77th Delaware General Assembly explained

Body:Delaware General Assembly
Before:76th
After:78th

The 77th Delaware General Assembly was a meeting of the legislative branch of the state government, consisting of the Delaware Senate and the Delaware House of Representatives. Elections were held the first Tuesday after November 1 and terms began in Dover on the first Tuesday in January. This date was January 2, 1873, which was two weeks before the beginning of the third administrative year of Governor James Ponder.

Currently the distribution of the Senate Assembly seats was made to three senators for each of the three counties. Likewise the current distribution of the House Assembly seats was made to seven representatives for each of the three counties. The actual population changes of the county did not directly affect the number of senators or representatives at this time.

In the 77th Delaware General Assembly session both chambers had a Democratic majority.

Leadership

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

Senate

Senators were normally elected by the public for a four-year term; although many were selected to fill the remainder of a vacant position.

New Castle County

  • Allen V. Lesley
  • Leander F. Riddle
  • Leonard G. Vandegrift

Kent County

  • John Mustard
  • William M. Shakespeare
  • Curtis S. Watson

Sussex County

  • Martin M. Ellis
  • Thomas E. Records
  • Charles C. Stockley

House of Representatives

Representatives were elected by the public for a two-year term.

New Castle County

  • Theodore F. Clark
  • D. Brainard Ferris
  • Joseph C. Hutchinson
  • Joshua Maris
  • William Silver
  • Joel Thompson, Jr.
  • Lewis Thompson

Kent County

  • Joseph Burchenal
  • William B. Clough
  • William Sheldrake
  • John Van Gaskin
  • John C. Wilson
  • Robert B. Wright
  • John C. Wilson

Sussex County

  • George M. Davis
  • John Hickman
  • David H. Holland
  • Edward Jones
  • Hugh Martin
  • Jesse B. Stevenson
  • James T. Thompson

References

Places with more information

website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965