126-457: New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent , and Sussex ). As of the 2020 census , the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the state's population of 989,948. The county seat is Wilmington , which is also the state's most populous city. New Castle County is included in
252-518: A " Popish Plot " to kill Charles and to put the Duke of York on the throne. The fabricated plot caused a wave of anti-Catholic hysteria to sweep across the nation. In England, the Earl of Shaftesbury , a former government minister and now a leading opponent of Catholicism, proposed an Exclusion Bill that would have excluded James from the line of succession. Some members of Parliament even proposed to pass
378-750: A Roman Catholic. With the assistance of French troops, James landed in Ireland in March 1689. The Irish Parliament did not follow the example of the English Parliament; it declared that James remained King and passed a massive bill of attainder against those who had rebelled against him. At James's urging, the Irish Parliament passed an Act for Liberty of Conscience that granted religious freedom to all Roman Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. James worked to build an army in Ireland, but
504-500: A brief Anglican service that did little more than recognise the marriage by proxy. Many British people, distrustful of Catholicism, regarded the new Duchess of York as an agent of the Papacy . James was noted for his deep devotion, once remarking, "If occasion were, I hope God would give me his grace to suffer death for the true Catholic religion as well as banishment." In 1677, King Charles II arranged for James's daughter Mary to marry
630-658: A captured Irish regiment in December 1652, then appointed Lieutenant-General in 1654. In 1657, France, then engaged in the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659) , agreed an alliance with the Commonwealth of England , and when Charles responded by signing a treaty with Spain , James was expelled from France. James quarrelled with his brother over this choice, but ultimately joined Spanish forces in Flanders led by
756-412: A county-by-county basis in other states—such as court and law enforcement—have been centralized in Delaware, leading to a significant concentration of power in the Delaware state government. The counties were historically divided into hundreds , which were used as tax reporting and voting districts until the 1960s. However, the hundreds now serve no administrative role; their only current official legal use
882-683: A dispute ensued between the Swedes and the Dutch, who asserted a prior claim to that land. In 1640, New Sweden was founded a few miles south of Christina . In 1644, Queen Christina appointed Lt. Col. Johan Printz as Governor of New Sweden . She directed boundaries to be set and to reach Cape Henlopen north along the west side of Godyn's Bay ( Delaware Bay ), up the South River ( Delaware River ), past Minquas Kill ( Christina River ), to Sankikans (Trenton Falls). Printz settled on Tinicum Island , as
1008-465: A father, and played with them "like an ordinary private father of a child", a contrast to the distant parenting common with royalty at the time. James's wife was devoted to him and influenced many of his decisions. Even so, he kept mistresses, including Arabella Churchill and Catherine Sedley , and was reputed to be "the most unguarded ogler of his time". Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary that James "did eye my wife mightily". James's taste in women
1134-653: A funeral oration by Henri-Emmanuel de Roquette . James was not buried, but put in one of the side chapels. Lights were kept burning round his coffin until the French Revolution . In 1734, the Archbishop of Paris heard evidence to support James's canonisation, but nothing came of it. During the French Revolution, James's tomb was raided. James's younger daughter Anne succeeded when William died in 1702. The Act of Settlement provided that, if
1260-421: A household in the county was $ 52,419, and the median income for a family was $ 62,144. Males had a median income of $ 42,541 versus $ 31,829 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 25,413. 8.40% of the population and 5.60% of families were below the poverty line . Out of the total population, 10.20% of those under the age of 18 and 7.40% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. As of
1386-530: A middle ground between these views. James, second surviving son of King Charles I and his wife, Henrietta Maria of France , was born at St James's Palace in London on 14 October 1633. Later that same year, he was baptized by William Laud , the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury . He was educated by private tutors, along with his older brother, the future King Charles II , and the two sons of
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#17327726641551512-570: A palace and a pension. William summoned a Convention Parliament to decide how to handle James's flight. It convened on 22 January 1689. While the Parliament refused to depose him, they declared that James, having fled to France and dropped the Great Seal into the Thames, had effectively abdicated , and that the throne had thereby become vacant. To fill this vacancy, James's daughter Mary
1638-827: A simultaneous rising in Scotland , in April a Scottish Convention followed England in ruling that James had "forfeited" the throne, which was offered to William and Mary. After his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690, James returned to France, where he spent the rest of his life in exile at Saint-Germain , protected by Louis XIV . While contemporary opponents often portrayed him as an absolutist tyrant, some 20th-century historians have praised James for advocating religious tolerance, although more recent scholarship has tended to take
1764-679: A sizable court household. In 1664, Charles II granted American territory between the Delaware and Connecticut rivers to James. Following its capture by the British, the former Dutch territory of New Netherland and its principal port, New Amsterdam , were renamed the Province and City of New York in James's honour. James gave part of the colony to proprietors George Carteret and John Berkeley . Fort Orange , 150 miles (240 km) north on
1890-532: A temporary phenomenon, but when the prince's birth opened the possibility of a permanent Roman Catholic dynasty, such men had to reconsider their position. Threatened by a Roman Catholic dynasty, several influential Protestants claimed the child was supposititious and had been smuggled into the Queen's bedchamber in a warming pan. They had already entered into negotiations with the Prince of Orange when it became known
2016-487: A two-tiered, paramedic intercept EMS system. County paramedics are located in eight full-time stations and one part-time station that operates during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with a capability of calling in additional personnel during major emergencies or planned events. Basic life support (BLS) ambulance service is provided primarily by volunteer fire companies with the use of paid employees that are trained in fire suppression and EMS. Fire/Rescue protection
