State Web Site

JACOB STOUT, Delaware's 13th governor, was born in 1764, near Leipsic, Delaware. He managed a large tannery and was involved in various agricultural dealings. Stout entered politics as a member of the Delaware House of Representatives, an office he held from 1812 to 1813. He also served in the Delaware Senate from 1815 to 1819, serving as president of the senate in 1819. On November 11, 1819, Governor-elect Henry Molleston passed away, and Stout, who was president of the senate at the time, assumed the duties of the governor's office. He served in this capacity for one year. During his tenure, the impending Missouri Compromise became a nationwide issue, and the Delaware legislature became embroiled in a debate of whether Missouri should be a free or slave state. In 1821 Stout left the governor's office, and the following year he was appointed to serve on the bench of the Common Pleas Court. He also served as president of the Smyrna Bank from 1844 to 1847. Governor Jacob Stout died in November 1857, and is buried at the Presbyterian Cemetery in Dover, Delaware.

Sources:

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 1, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

Delaware Governors Page

Historic Woodburn: Home of Delaware's Governor