whig William Temple
Public offices
Office Type Location Began office Ended office Notes
State Senator Legislature Dover January 7, 1817 January 6, 1818
State Senator Legislature Dover January 6, 1818 January 2, 1821
State Senator Legislature Dover January 2, 1821 January 6, 1824
State Senator Legislature Dover January 2, 1827 January 5, 1830
Delegate Convention Dover November 1831 December 2, 1831 State Constitution
State Senator Legislature Dover January 1, 1839 January 3, 1843
State Senator Legislature Dover January 3, 1843 March 2, 1846
Governor Executive Dover March 2, 1846 May 3, 1846 Acting
Delaware General Assembly service
Dates Assembly Chamber Majority Governor Committees District
1817 41st State Senate Federalist John Clark Sussex at-large
1818 42nd State Senate Federalist John Clark Sussex at-large
1819 43rd State Senate Federalist John Clark Sussex at-large
1820 44th State Senate Federalist Jacob Stout Sussex at-large
1821 45th State Senate Federalist John Collins Sussex at-large
1822 46th State Senate Federalist John Collins Sussex at-large
1823 47th State Senate Democratic-Republican Joseph Haslet Sussex at-large
1828 52nd State Senate Federalist Charles Polk Jr. Sussex at-large
1829 53rd State Senate National Republican Charles Polk Jr. Sussex at-large
1839–1840 60th State Senate Whig Cornelius P. Comegys Sussex at-large
1841–1842 61st State Senate Whig William B. Cooper Sussex at-large
1843–1844 62nd State Senate Whig William B. Cooper Sussex at-large
1845–1846 63rd State Senate Whig Thomas Stockton Speaker Sussex at-large

References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  • Conrad, Henry C. (1908). History of the State of Delaware, 3 vols. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Wickersham Company.
  • Martin, Roger A. (1984). A History of Delaware Through its Governors. Wilmington, Delaware: McClafferty Press.
  • Martin, Roger A. (1995). Memoirs of the Senate. Newark, Delaware: Roger A. Martin.
  • Scharf, John Thomas (1888). History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols. Philadelphia: L. J. Richards & Co.

Images

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Places with more information

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Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Delaware
1846
Succeeded by