2142-471: A wave of sympathy for the King and James. Several notable Whigs , including the Earl of Essex and the Duke of Monmouth, were implicated. Monmouth initially confessed to complicity in the plot and implicated fellow conspirators, but later recanted. Essex committed suicide, and Monmouth, along with several others, was obliged to flee into exile in continental Europe. Charles II reacted to the plot by increasing
2268-678: A wholesale purge of those in offices under the Crown opposed to his plan, appointing new lord-lieutenants of counties and remodelling the corporations governing towns and livery companies . In October, James gave orders for the lord-lieutenants to provide three standard questions to all Justices of the Peace : 1. Would they consent to the repeal of the Test Act and the Penal Laws? 2. Would they assist candidates who would do so? 3. Would they accept
2394-709: A year to markets primarily in the English Caribbean across the Atlantic. Many were branded on the chest with the letters "DY" for "Duke of York", the RAC's Governor. As historian William Pettigrew writes, the RAC "shipped more enslaved African women, men, and children to the Americas than any other single institution during the entire period of the transatlantic slave trade". James's time in France had exposed him to
2520-647: Is 7b except in some higher areas close to the Pennsylvania border which are 7a. As of the census of 2000, there were 500,265 people, 188,935 households, and 127,153 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,174 inhabitants per square mile (453/km). There were 199,521 housing units at an average density of 468 per square mile (181/km). The racial makeup of the county was 73.12% White , 20.22% Black or African American , 0.20% Native American , 2.59% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 2.22% from other races , and 1.62% from two or more races. 5.26% of
2646-401: Is Kenneth W. Boulden Jr. (D) The recorder of deeds is Michael Kozikowski (D). His office is responsible for receiving and recording deeds , mortgages and satisfactions thereof, assignments, commissions of judges , notaries , and military officers. The recorder of deeds' office is heavily computerized; electronic images of all recent documents and many others are available the office is in
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#17327726641552772-669: Is Scott T. Phillips. New Castle County has a strong zoning code, known as the Unified Development Code, or UDC. The UDC was developed by the Gordon Administration in response to public perception of over- and misdevelopment in the county. New building projects must go through a process of application and approval before construction is permitted to begin. By operation of state law, New Castle County has no responsibility whatsoever for maintenance of roadways . Public roadways are maintained exclusively by
2898-603: Is almost double the combined population of Kent and Sussex, the winner in New Castle County has also won Delaware overall in each of the last eighteen presidential elections. In 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2016, the Republican candidate carried Kent and Sussex, only to lose New Castle by double digits–enough of a margin to swing the entire state to the Democrats. New Castle was a bellwether from 1936 to 1996, as it backed
3024-601: Is also the most economically developed of the three. The first permanent European settlement on Delaware soil was Fort Christina , resulting from Peter Minuit 's 1638 expedition on the Swedish vessels Fogel Grip and Kalmar Nyckel . The Swedes laid out the town at the site of modern-day Wilmington. They contracted with the Lenape Native Americans for land of Old Cape Henlopen north to Sankikans (Trenton Falls), and inland as far as they desired. However,
3150-596: Is based in the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington. The deputies assigned to this division organize and manage capias returns. They also transport prisoners for Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Family Court. The civil division serves legal process, performs levies & impounds and sells property in satisfaction of judgments . The civil division also locates and apprehends individuals wanted for civil capias. The current sheriff
3276-634: Is in real-estate title descriptions. Following the English conquest of 1664, all of the land on the western side of the Delaware River and Delaware Bay was governed as part of the New York Colony and administered from the town of New Castle . During the brief recapture of the colony by the Dutch in 1673, additional court districts were created around Upland and Whorekill. The latter
3402-669: Is land and 68 square miles (180 km) (13.8%) is water. The boundaries of New Castle County are described in § 102 of the Delaware Code. The county is drained by Brandywine Creek , Christina River , and other channels. Its eastern edge sits along the Delaware River and Delaware Bay . Two small exclaves of the county and the state lie across the Delaware River, on its east bank on the New Jersey side, Finns Point adjacent to Pennsville Township, New Jersey , and
3528-563: Is located in Wilmington ; it opened in 1982. The Delores J. Baylor Correctional Institution , a women's prison housing pretrial and posttrial prisoners, is located in unincorporated New Castle County. Baylor opened on December 29, 1991. The Delaware male death row was in the JTVCC, while the female death row was in Baylor. Executions were to occur at JTVCC, prior to the 2016 suspension of it by
3654-597: Is provided by twenty-one volunteer fire departments throughout the county. The city of Wilmington has its own career municipal fire department and contracts with a private ambulance service for basic life support coverage. The contracted private ambulance service in Wilmington operates in a tiered response configuration with the New Castle County Paramedics. The Paul J. Sweeney Public Safety Building, located in Minquadale off of US 13 , houses
3780-609: Is supported by local municipality police agencies in Middletown , Newark , Delaware City , Wilmington , Newport , Elsmere , the city of New Castle , the University of Delaware , as well as the Delaware State Police . New Castle County also operates a nationally accredited, county-run paramedic service through its Emergency Medical Services Division . NCC*EMS is the advanced life support (ALS) component of
3906-582: Is the county's second-in-command, is appointed by the county executive and serves at his or her pleasure. Vanessa S. Phillips was appointed CAO in March 2018. The county's legislative body is a thirteen-member county council , consisting of twelve members elected by district and one president elected at large. The council is tasked with drafting laws and managing county government services, public health ordinances, land use , transportation, and zoning . New Castle County Council doubled in size to thirteen from seven members in 2004. Its most famous council member
