Francis (Frank) Richard Stockton was born in Blockley, Pennsylvania, a township of Philadelphia, on April 5, 1834. His parents were William Smith Stockton, a Methodist minister, superintendent of the Philadelphia Alms House, and writer, and Emily Hepsibeth Drean Stockton, a school administrator. In 1860, Stockton married Marian Edwards Tuttle, a teacher from South Carolina. Stockton lived in the Philadelphia area for most of his life. His later years were spent in New Jersey, West Virginia, and New York. Stockton’s first major success arrived with the 1879 publication of Rudder Grange, a collection of stories based on a married couple and their servant. His most famous work, however, was the short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger?” which was published in 1882 by Century magazine and brought Stockton much acclaim. This story, with its ambiguous ending, has been adapted into a play version, a film version, and addressed by Robert Browning in a poem and by scholars in the Hindu community. In 1887, The Bee Man of Orn and Other Fanciful Tales was published and further helped Stockton earn the reputation as one of the greatest humorists and children’s authors of his time. Stockton published most of his works under the title “Frank R. Stockton.” However, he was also known to publish works under the pseudonyms “Paul Fort” and “John Lewees,” which he derived from the names of his siblings.
Stockton died of cerebral hemorrhage on April 20, 1902, in Washington D.C. He is buried in the Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.