NJ, USA
Annis Stockton Buries Family Papers at Morven
December 1, 1776
As British forces advanced on Princeton in late November and early December 1776, Annis Boudinot Stockton took action to preserve the family's papers and valuables. With her husband Richard Stockton having already fled and been captured, Annis gathered the family's legal documents, correspondence, and other important papers and buried them in the garden at Morven before fleeing with her children. The British subsequently occupied Morven and destroyed much of the house's contents. Annis's foresight in burying the papers saved documents that would otherwise have been lost. Her action represents the largely untold story of women who protected their families' legacies while men were at war or in captivity.
People Involved
Wife of Richard Stockton and accomplished poet who buried the family's papers and valuables before British forces arrived at their estate, Morven. Her wartime poetry celebrated American independence and mourned its costs.
Princeton lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence who was captured by the British in late 1776 and imprisoned under harsh conditions. Stockton signed a loyalty oath to secure his release, a decision that haunted his reputation.