Nicholas Ridgely

Nicholas Ridgely (September 30, 1762 – April 1, 1830) was a Delaware lawyer, politician, and judge who served as Attorney General of Delaware and as the second Chancellor of Delaware. He was a member of the Electoral College in the 1820 presidential election, voting for James Monroe.

Early life, education, and career Born in Dover, Delaware, Ridgely belonged to a family of public and social prominence which "for many successive generations in Delaware has furnished judges and lawyers of marked ability". This development marked a substantial evolution of the office:

In 1802, the orphans court jurisdiction was transferred from the court of common pleas to the chancellor by an amendment to the constitution of 1792, effected mainly by Ridgely's influence. He thereby became sole judge of the orphans court.

Personal life and death Although he lived until the 1830s he still adhered to the manners and garb of the olden times. Towards the close of his life, he suffered from ill health, although he sturdily discharged his judicial duties to the end. He died of heart disease at the age of 67, within a half hour after he had adjourned his court at Georgetown, and was buried in the Episcopal churchyard at Dover. In 1932, a commemorative plaque was installed at his burial site.