A graduate of the College of New Jersey located in Newark (now Princeton University) in 1748, Stockton was admitted to the bar in the state and earned a reputation in the legal field. He went on to become a member of the state executive council in 1768 and was raised to the supreme court bench of New Jersey in 1774. Prior to signing, Stockton tried first to effect a reconciliation between the colonies and England. Sent to Continental Congress in 1776 by the provincial congress, Stockton was arrested and held prisoner at Provost Prison in New York where he was starved and subjected to freezing weather. After being held for five weeks, Stockton’s health was compromised, his property and library pillaged and burned and his fortune eradicated.

Source:
https://freemasoninformation.com/masonic-education/famous/united-states-masonic-founding-fathers/