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S June 26, 2026
A special publication of the Coastal Point celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday.
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Where did Sussex County fall on the Revolution? By Darin J. McCann Executive Editor Like the rest of the budding nation at the time, residents of Sussex County were divided over the idea of a revolution amongst the colonists to split away from British rule. While Kent and Sussex Counties were both firmly on the Patriot side (Whigs), much of Sussex County was considered a hotbed of Loyalists (Tories). “It has been variously estimated that anywhere from half to four-fifths of the 14,000 Sussex Countians in 1776 were loyalists to King George,” per the Sussex County website. “There were several assemblymen and respected politicians here in Sussex County that by 1774 had been forced to flee to Canada, with property confiscated and their lives in ruins.” According to the American Revolution Institute (ARI), there were numerous reasons for Sussex County’s loyalist leanings. For starters, Sussex County was isolated from the big cities that were being swept up in patriotic fervor, such as Philadelphia and Boston. “This isolation fostered conservatism and skepticism toward radical change,” it explained. Sussex Countians were also largely Anglican (Church of England), and clergy and members of that denomination were often loyal to the British Crown, which was considered the head of the church. The membership in the Anglican church was far-more pronounced in the southern part of the state than north — which had a much-larger ScotIrish Presbyterian demographic, a group with
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intense animosity to the Crown, per the ARI. And, as is the case with most issues, there were financial considerations at play. Sussex County relied heavily on trade with the British, therefore landowners and merchants certainly benefitted from good relations with Britain. That made them wary of instability or revolution. As Whigs began appearing throughout Sussex County, and British ships started arriving with reinforcements to repel any kind of uprising, the Tories became active in trying to quell local revolutionaries. “By late May [1776], up to 1,500 Tories were roaming the interior Sussex countryside, disarming those favoring independence and reportedly preparing to attack Lewes from an encampment near Cedar Creek, 19 miles north of Lewes,” wrote William H.J. Manthorpe, in an excerpt of his book “Lewes During the Revolution: 1774-1783,” as shared in the Cape Gazette newspaper. Five days after the Delaware Assembly voted to separate from Pennsylvania and separate from the King, “Col. Caesar Rodney brought his militia and a second Continental Battalion to Lewes as a show of force,” wrote Manthorpe. Local Tories Thomas Robinson, Boaz Manlove, Jacob Ingram and Simon Kollock fled to Somerset County, Maryland, where an insurrection was said to be forming.” In 1780, in a spot of land north of Georgetown that is now considered Ellendale, a group of local farmers led the Black Camp Rebellion. Frustrated by taxes being imposed on them by the revolutionary government, the closure of shipping and trade markets and draft laws they felt exploited the poor to carry the risks of the revolution, per the State’s website, the group rose out of the surrounding swamp, stole weapons and stole supplies to attempt to favor the British position. The effort was squashed within a month, thanks to poor organization, a lack of military discipline and an inability to communicate with the British, per the state archives. Militia troops from See REVOLUTION page 14