Lucius Witham Stockton was born 26 May 1771, the third child of Rev. Philip and Catherine (Cumming) Stockton of Princeton. After studying law with his cousin Richard Stockton, Lucius was admitted as an attorney in 1793. In 1795, Stockton married Eliza Augusta Coxe of Sydney, NJ, by whom he had four children. The family settled in Flemington, NJ, where Lucius served — from at least 1795 to 1805 — as a captain in the cavalry squadron (also called light horse or dragoons) of the Hunterdon Militia. During part of this time (1800-1801), he was acting squadron commander as the result of the arrest of Major Richard Kroesen. From 1805 to 1809, Stockton also served as Hunterdon County Clerk. Capt. Stockton's death is reported to have occurred in 1808. At that time he was apparently living in Sussex County,where his estate was inventoried on 26 October 1811. Among the personal property listed in the inventory was "an old portfolio containing copies & blank paper" — possibly a reference to these papers. Administration of Stockton's estate was granted to John Johnson, Sussex County Clerk. Whether it was Clerk Johnson's intention or not, Capt. Stockton's Hunterdon cavalry papers were ultimately filed with other county clerk's papers relating to the Sussex Militia.
