Cornelius P . Comegys Cornelius Parsons Comegys ( January 15 , 1780 – January 27 , 1851 ) was an American farmer and politician from Dover Hundred , in Kent County , Delaware , near Little Creek . He was a veteran of the War of 1812 , a member of the Federalist Party , and then later the Whig Party , who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware . Early life and family . Comegys was born in Kent County , Maryland , near Chestertown , the son of Cornelius and Hannah Parsons Comegys . His ancestors settled on the Chester River in the 17th century and his father served in Caldwell ' s Company of John Haslet ' s Regiment in the American Revolution . Comegys grew up and went to school in Baltimore , Maryland and moved to Little Creek about 1800 . There he married Ann Blackiston who died within the year , probably in childbirth . On February 16 , 1804 , he married secondly , Ruhamah Marim , and they had twelve children , Sally Ann , John Marim , William Henry , Susan Marim , Hannah , Henri Marim , Joseph Parsons , Cornelius George W . , Benjamin Bartus , Mary Elizabeth , Maria , and John Marim . They inherited the Marim farm , " Cherbourg , " now in East Dover Hundred , near Little Creek , and made it their residence . They were members of the Methodist Church . Professional career . During the War of 1812 Comegys joined the Delaware State Militia and attained the rank of Lieutenant - Colonel . While farming at " Cherbourg , " he entered into several other business ventures . As an agent for Brandywine Creek millers he brokered a wheat deal that fell through and nearly ruined him . But he continued to pursue shipping and other mercantile business . For a time he was a director of the Commercial Bank at Smyrna and also Cashier of the Dover Farmers bank in 1818 . Political career . Comegys served in the State House from the 1811 session through the 1815 session , and again in the 1830 session . During the sessions from 1811 through 1814 he was the Speaker . He also served for 13 years as State Treasurer . He was elected Governor in 1836 defeating Smyrna surveyor , Nehemiah Clark , the Democratic candidate . He served as Governor of Delaware from January 17 , 1837 until January 19 , 1841 and was the first person to serve a full four - year term as Governor . Like other Governors of his era , he was primarily concerned with improvements to public education and reformation of the penal code . As told by Carol Hoffecker in " Democracy in Delaware , " Comegys " a man otherwise noted for his reluctance to tamper with the legal code , told the Assembly in 1839 , ' I cannot believe that the whipping post and pillory are consistent with the genius of the age . ' The governor failed to persuade a majority of the legislature to alter the law , but he used his power of pardon to delete the whipping portion from the sentences of several men convicted of petty thefts . His leniency aroused the ire , not the admiration , of the General Assembly , some of whose members introduced a resolution to restrict the governor ' s power to pardon on the grounds that ' the frequent exercise of the pardon power is . . . a great public evil , which threatens seriously to interfere with the due and regular administration of justice . " Two years later he tried again by appealing to public opinion saying to the General Assembly , " The criminal enactments on your statute books are , in the estimation of the people , a mere bug - bear . ' He challenged the General Assembly to remove ' the taint of cruelty and barbarism ' from the state ' s criminal code . " No laws were changed then and it was only in 1972 that whipping post was eliminated form the legal code . Delaware actually continued to use the whipping post until 1952 . During his term the last link of the Philadelphia , Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was opened , establishing it as the primary transportation route between Baltimore and Philadelphia . Among other things , this route went through Wilmington and by - passed New Castle , further establishing the dominance of the former city . Death and legacy . Comegys died at Dover and is buried there in the Old Methodist or Whatcoat Cemetery . His son , Benjamin , was President of the National Bank in Philadelphia , and another son , Joseph P . Comegys , was Chief Justice of Delaware and a U . S . Senator . Comegys is described " as a man of profuse hospitality . . . generous to a fault , he aided all who made demands on his charity . " Almanac . Elections were held the first Tuesday of October until 1831 , and since they have been held on the first Tuesday after November 1 . Members of the Delaware General Assembly took office the first Tuesday of January . State Representatives had a one - year term . The Governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and since 1831 has had a four - year term .