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4032-500: The 2010 census , there were 538,479 people, 202,651 households, and 134,743 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,263.2 inhabitants per square mile (487.7/km). There were 217,511 housing units at an average density of 510.2 per square mile (197.0/km). The racial makeup of the county was 65.5% white, 23.7% black or African American, 4.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 3.5% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.7% of
4158-420: The 2020 census , there were 570,719 people living in the county. According to the 2021 census estimates, its racial and ethnic makeup was 54.8% non-Hispanic white, 27.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.8% multiracial, and 11% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The county is headed by a county executive , currently Matthew S. Meyer . The chief administrative officer, who
4284-423: The Archbishop of Canterbury , submitted a petition requesting the reconsideration of the King's religious policies, they were arrested and tried for seditious libel . Public alarm increased when Queen Mary gave birth to a Roman Catholic son and heir, James Francis Edward , on 10 June that year. When James's only possible successors were his two Protestant daughters, Anglicans could see his pro-Catholic policies as
4410-760: The Delaware Supreme Court . New Castle elects a substantial majority of the state legislature, with 27 state house districts and 17 state senate districts based in the county. New Castle County is home to two minor league sports teams: the Wilmington Blue Rocks (baseball) and the Delaware Blue Coats (basketball), both of which play in Wilmington. It also has a professional auto racing track in New Castle known as Airport Speedway, with races on Saturday nights throughout
4536-821: The Duke of Buckingham , George and Francis Villiers. At the age of three, James was appointed Lord High Admiral ; the position was initially honorary, but became a substantive office after the Restoration , when James was an adult. He was designated Duke of York at birth, invested with the Order of the Garter in 1642, and formally created Duke of York in January 1644. In August 1642, long running political disputes between Charles I and his opponents in Parliament led to
4662-485: The Earl of Melfort ; most, but not all, were Roman Catholic. In 1692, James's last child, Louisa Maria Teresa , was born. Some supporters in England attempted to assassinate William III to restore James to the throne in 1696, but the plot failed and the backlash made James's cause less popular. In the same year, Louis XIV offered to have James elected King of Poland . James rejected the offer, fearing that accepting
4788-738: The First English Civil War . James and his brother Charles were present at the Battle of Edgehill in October, and narrowly escaped capture by Parliamentarian cavalry. He spent most of the next four years in the Royalist wartime capital of Oxford , where he was made a Master of Arts by the University on 1 November 1642 and served as colonel of a volunteer regiment of foot. Following the surrender of Oxford in June 1646, James
4914-697: The Hudson River , was renamed Albany after James's Scottish title. In 1683, James became the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company , but did not take an active role in its governance. In September 1666, Charles II put James in charge of firefighting operations during the Great Fire of London , in the absence of action by Lord Mayor Thomas Bloodworth . This was not a political office, but his actions and leadership were noteworthy. "The Duke of York hath won
5040-486: The Mason-Dixon Survey was run in 1767. In 1791, with the expansion of Sussex County to the south and west, the county seat was moved to Georgetown . The county seat of St. Jones (renamed Kent County in 1681 ) is at Dover . After 2000, a fourth "Appoquinimink County" was proposed to be carved out of New Castle County . The effort intended to end the zoning restrictions of the Unified Development Code on
5166-469: The Philadelphia - Camden - Wilmington , PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area . The county is named after William Cavendish, 1st duke of Newcastle ( c. 1593 –1676). New Castle County has the highest population and population density of any Delaware county, and it is the smallest county in the state by area. It has more people than the other two counties, Kent and Sussex , combined. It
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5292-604: The Tories were those who opposed it. Ultimately, the succession was not altered, but James was convinced to withdraw from all policy-making bodies and to accept a lesser role in his brother's government. On the orders of the King, James left England for Brussels . In 1680, he was appointed Lord High Commissioner of Scotland and took up residence at the Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh to suppress an uprising and oversee
5418-795: The slave trade (indeed English attacks on such forts occupied by the Dutch precipitated the war itself). James remained Admiral of the Fleet during the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672–1674), during which significant fighting also occurred off the African coast. Following the raid on the Medway in 1667, James oversaw the survey and re-fortification of the southern coast. The office of Lord High Admiral, combined with his revenue from post office and wine tariffs (positions granted him by Charles II upon his restoration), gave James enough money to keep
5544-678: The Declaration of Indulgence? During the first three months of 1688, hundreds of those who gave negative replies to those questions were dismissed. Corporations were purged by agents, known as the Regulators, who were given wide discretionary powers, in an attempt to create a permanent royal electoral machine. Most of the regulators were Baptists , and the new town officials that they recommended included Quakers , Baptists, Congregationalists , Presbyterians and Roman Catholics, as well as Anglicans . Finally, on 24 August 1688, James ordered
5670-399: The Delaware Department of Transportation, while roadways within neighborhoods and developments are, pursuant to County code, maintained by homeowners' or neighborhood associations. The Department of Public Works maintains essential infrastructure elements such as sanitary sewers and drainage ways. It also maintains County-owned parks and buildings such as County libraries. It does not maintain
5796-407: The Elector of Hanover and Anne's second cousin. James's son James Francis Edward was recognised as king at his father's death by Louis XIV of France and James II's remaining supporters (later known as Jacobites ) as "James III and VIII". He led a rising in Scotland in 1715 shortly after George I's accession, but was defeated. His son Charles Edward Stuart led a Jacobite rising in 1745 , but
5922-450: The English Parliament to introduce a new Test Act in 1673. Under this Act, all civil and military officials were required to take an oath (in which they were required to disavow the doctrine of transubstantiation and denounce certain practices of the Roman Church as superstitious and idolatrous) and to receive the Eucharist under the auspices of the Church of England . James refused to perform either action, instead choosing to relinquish
