Marc Cole
Little is known about Thomas Stone. We know that he was a diligent and capable lawyer and a devoted family man. We know that he was good with his hands, building his family home which he named Haberdeventure, meaning a “dwelling place in the winds.” We know that the home remained in the family for five generations and is now an historical landmark. He would be proud of that.
We know that he was a peace-loving man who had little in common stylistically with the likes of Sam Adams and John Hancock. They seemed to be eager for the fight. Stone had no such reputation. A reputation of decency, integrity, and ability, yes. But he was not one to look to for fiery oratory, or to dump British tea into a harbor.
We know that he provided for his own children and also took in six other family members when his father died. And we know that when his beloved wife became ill, he scaled back his political and legal activities to spend time with her and their children.
Thomas Stone was basically a country lawyer who desired to live a quiet but productive life, providing for his family, practicing law and participating in the affairs of Maryland.
Though there is no real record of him campaigning for a position, he was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He served capably and quietly, almost never speaking in the Congress.
Were it not for a single act, perhaps we would not even know the name of Thomas Stone today. And that is probably the way he would want it.
Yet, when this quiet, unassuming, humble lawyer, husband and father was called upon to pledge his life, fortune and sacred honor in the cause of independence, he was there.
He signed. He could not have known what that would entail. But he signed anyway.
Two hundred years later, President Reagan would keep a plaque in his office which read simply, 
That pretty well summarizes the life of Thomas Stone. We do well to reflect on that powerful legacy.
Check out Mark’s book: Lives, Fortunes, Sacred Honor: The Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence
