Gove Saulsbury

Gove Saulsbury (May 29, 1815 – July 31, 1881) was an American physician and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and he served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware from 1865 to 1871. He led opposition to civil rights for African Americans in Delaware during the Reconstruction era.

Early life and career Saulsbury was born in Mispillion Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, son of William, the then-sheiff of Kent County, and Margaret Ann Smith Saulsbury. His father was a descendant of the Salusbury Family of Wales but changed the spelling of the name after the American Revolution due to his family's loyalist sympathies. He was the older brother of U.S. Senators Willard Saulsbury, Sr., and Eli Saulsbury, and he had two brothers with unknown names. He was also the uncle of U.S. Senator Willard Saulsbury, Jr. Gove later attended Delaware College in Newark, and he taught there for a short amount of time. He later graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1842 and established a practice at Dover. On November 1st, 1848, he married Rosina Jane Smith and had five children: Margaret, Olivia Smith, Rosa, Gove, and William. He and his family were members of the Methodist Church. Saulsbury's choice of religious denomination sparked some controversy within the family as both of his brothers were staunch Episcopalians. In 1861 he was President of the Delaware Medical Society.

Professional and political career Saulsbury was elected to the Delaware State Senate in 1862 and served in the 1863-64 and 1865-66 sessions. A conservative Democrat opposed to any measures that would end slavery, Saulsbury established a reputation for himself as a determined opponent of Republican Governor William Cannon. He was the Speaker of the state senate in the 1865-66 session, and became Governor of Delaware when Governor Cannon died in office on March 1, 1865.

Death and legacy Saulsbury died at Dover and is buried at Wesley Methodist Church Cemetery. He was President of the Delaware Medical Society in 1861, and in 1873 was one of the founders of Wesley College in Dover.

General Assembly sessions

Offices and electoral history