6048-467: The English throne. When William landed in Brixham on 5 November 1688, James's army deserted and he went into exile in France on 23 December. In February 1689, a special Convention Parliament held James had "vacated" the English throne and installed William and Mary as joint monarchs, thereby establishing the principle sovereignty derived from Parliament, not birth. James landed in Ireland on 14 March 1689 in an attempt to recover his kingdoms, but, despite
6174-443: The Established Church, the traditional ally of the monarchy, in the difficult position of being forced to erode its own privileges. James provoked further opposition by attempting to reduce the Anglican monopoly on education. At the University of Oxford , he offended Anglicans by allowing Roman Catholics to hold important positions in Christ Church and University College , two of Oxford's largest colleges. He also attempted to force
6300-516: The Fellows of Magdalen College to elect as their President Anthony Farmer , a man of generally ill repute who was believed to be a Roman Catholic, which was seen as a violation of the Fellows' right to elect someone of their own choosing. In 1687, James prepared to pack Parliament with his supporters, so that it would repeal the Test Act and the Penal Laws. James was convinced by addresses from Dissenters that he had their support and so could dispense with relying on Tories and Anglicans. He instituted
6426-553: The Ferris School for Boys, and the Grace and Snowden Cottages are in unincorporated New Castle County. Several Delaware Department of Correction facilities are located in the county. The James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC), formerly the Delaware Correctional Center, is a men's prison in unincorporated New Castle County, housing sentenced prisoners; Vaughn opened in 1971. The Howard R. Young Correctional Institution , renamed from Multi-Purpose Criminal Justice Facility in 2004 and housing both pretrial and posttrial male prisoners,
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#17327726641556552-441: The French exile Condé . Given command of six regiments of British volunteers, he fought against his former French comrades at the Battle of the Dunes . After France and Spain made peace with the 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees , James considered taking a Spanish offer to be an admiral in their navy, but declined the position. Soon after, the 1660 Stuart Restoration returned his brother to the English throne as Charles II. After
6678-422: The Governor of the Royal Adventurers into Africa (later shortened to the Royal African Company ) in October 1660, an office James retained until after the Glorious Revolution when he was forced to resign. When James commanded the Royal Navy during the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–1667) he immediately directed the fleet towards the capture of forts off the African coast that would facilitate English involvement in
6804-424: The New Castle County Police and Emergency Medical Services Division Headquarters and the emergency communications center supporting 9-1-1 services. The present building opened in 2007 with a construction cost of US$ 50,000,000. The Headquarters occupied a former elementary school building on the same site prior to erection of the current building. New Castle is a strongly Democratic county. Because its population
6930-443: The North Sea to The Hague . Following their victory in the 1648 Second English Civil War , Parliament ordered the execution of Charles I in January 1649. The Covenanter regime proclaimed Charles II King of Scotland, and after lengthy negotiations agreed to provide troops to restore him to the English throne. The invasion ended in defeat at Worcester in September 1651. Although Charles managed to escape capture and to return to
7056-420: The Polish crown might (in the minds of the English people) disqualify him from being King of England. After Louis concluded peace with William in 1697, he ceased to offer much assistance to James. During his last years, James lived as an austere penitent . He wrote a memorandum for his son advising him on how to govern England, specifying that Catholics should possess one Secretary of State, one Commissioner of
7182-434: The Prince of Orange, had neglected to detain them or put a stop to their recruitment efforts. Argyll sailed to Scotland where he raised recruits, mainly from his own clan, the Campbells . The rebellion was quickly crushed, and Argyll was captured at Inchinnan on 18 June 1685. Having arrived with fewer than 300 men and unable to convince many more to flock to his standard, he never posed a credible threat to James. Argyll
7308-423: The Protestant Prince William III of Orange , son of Charles's and James's sister Mary . James reluctantly acquiesced after his brother and nephew had agreed to the marriage. Despite the Protestant marriage, fears of a potential Catholic monarch persisted, intensified by the failure of Charles II and his wife, Catherine of Braganza , to produce any children. A defrocked Anglican clergyman, Titus Oates , spoke of
7434-635: The Queen was pregnant, and the birth of a son reinforced their convictions. On 30 June 1688, a group of seven Protestant nobles invited William, Prince of Orange , to come to England with an army. By September, it had become clear that William sought to invade. Believing that his own army would be adequate, James refused the assistance of King Louis XIV of France, fearing that the English would oppose French intervention. When William arrived on 5 November 1688, many Protestant officers, including Churchill , defected and joined William, as did James's own daughter Anne . James lost his nerve and declined to attack
7560-409: The Solicitor General, Heneage Finch . The case of Godden v Hales affirmed his dispensing power, with eleven out of the twelve judges ruling in the king's favour after six judges were dismissed for refusing to promise to support the king. In 1687, James issued the Declaration of Indulgence , also known as the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, in which he used his dispensing power to negate
7686-469: The Swedes from both sides of the river. They allowed only Dutch colonists to settle in the area and on August 31, 1655, the territory was converted back to Fort Casimir. Consequently, Fort Christina fell on September 15 to the Dutch, was renamed Fort Altena and New Netherland ruled once again. John Paul Jacquet was immediately appointed governor, making New Amstel the capital of the Dutch-controlled colony. The Dutch West India Company conveyed land from
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#17327726641557812-407: The Treasury, the Secretary at War, with the majority of the officers in the army. James died aged 67 of a brain haemorrhage on 16 September 1701 at Saint-Germain-en-Laye . James's heart was placed in a silver-gilt locket and given to the convent at Chaillot , and his brain was placed in a lead casket and given to the Scots College in Paris. His entrails were placed in two gilt urns and sent to
