Joshua Clayton Dr . Joshua Clayton ( July 20 , 1744 – August 11 , 1798 ) was an American physician and politician from Mt . Pleasant in Pencader Hundred , New Castle County , Delaware . He was an officer of the Continental Army in the American Revolution , and a member of the Federalist Party , who served in the Delaware General Assembly , as Governor of Delaware and as U . S . Senator from Delaware . Early life and family . Clayton was born near Wyoming , Delaware , son of John Clayton & Eleanor Edinfield . John Clayton was a miller and the grandson of another Joshua Clayton , a Quaker , who came from Lincolnshire , England in the late 17th century . The younger Joshua Clayton went to medical school at , what is now , the University of Pennsylvania from 1757 until 1762 , and then began a medical practice in Middletown , Delaware . He became close friends with Richard Bassett , and in 1765 , married his adopted daughter , Rachael McCleary . Clayton acquired a portion of Richard Bassett ' s Bohemia Manor estate , and in 1773 built their home , " Locust Grove . " It is now known as the " Dickey Farm , " and is on the Choptank Road , two miles west of Mt . Pleasant in Pencader Hundred , to the northwest of Middletown . There they had three children who lived to adulthood , Richard , James Lawson and Thomas . Their religious affiliation is unclear , but they were almost certainly members of the Bethel Methodist Church by the time of their deaths . Military and political career . During the American Revolution , Clayton served in the Bohemia Manor militia , where he had been commissioned a major . He was also an aide and surgeon to General George Washington at the Battle of Brandywine and at Valley Forge . Following this Clayton served in the House of Assembly in the 1778 / 79 session , and again from the 1780 / 81 session through the 1783 / 84 session . He was back again in the 1785 / 86 session , and the 1787 / 88 session . He was chosen President of Delaware by the Delaware General Assembly on May 30 , 1789 and served as President until January 15 , 1793 . Under the provisions of the new Delaware Constitution of 1792 he became the first popularly elected Governor of Delaware and continued to serve in that capacity until his term ended , January 19 , 1796 . This new state Constitution was the major political development of these years . With the new U . S . Constitution in place , it was necessary to revise the somewhat experimental Delaware Constitution of 1776 . Under the initial leadership of John Dickinson , delegates provided for a real Governor , elected by popular vote and no longer sharing executive authority with the Privy Council . The other major change was to expand the voting franchise by eliminating the property ownership requirement . Two years after his term ended , Clayton was chosen by the Delaware General Assembly to fill the vacant seat in the United States Senate caused by the resignation of U . S . Senator John M . Vining . He began his term January 19 , 1798 and served until his death on August 11 , 1798 , while still in office . During this term , he served in the Federalist majority in the 5th Congress , during the administration of U . S . President John Adams . A New State House . During Clayton ' s tenure it was determined that a new courthouse was needed in Kent County . Since the General Assembly had moved from New Castle in 1777 it had shared the county courthouse with the county officials . They wished to continue to do so in the new building . The county commissioners responsible for erecting the building agreed , but asked for " an appropriation for the completion of the building . " In response , on June 2 , 1788 , a committee of the General Assembly reported that " in their opinion such is the situation of the treasury , together with loud complaints of public creditors and their duty to constituents , that the prayer of the memorial cannot be complied with at this time . " A few days later , though , " all moneys arising from marriage and tavern licenses were appropriated to completing the court - house , " and " on July 29 , 1791 , a bill introduced by Kensey Johns was passed providing for a lottery to raise one thousand pounds for furnishing the court - house . " However , when the building was nearly complete and being occupied by the General Assembly . . . The next day , the State House adopted the following resolution : " The State Senate failed to concur in the resolution , and pending further action the difficulty was reconciled , and beginning with the next session , November 1792 , the General Assembly occupied the State - House , and have continued to the present time ( 1888 ) . " Death and legacy . Clayton died at Mt . Pleasant in New Castle County after being stricken with yellow fever while at the United States Congress in Philadelphia . He was first buried at the Locust Grove Cemetery in Pencader Hundred , New Castle County . Later his remains were moved into the Bethel Church Cemetery at Chesapeake City , Maryland . They were moved again to an unknown location in 1965 upon a widening of the nearby Chesapeake and Delaware Canal . Clayton ' s son , Thomas Clayton was a U . S . Senator , and his nephew , John M . Clayton was also a U . S . Senator as well as U . S . Secretary of State . His great - grandson Henry Clayton built Woodside ; listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 . Almanac . Elections were held October 1 and members of the General Assembly took office on October 20 or the following weekday . State Assemblymen had a one - year term . The whole General Assembly chose the State President for a three - year term . The General Assembly also chose the U . S . Senators who took office March 4 for a six - year term . In this case he was completing the existing term , the vacancy caused by the resignation of John M . Vining . Beginning in 1792 elections were held on the first Tuesday of October and members of the General Assembly took office on the first Tuesday of January . Also in 1792 the State Legislative Council was renamed the State Senate and the State House of Assembly became the State House of Representatives . The State President became the Governor and was popularly elected . He takes office the third Tuesday in January and had a three - year term .