Stockton, William S

Stockton, William S.

one of the founders of the Methodist Protestant Church, an editor and constant contributor to its press, was born at Burlington, N.J., April 8, 1785. From a youth he developed a taste for good reading that never left him. In 1820 his first book was published, entitled Truth Versus a Wesleyan Methodist. In 1821 he published Seven Nights, aimed against the use of ardent spirits as a beverage. He became identified with the periodical known as The Wesleyan Repository, and was one of the first to agitate with his pen the subject of lay representation. He assisted in the publication of the first American edition of Wesley's works, wrote the article on the "Methodist Protestant Church" in Hay's edition of Buck's Theological Dictionary, contributed to the secular press as an editorial writer, and also wrote for Methodist periodicals. One of his most important literary undertakings' wag the publication of Whitehead's Lives of John and Charles Wesley. He was a distinguished philanthropist, and as such was well known in the city of Philadelphia. In 1860 he removed to Burlington, the place of his birth, and died there, November 20 of that year. See Colhouer, Founders of the M.E. Church, page 48.