7938-440: The University of Delaware maintain their own police emergency call centers. New Castle County has its own nationally accredited police department. The New Castle County Police Department is the second largest police organization in the state of Delaware. New Castle County maintains a county wide police force with authorization to enforce laws throughout the county, including within incorporated municipalities. The county police force
8064-427: The beginning of 1686, two papers were found in Charles II's strong box and his closet, in his own hand, stating the arguments for Catholicism over Protestantism. James published these papers with a declaration signed by his sign manual and challenged the Archbishop of Canterbury and the whole Anglican episcopal bench to refute Charles's arguments: "Let me have a solid answer, and in a gentlemanlike style; and it may have
8190-551: The beliefs and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church, and both he and his wife Anne became drawn to that faith. James took Catholic Eucharist in 1668 or 1669, although his conversion was kept secret for almost a decade as he continued to attend Anglican services until 1676. In spite of his conversion, James continued to associate primarily with Anglicans, including John Churchill and George Legge , as well as French Protestants such as Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham . Growing fears of Roman Catholic influence at court led
8316-546: The collapse of the Commonwealth in 1660, Charles II was restored to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland. Although James was the heir presumptive , it seemed unlikely that he would inherit the Crown, as Charles was still a young man capable of fathering children. On 31 December 1660, following his brother's restoration, James was created Duke of Albany in Scotland, to go along with his English title, Duke of York. Upon his return to England, James prompted an immediate controversy by announcing his engagement to Anne Hyde ,
8442-410: The concept of "row offices" from Pennsylvania, so-called because all of these county offices could be found in a row in smaller courthouses. In Delaware, these offices are clerk of the peace , recorder of deeds , register of wills, and sheriff . The office of clerk of the peace is unique among the 50 states; the office-holder's function is almost exclusively to perform marriages. The current incumbent
8568-461: The confidence of many of his Anglican supporters. Sunderland's purge of office-holders even extended to the King's brothers-in-law (the Hydes) and their supporters. Roman Catholics made up no more than one-fiftieth of the English population. In May 1686, James sought to obtain a ruling from the English common-law courts that showed he had the power to dispense with Acts of Parliament. He dismissed judges who disagreed with him on this matter, as well as
8694-416: The county boundaries goes back to their former court districts. Each county elects a legislative body (known in New Castle and Sussex counties as the County Council , and in Kent County as the Levy Court ). The counties are able to raise taxes and borrow money. They also have control over garbage disposal, water supply, sewerage, zoning, development, and building codes. Most functions which are handled on
8820-406: The county in 1992 and, like many urban counties, New Castle stayed Democratic ever since. The Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families (DSCYF) has its headquarters in the Delaware Youth and Family Center (DYFC), located in unincorporated New Castle County, near Wilmington . Several DSCYF juvenile facilities, including the New Castle County Detention Center (NCCDC),
8946-657: The county seat of Deale, which was later renamed Sussex County . The former Upland District was named after the New Sweden settlement of Upland , and was renamed Chester County in 1682. Chester County is now located within the present boundaries of Pennsylvania . Lord Baltimore , the Proprietor of Maryland , claimed all present-day Delaware, and organized its northern and eastern portions as Durham County, Maryland. However, this county existed only on paper. The southern and western portions of present-day Sussex County were organized as portions of several adjacent Maryland counties and were not recognized as part of Delaware until
9072-402: The couple married secretly, then went through an official marriage ceremony on 3 September 1660 in London. The couple's first child, Charles , was born less than two months later, but died in infancy, as did five further children. Only two daughters survived: Mary (born 30 April 1662) and Anne (born 6 February 1665). Samuel Pepys wrote that James was fond of his children and his role as
9198-569: The crown to Charles's illegitimate son, James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth . In 1679, with the Exclusion Bill in danger of passing, Charles II dissolved Parliament. Two further Parliaments were elected in 1680 and 1681, but were dissolved for the same reason. The Exclusion Crisis contributed to the development of the English two-party system: the Whigs were those who supported the Bill, while
9324-413: The daughter of Charles's chief minister, Edward Hyde . In 1659, while trying to seduce her, James promised he would marry Anne. Anne became pregnant in 1660, but following the Restoration and James's return to power, no one at the royal court expected a prince to marry a commoner , no matter what he had pledged beforehand. Although nearly everyone, including Anne's father, urged the two not to marry,
9450-439: The death of his elder brother, Charles II , on 6 February 1685, until he was deposed in the 1688 Glorious Revolution . The last Catholic monarch of England , Scotland , and Ireland , his reign is now remembered primarily for conflicts over religion. However, it also involved struggles over the principles of absolutism and divine right of kings , with his deposition ending a century of political and civil strife by confirming
9576-533: The effect of laws punishing both Roman Catholics and Protestant Dissenters . In the summer of 1687 he attempted to increase support for his tolerationist policy by a speaking tour of the western counties of England. As part of this tour, he gave a speech at Chester in which he said, "suppose... there should be a law made that all black men should be imprisoned, it would be unreasonable and we had as little reason to quarrel with other men for being of different [religious] opinions as for being of different complexions." At
9702-574: The effect which you so much desire of bringing me over to your church." The Archbishop refused on the grounds of respect for the late king. James advocated repeal of the penal laws in all three of his kingdoms, but in the early years of his reign he refused to allow those dissenters who did not petition for relief to receive it. James sent a letter to the Scottish Parliament at its opening in 1685, declaring his wish for new penal laws against refractory Presbyterians and lamented that he
