Joshua H. Marvil

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = Joshua H. Marvil
honorific-suffix =


imagesize =
small

office = Governor of Delaware
term_start = January 15 1895
term_end = April 8 1895
predecessor = Robert J. Reynolds
successor = William T. Watson
birth_date = birth date|1825|9|3|mf=y
birth_place = Laurel, Delaware
death_date = death date and age|1895|4|8|1825|9|3
death_place = Laurel, Delaware
spouse = Sarah Ann Sirman
party = Republican
residence = Laurel, Delaware
alma_mater =
occupation = merchant
profession =
religion = Methodist

Joshua Hopkins Marvil (September 3 1825 – April 8 1895) was an American merchant and politician from Laurel, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served as Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family

Marvil was born September 3 1825 in Laurel, Delaware, the son of Joseph and Sally Ann Hopkins Marvil. He married Sarah Ann Sirman and had three children: Joseph, Vendreths, and Joshua. They lived at West Street in Laurel, although the house has been moved to 606 West Street. They were members of the Methodist Church.

As a young man, Marvil went to sea for a while and returned to work in shipbuilding. At age 28, in 1853, he began to manufacture farm equipment. Having a certain mechanical genius, he was able to imagine profitable new technologies. With the growth of the peach orchards, he started the Marvil Package Company, a basket and crate manufacturing business in Laurel. For a time, it was said to have been the largest industrial plant in the area, producing two million fruit baskets and crates annually. [ ‘’Laurel State Register,’’ May 31 1978] He was also the publisher of Laurel’s first newspaper, the ‘’Gazette’’, which he started in 1889.

Political career

Marvil had been an enrollment officer during the Civil War. He became a Republican at that time, and remained one in heavily Democratic western Sussex County. Nevertheless, he was popular, and after refusing his party’s nomination for governor in 1882 and 1890, he finally agreed in 1894, in spite of his advanced age and poor physical condition.

In the election, Marvil was elected Governor of Delaware, defeating Democrat Ebe W. Tunnell, a merchant from Lewes. Marvil was only the second Republican governor, and the first elected since the Civil War. He feared his health would not last through his term, and after one of the coldest winters on record, his prediction came true. He served less than three months, from January 15 1895 until his death on April 8 1895.

For a generation bitter memories of Republican actions during the Civil War had kept the Democrats firmly in control of the government throughout Delaware. However, during this period gas executive, J. Edward Addicks, a Philadelphia millionaire, established residence in Delaware, and began pouring money into the Republican Party, especially in Kent and Sussex County. He expected this investment to earn him a U.S. Senate seat, and while that never happened, he did succeed in reigniting the Republican Party, which would soon become the dominant party in the state. Marvil’s election was accompanied by the election of a Republican State House, and the convening of a state constitutional convention that would soon produce a new constitution.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly
"(sessions while Governor)"
-!Year!Assembly!!Senate Majority!Speaker!!House Majority!Speaker
-
1895-1896
88th|
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |William T. Watson|
Party shading/Republican |Republican
Party shading/Republican |Henry H. McMullen
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Death and legacy

Marvil died April 8 1895 at his home in Laurel, Delaware, and is buried at the Laurel Hill Cemetery, also in Laurel. He was the ninth and last Governor of Delaware to die in office. Marvil’s grandson, Joshua D. Marvil, attended Northwestern University, where in 1931 he was named one of Delaware’s first All-American football players.

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. The Governor takes office the third Tuesday of January, and has a four year term.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" | Public Offices
-! Office! Type! Location! Elected! Took Office! Left Office! notes
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Governor
Executive
Dover
1894
January 15 1895
April 8 1895|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
-!Year!Office!!Subject!Party!Votes!%!!Opponent!Party!Votes!%
-
1894
Governor|
Party shading/Republican |Joshua H. Marvil
Party shading/Republican |Republican
Party shading/Republican |19,880
Party shading/Republican |50%|
Party shading/Democratic |Ebe W. Tunnell
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |18,659
Party shading/Democratic |47%
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Notes

References

*cite book |title= Clearing New Ground, The Life of John G. Townsend, Jr. |last= Carter |first= Richard B. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= The Delaware Heritage Press |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 2001 |id= ISBN 0-924117-20-6
*cite book |title = History of the State of Delaware |last= Conrad |first= Henry C. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Wickersham Company |location= Lancaster, Pennsylvania |pages= |year= 1908 |id=
*cite book |title= Democracy in Delaware |last= Hoffecker |first= Carol E. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Cedar Tree Books |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 2004 |id= ISBN 1-892142-23-6
*cite book |title= A History of Delaware Through its Governors |last= Martin |first= Roger A. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= McClafferty Press |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 1984 |id=

=

* [http://www.state.de.us/research/Tour/information/Governors/govs-26.shtml Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery] . "Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover"

External links

* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=6d6b224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Joshua H. Marvil at the "Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States"]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/martini-marviel.html#RKD0I5D3E Joshua H. Marvil at the "Political Graveyard"]
*Find A Grave|id=7499696
* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov3.htm#marvil Joshua H. Marvil at "Delaware’s Governors"]

Places with more information

* [http://www.hsd.org/ Historical Society of Delaware] , 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware [phone]
* [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library] , 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware [phone]