Milford chronicle., 1938-11-18
Many attended
WOLcOtt Rites
At Dover Sunday
CONTINUED from rirs. ssssl

tary W. d. Wilds of Kenton; Kent
Prothonotary Marion Stevens, Kent
County Receiver of Taxes John J.
Hand of Smyrna; former Judge VIII
liam H. BOyce, Miss Sybil Ward,
Wilmington attorney; D. Mifflin Will
son, of Dover. and Reuben Satterth-
waite of Wilmington.
Accompanying their husbands
were Mrs. Richard S. Rodney, Mrs,
Daniel J. Layton, Mrs. Hugh NJ.
Morris, and Mrs. Caleb S. Layton,
among others.
Chancellor WolcOtt was stricken
at his home after he had returned
from fox hunting. He summoned DR..
Joseph S. Mcdaniel. his personal
physician, and complained of a pain
in the chest.
DR.. Mcdaniel hurried across the
street to the Kent General Hospital
to obtain restoratives and upon his
return he found the chancellor had
died.
The chancellor had been in health
and had sat with Judge w. Watson
Harrington in Superior Court in
Kent county last Thursday to can
vass the vote of Tuesdays election.
Judge Harrington had hunted with
Chancellor Wolcott Friday morning.
He said later that the chancellor
had complained of being tired and
had gone home after several hours
of hunting.
When news of the chancellOr's
death reached Superior Court in
Wilmington. a five minute recess
was taken in the canvassing of the
New Castle county vote.
Chief Justice Daniel J. Layton an
nounced that only the constitutional
provision necessitating continuing of
the canvass prevented immediate ad-
journment of the court in respect to
the chancellor.
Daniel F. WOlcott, son of the
chancellor. was in court. when noti-
fed of his fathers death. He left
Immediately for Dover.
Chief Justice Layton lauded Chan
cellor Wolcott as the States most
distinguished jurist." He said the
chancellor was "a great chancellor.
combining 4 profound legal know
ledge with a fund of practical COM
mon sense, qualities indispensable to
an equity judge. In all oIIr judicial
history. he had no superior and few
peers"
The chancellor is survived by his
wife. who was Mary Rebecca Fooks.
daughter Of Daniel J. and Rebecca
A. FoOks, of Laurel, whom he mar
ried in 1906. There are four chill
dren, James L. Wolcott, III, now in
Los Angeles, Calf; Daniel F. VOL
colt, of Wilmington; Josiah o. VOL
colt, Jr.. recently admitted to the
bar, and Rebecca d. Wolcott now
at school. Alex. G. Wolcott, Of Do
yer. a brother, also survives. An
other brother. James L. Wolcott.
died several years ago.
Native OF Dover
Chancellor Wolcott was born in
Dover. October 81, 1877. the son of
James L. Wolcott and Mary Mills
(Goodwin) Wolcott. He was gradu-
lted from the public schools of Do
YER, from the Wilmington Confer
snce Academy, Dover. and Wesleyan !
University, at Middletown, Conn. re- /
,eiving his degree of Phi. B., in 1901.
He read law in the Offices of the
ate Edward Ridgely and Henry R.
Johnson and was admitted to the
,ar in April. 1904. He practiced his
profession at Wilmington until be-
coming United States Senator.
He was appointed deputy attorney
general of Delaware by Attorney
General Andrew C. Gray. for the
our-year term commencing Janu-
Try. 1908. and in 1912 was elected
attorney general.
He was elected United States SEN
ltor in November. 1916. on the DEM
,cratic ticket for the full term of
TX years.
His term as Senator started March
/. 1917. but he resigned in 1921 &c
lccept the appointment of chancel-
or of Delaware.
Chancellor Wolcott at first de-
lined the appointment to the chan
by Governor Denney, to
ucceed CHARLES NJ. Curtis. but he
ater accepted the appointment.
which was made May "a. 1921. 1t
ras confirmed by a special session
f the Legislature ON June 29 by
ote of 10 to Z.
Son OF Chancellor
In accepting appointment to the
ighest judicial post on the State.
chancellor Wolcott was taking the
anne office that his father. James
:. Wolcott. held some years prev
BUS.
Governor Denney appointed Gen.
:. Coleman DUPONT, now deceased.
s United States Senator to tll the
acancy caused by Senator Wolcott's
At the time of his election to the {
!. S. Senate, Chancellor Wolcott
Ias a member of the law firm.
Iarvel, Marvel. and Wolcott. VIII
lington. After he became chancel- :
)r. he moved to Dover.
AS chancellor Of Delaware, there
anne before him some Of the most
nportant law suits affecting COR
Drations and corporation practice.
He was known throughout the {
1untry and in financial and legal
relies for his outstanding and cap 1
Bile opinions and his remarkable
rasp Of the law. II