9828-407: The eighteenth century is essentially Jacobite poetry", and both Ó Buachalla and fellow-historian Éamonn Ó Ciardha argue that James and his successors played a central role as messianic figures throughout the 18th century for all classes in Ireland. In France, James was allowed to live in the royal château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye . James's wife and some of his supporters fled with him, including
9954-668: The exiled court in Paris, the Royalist cause appeared hopeless. James, like his brother, sought refuge in France, serving in the French army under Turenne against the Fronde , and later against their Spanish allies. In the French army James had his first true experience of battle, in which, according to one observer, he "ventures himself and chargeth gallantly where anything is to be done". Turenne's favour led to James being given command of
10080-459: The governor Lt. Col. Printz, officially assumed Printz's duties and began to expel all Dutch from New Sweden. Fort Casimir surrendered and was renamed Fort Trinity in 1654. The Swedes had complete possession of the west side of the Delaware River. On June 21, 1654, the Lenape met with the Swedes to reaffirm the purchase. Having learned of the fall of Fort Casimir, the Dutch sent Stuyvesant to drive
10206-619: The hearts of the people with his continual and indefatigable pains day and night in helping to quench the Fire", wrote a witness in a letter on 8 September. In 1672, the Royal African Company received a new charter from Charles II. It set up forts and factories, maintained troops, and exercised martial law in West Africa in pursuit of trade in gold, silver and African slaves. In the 1680s, the RAC transported about 5,000 slaves
10332-435: The highest natural point in Delaware at 448 feet (137 m), is located in New Castle County. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was built through New Castle County, and adjoining Cecil County, Maryland, between 1822 and 1829. Almost all of the county has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) except for the highest area around Ebright Azimuth where the climate is hot-summer humid continental ( Dfa .) The hardiness zone
10458-414: The highest offices of his kingdoms, and received at his court the papal nuncio , Ferdinando d'Adda , the first representative from Rome to London since the reign of Mary I . Edward Petre , James's Jesuit confessor, was a particular object of Anglican ire. When the King's Secretary of State , the Earl of Sunderland , began replacing office-holders at court with "Papist" favourites, James began to lose
10584-641: The invading army, despite his army's numerical superiority. On 11 December, James tried to flee to France, first throwing the Great Seal of the Realm into the River Thames . He was captured in Kent ; later, he was released and placed under Dutch protective guard. Having no desire to make James a martyr, William let him escape on 23 December. James was received by his cousin and ally, Louis XIV, who offered him
10710-579: The issue of writs for a general election . However, upon realising in September that William of Orange was going to land in England, James withdrew the writs and subsequently wrote to the lord-lieutenants to inquire over allegations of abuses committed during the regulations and election preparations, as part of the concessions he made to win support. In April 1688, James re-issued the Declaration of Indulgence, subsequently ordering Anglican clergy to read it in their churches. When seven bishops , including
10836-425: The line of succession established in the Bill of Rights were extinguished, the crown would go to a German cousin, Sophia, Electress of Hanover , and to her Protestant heirs. Sophia was a granddaughter of James VI and I through his eldest daughter, Elizabeth Stuart , the sister of Charles I . Thus, when Anne died in 1714 (less than two months after the death of Sophia), she was succeeded by George I , Sophia's son,
10962-416: The name of " Loyal Parliament ", was initially favourable to James, who had stated that most former exclusionists would be forgiven if they acquiesced to his rule. Most of Charles's officers continued in office, the exceptions being the promotion of James's brothers-in-law, the earls of Clarendon and Rochester , and the demotion of Halifax . Parliament granted James a generous life income, including all of
11088-478: The national winner in every presidential election. It became the longest-running national bellwether after 1996, when Okanogan County, Washington , voted for Bob Dole . In 2000, Valencia County, New Mexico became the longest presidential bellwether. Former governor Ronald Reagan won the county by just one vote over President Jimmy Carter in 1980. The county was won by the Republican presidential candidate from 1980 through 1988. This changed when Bill Clinton won
11214-452: The northern border of New Castle County as it currently exists. In 1685, the western border was finally established by King James II; this was set as a line from Old Cape Henlopen (presently Fenwick ) west to the middle of the peninsula and north up to the middle of the peninsula to the 40th parallel. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 494 square miles (1,280 km), of which 426 square miles (1,100 km)
11340-463: The northern tip of Artificial Island , adjacent to Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey . New Castle County, like all of Delaware's counties, is subdivided into hundreds . New Castle County is apportioned into eleven hundreds: Brandywine, Christiana, Wilmington (the city of Wilmington, which, by law, is a hundred in itself), Mill Creek, White Clay Creek, Pencader, New Castle, Red Lion, St. Georges, Appoquinimink, and Blackbird. Ebright Azimuth ,
11466-792: The parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the English Jesuit college at Saint-Omer , while the flesh from his right arm was given to the English Augustinian nuns of Paris. The rest of James's body was laid to rest in a triple sarcophagus (consisting of two wooden coffins and one of lead) at the St Edmund's Chapel in the Church of the English Benedictines in the Rue Saint-Jacques, Paris , with
11592-542: The pilot about the navigation of the ship before it ran aground on a sandbank, and then delayed abandoning ship, which may have contributed to the death toll. In 1683, a plot was uncovered to assassinate Charles II and his brother and spark a republican revolution to re-establish a government of the Cromwellian style . The conspiracy, known as the Rye House Plot , backfired upon its conspirators and provoked
11718-551: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.6% were of Irish , 11.4% Italian , 10.9% German , 8.8% English and 5.4% Polish ancestry. 89.5% spoke English and 5.3% Spanish as their first language. There were 188,935 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.60% were married couples living together, 13.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who
