Governor Caleb Rodney

CALEB RODNEY, brother of Delaware’s 10th governor Daniel Rodney (1814-1817), was born in Lewes, Delaware, on April 29, 1767. Before entering politics, Rodney had a lucrative career in the mercantile industry. He emerged in public service as chief officer of an abolitionist society in Sussex County. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1816, but was victorious in his election to the Delaware State Senate, where he also served as speaker. On April 15, 1822, Governor John Collins passed away, and Rodney, who was speaker of the Delaware State Senate at the time, assumed the duties of the governorship. He served in this capacity until January 21, 1823. During his tenure, he continued to implement the agenda and policies of Governor Collins’s administration. After leaving the governor’s office, he retired from public service. Governor Caleb Rodney died on April 29, 1840, and is buried at the St. Peter’s Churchyard in Lewes, Delaware.