Matthew Griswold (1714 - 1799)

Born 25 Mar 1714 in Lyme, New London, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Ursula (Wolcott) Griswold — married 10 Nov 1743 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 28 Apr 1799 at age 85 in Lyme, New London, Connecticut, USA

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Preceded by 16th Governor Jonathan Trumbull

Matthew Griswold 17th Governor of Connecticut 1784—1786

Succeeded by 18th Governor Samuel Huntington

Biography

Matthew Griswold is Notable.

Matthew was the 17th Governor of Connecticut from 1784 to 1786. ^[1][2]. He also served as the first Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of the Superior Court, during the American Revolution (1769–1784). They were one of the wealthiest and most respected families in Lyme; several Griswolds served in public office in Connecticut over the generations. Matthew was also a Captain in 'The Train Band', a local militia in 1739. In his mid-twenties, he decided to study law. He was admitted to the New London Bar in 1742 and opened a practice in Lyme. Many of his legal cases involved settling estates and collecting debts. He became a well-liked and respected teacher of the law as well and over the years developed the one of the first and finest collections of law books in Connecticut. He married then Deputy Governor Roger Wolcott's daughter Ursula on November 10, 1743, and had seven children with her. Their son, Roger Griswold, later also became Governor of Connecticut.

His reputation as a fair and hard working lawyer won Griswold the appointment of King's Attorney for New London County. The King's Attorney represented the interests of England and her colonies in court. That Griswold held this position for over thirty years stands as a testimony to both his ability as a lawyer and his fair-mindedness. Griswold's busy law practice, as well as his duties as King's Attorney, left much of the management of Black Hall to Ursula.

Griswold was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1748, and from 1751 to 1759. He was then elected to the Council of Assistants, serving from 1759 to 1769. Griswold and eight other Council-members demonstrated opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765 when Governor Thomas Fitch was required to take an oath to support it. Griswold became a member of the Sons of Liberty, who publicly protested the Stamp Act.^[3]

In each of the years from 1769 to 1784, he was elected Deputy Governor of Connecticut. In that position, he also served as Chief Justice of the Superior Court. During this time, he was concerned about education, and was a member of a committee to improved teaching at Yale College. Yale awarded him a Doctor of Laws in 1779, in appreciation.^[4].

He is buried at Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme, New London County, CT.

Name

Matthew Griswold^[5][6][7]

Birth

25 Mar 1714 Lyme, New London, Connecticut^[5][6][7]

Marriage

10 Nov 1743 Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut^[6]

Death

Old Duck River Cemetery

28 Apr 1799 Lyme, New London, Connecticut^[5]

Note

Gov. Matthew Griswold

Family-Links-Founders-Bridges-Monuments-New-England_Page_4

Sources

• Pease, John Chauncey & Niles, John Milton. A Gazetteer of the States of Connecticut and Rhode-Island (William S. Marsh, 1819) Page 161
• Norton, Frederic C. "Biographies of the Covernors of Connecticut" The Connecticut Magazine (Connecticut Magazine Company) Vol. 7, Page 172
• Connecticut, Deaths and Burials Index, 1650-1934

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=fsconnecticutdeath&h=685919&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Birth: abt 1714. Death: 28 Apr 1799 Connecticut.

• Ancestry Family Trees (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com) http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=354886&pid=1854
• Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004)

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=worldmarr_ga&h=501062&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Birth: 1714 CT. Marriage: 1743 WI

• The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Vol. 1-55. 1994-2002.

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=ctvitalsbarbour&h=609751&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Birth: 25 Mar 1714 Lyme

• No. 3145, pg 623 - Hollister Family of America compiled by Lafayette Wallace Case, MD 1886 - https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=5eNUAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA1

Footnotes

1. ↑ Wikipedia: List_of_Governors_of_Connecticut
2. ↑ https://museumofcthistory.org/2015/08/roger-wolcott/
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Matthew_Griswold_(governor)#cite_note-1
4. ↑ Wikipedia: Matthew_Griswold_(governor)#cite_note-2
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Connecticut, Deaths
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Yates
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Barbour