11844-463: The population. In terms of ancestry, 19.2% were Irish , 15.0% were German , 11.7% were Italian , 11.3% were English , 6.2% were Polish , and 3.0% were American . Of the 202,651 households, 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.5% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size
11970-514: The post of Lord High Admiral. His conversion to Roman Catholicism was thereby made public. King Charles II opposed James's conversion, ordering that James's daughters, Mary and Anne, be raised in the Church of England. Nevertheless, he allowed the widowed James to marry Mary of Modena , a fifteen-year-old Italian princess. James and Mary were married by proxy in a Roman Catholic ceremony on 20 September 1673. On 21 November, Mary arrived in England and Nathaniel Crew , Bishop of Oxford , performed
12096-502: The primacy of the English Parliament over the Crown. James succeeded to the throne with widespread support, largely due to a reluctance to undermine the principle of hereditary succession, and the belief that a Catholic monarchy was purely temporary. However, tolerance of his personal views did not extend to Catholicism in general, and both the English and Scottish parliaments refused to pass measures viewed as undermining
12222-568: The primacy of the Protestant religion. His attempts to impose them by decree met with opposition, and as a result, it has been argued it was a political principle, rather than a religious one, that ultimately led to his removal. In June 1688, two events turned dissent into a crisis. Firstly, the birth of James's son and heir James Francis Edward Stuart on 10 June raised the prospect of a Catholic dynasty, excluding his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William III, Prince of Orange , who
12348-499: The proceeds of tonnage and poundage and the customs duties. James worked harder as king than his brother had, but was less willing to compromise when his advisers disagreed with his policies. Soon after becoming king, James faced a rebellion in southern England led by his nephew, the Duke of Monmouth, and another rebellion in Scotland led by Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll . Monmouth and Argyll both began their expeditions from Holland , where James's nephew and son-in-law,
12474-491: The process of imaging further back with the eventual goal of all documents in the office's possession being available electronically. Computerized indexing and searching is also available. The register of wills is Ciro Poppiti, III. His office receives and records wills and small-estate affidavits upon an individual's death, and issues letters of administration to estate executors . The sheriff of New Castle County has two divisions, criminal and civil. The criminal division
12600-596: The rebels to transportation and indentured servitude in the West Indies in a series of trials that came to be known as the Bloody Assizes . Around 250 of the rebels were executed. While both rebellions were defeated easily, they hardened James's resolve against his enemies and increased his suspicion of the Dutch. To protect himself from further rebellions, James sought safety by enlarging his standing army . This alarmed his subjects, not only because of
12726-518: The repression of Whigs and dissenters . Taking advantage of James's rebounding popularity, Charles invited him back onto the Privy Council in 1684. While some in the English Parliament remained wary of the possibility of a Roman Catholic king, the threat of excluding James from the throne had passed. Charles II died on 6 February 1685 from apoplexy , after supposedly converting to Catholicism on his deathbed. Having no legitimate children, he
12852-466: The rest of the surrounding land, was transferred from the Colony of New York to the possession of William Penn , who established the Colony of Delaware. In September 1673, a Dutch council established a court at New Castle with the boundaries defined as north of Steen Kill (present-day Stoney Creek) and south to Bomties Hook (renamed Bombay Hook). In 1681, a 12-mile arc was drawn to specifically delineate
12978-479: The royal government. James returned to England for a time when Charles was stricken ill and appeared to be near death. The hysteria of the accusations eventually faded, but James's relations with many in the English Parliament, including the Earl of Danby , a former ally, were forever strained and a solid segment turned against him. On 6 May 1682, James narrowly escaped the sinking of HMS Gloucester , in which between 130 and 250 people perished. James argued with
13104-536: The same time, James provided partial toleration in Scotland, using his dispensing power to grant relief to Roman Catholics and partial relief to Presbyterians. In 1688, James ordered the Declaration read from the pulpits of every Anglican church, further alienating the Anglican bishops against the Supreme Governor of their church . While the Declaration elicited some thanks from its beneficiaries, it left
13230-552: The seat of government and capital of the New Sweden colony. Peter Stuyvesant , Governor of New Netherland , sailed up the South River in 1651. He purchased land from the Lenape that covered Minquas Kill to Bompties Hook ( Bombay Hook ); the Lenape had sold part of the property to the Swedes in 1638. Stuyvesant began to build Fort Casimir (contemporary New Castle ). In 1654, Johan Risingh , commissary and councilor to
13356-464: The south side of Christina Kill to Bombay Hook , and as far west as Minquas land. This land was known as the Colony of The city. On December 22, 1663, the Dutch transferred property rights to the territory along the Delaware River to England. In 1664, the duke of York, James , was granted this land by King Charles II . One of the first acts by the Duke was to order removal of all Dutch from New Amsterdam ; he renamed New Amstel as New Castle. In 1672,
13482-525: The summer. County-wide overlay district: New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District 39°35′N 75°38′W / 39.58°N 75.64°W / 39.58; -75.64 List of counties in Delaware The U.S. state of Delaware is divided into three counties , the fewest of any state in the United States : New Castle , Kent and Sussex . The origin of
13608-569: The suspension of the Test Acts, the prosecution of the Seven Bishops for merely petitioning the Crown, the establishment of a standing army, and the imposition of cruel punishments. The Declaration was the basis for the Bill of Rights enacted later in 1689. The Bill also declared that henceforth, no Roman Catholic was permitted to ascend the English throne, nor could any English monarch marry
13734-494: The town of New Castle was incorporated and English law ordered. However, in 1673, the Dutch attacked the territory, reclaiming it for their own. On September 12, 1673, the Dutch established New Amstel in present-day Delaware , fairly coterminous with today's New Castle County. The establishment was not stable, and it was transferred to the British under the Treaty of Westminster on February 9, 1674. On November 6, 1674, New Amstel
