David Stone

David Stone (February 17, 1770October 7, 1818) was the 15th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1808 to 1810. Both before and after his term as governor, he served as a U.S. senator, between 1801 and 1807 and between 1813 and 1814. Biography Stone was born in Bertie County in the Province of North Carolina, the son of planter and politician Zedekiah Stone. He attended Windsor Academy and later the College of New Jersey, where he graduated with honors. Returning to North Carolina, Stone studied law in Halifax and was granted his law license in 1790. He married Hannah Turner and began the construction of a large manor house on land given him by his father, Zedekiah Stone. This is now a historic site, Hope Plantation. In 1789, Stone was a member of the convention in Fayetteville which ratified the United States Constitution. He proceeded to represent Bertie County in the North Carolina House of Commons until 1795, when he was named to the North Carolina Superior Court. In 1798, Stone stepped down from the court to serve in the United States House of Representatives for one term; during the contested 1800 presidential election, he cast his vote for Thomas Jefferson when the election was sent to the House for a final decision.