13860-545: The trouble soldiers caused in the towns, but because it was against the English tradition to keep a professional army in peacetime. Even more alarming to Parliament was James's use of his dispensing power to allow Roman Catholics to command several regiments without having to take the oath mandated by the Test Act. When even the previously supportive Parliament objected to these measures, James ordered Parliament prorogued in November 1685, never to meet again in his reign. At
13986-520: The undeveloped farmland. The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code , which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties, is provided with each entry. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county. James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 O.S. – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from
14112-439: The water distribution system, which is owned and operated by several private companies. In general, it also does not maintain stormwater management facilities within subdivisions. Access to 911 emergency services is provided by New Castle County through their emergency communications center for all fire/rescue/emergency medical services (EMS) throughout the county and the majority of police services, though Newark, Wilmington, and
14238-567: Was Joe Biden , the 46th and current president of the United States , who represented the 4th district from 1971 to 1973. Current county council members are: As with Delaware's other two counties, New Castle County has no judiciary of its own. All judicial functions, except for Alderman's Courts, are managed and funded by the state of Delaware . In New Castle County, only the cities of Newport and Newark have alderman's courts. These courts have jurisdiction over driving offenses, misdemeanor criminal charges, and minor civil claims. The county retains
14364-464: Was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 37.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 62,474 and the median income for a family was $ 78,072. Males had a median income of $ 52,637 versus $ 41,693 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 31,220. About 6.6% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over. As of
14490-458: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 31.50% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males. The median income for
14616-514: Was also his nephew. Secondly, the prosecution of the Seven Bishops was seen as an assault on the Church of England , and their acquittal on 30 June destroyed his political authority. Ensuing anti-Catholic riots in England and Scotland led to a general feeling that only James's removal could prevent another civil war. Leading members of the English political class invited William to assume
14742-404: Was also known as Hoornkill, and is now the town of Lewes . The court at New Castle was left with the central portion of the colony. The jurisdiction left to the court at became New Castle County , and the county seat remained at New Castle until 1881 when it was moved to Wilmington . In 1680, Whorekill District was divided into Deale County and St. Jones County. After this division, Lewes became
14868-407: Was declared Queen; she was to rule jointly with her husband William, who would be King. On 11 April 1689, the Parliament of Scotland declared James to have forfeited the throne of Scotland as well. The Convention Parliament issued a Declaration of Right on 12 February that denounced James for abusing his power, and proclaimed many limitations on royal authority. The abuses charged to James included
14994-409: Was made dependent on New York Colony, and was renamed New Castle on November 11, 1674. On September 22, 1676, New Castle County was formally placed under the Duke of York's laws. It gained land from Upland County on November 12, 1678. On June 21, 1680, St. Jones County was carved from New Castle County. It is known today as Kent County, Delaware . On August 24, 1682, New Castle County, along with
15120-640: Was not there in person to promote such a law. In response, the Parliament passed an Act that stated, "whoever should preach in a conventicle under a roof, or should attend, either as preacher or as a hearer, a conventicle in the open air, should be punished with death and confiscation of property". In March 1686, James sent a letter to the Scottish Privy Council advocating toleration for Roman Catholics but not for rebellious Presbyterian Covenanters. Presbyterians would later call this period " The Killing Time ". James allowed Roman Catholics to occupy
15246-521: Was often maligned, with Gilbert Burnet famously remarking that James's mistresses must have been "given [to] him by his priests as a penance". Anne Hyde died in 1671. After the Restoration, James was confirmed as Lord High Admiral, an office that carried with it the subsidiary appointments of Governor of Portsmouth and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports . Charles II also made his brother
15372-484: Was succeeded by his brother James, who reigned in England and Ireland as James II and in Scotland as James VII. There was little initial opposition to James's accession, and there were widespread reports of public rejoicing at the orderly succession. He wished to proceed quickly to the coronation, and he and Mary were crowned at Westminster Abbey on 23 April 1685. The new Parliament that assembled in May 1685, which gained
15498-450: Was taken as a prisoner to Edinburgh. A new trial was not commenced because Argyll had previously been tried and sentenced to death. The King confirmed the earlier death sentence and ordered that it be carried out within three days of receiving the confirmation. Monmouth's rebellion was coordinated with Argyll's, but was more dangerous to James. Monmouth had proclaimed himself King at Lyme Regis on 11 June. He attempted to raise recruits but
15624-524: Was taken to London and held with his younger siblings Henry , Elizabeth and Henrietta in St James's Palace . Frustrated by their inability to agree terms with Charles I, and with his brother Charles out of reach in France , Parliament considered making James king. James was ordered by his father to escape, and, with the help of Joseph Bampfield , in April 1648 successfully evaded his guards and crossed
15750-511: Was ultimately defeated at the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690 O.S. when William arrived, personally leading an army to defeat James and reassert English control. James fled to France once more, departing from Kinsale , never to return to any of his former kingdoms. Because he deserted his Irish supporters, James became known in Ireland as Séamus an Chaca or "James the shit". Despite this popular perception, later historian Breandán Ó Buachalla argues that "Irish political poetry for most of
15876-503: Was unable to gather enough rebels to defeat even James's small standing army. Monmouth's soldiers attacked the King's army at night, in an attempt at surprise, but were defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor . The King's forces, led by Feversham and Churchill, quickly dispersed the ill-prepared rebels. Monmouth was captured and later executed at the Tower of London on 15 July. The King's judges—most notably, George Jeffreys —condemned many of
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