Edward Griswold Additional Biographical

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Edward Griswold (bef.1607-abt.1691)

The following is a lengthy and unsourced extraction from John W. Jordan, Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (Lewis Historical Pub. Co., New York, 1915) 3:1709-11 (Edward Griswold in "The Griswold Line"); digital images, Hathi Trust. It was moved here from the sources section of Edward's profile page.

Edward Griswold, son of George Griswold, and brother of Mathew Griswold, was born in Warwickshire, England, about 1607. He came to Connecticut, 1639, at the time of the second visit of George Fenwick, when many other settlers came. He was attorney for a Mr. St. Nicholas, of Warwickshire, who had a house built for him at Windsor and a tract of land impaled, as had also Sir Richard Saltonstall. There were many other prominent Puritans in Warwickshire intending to settle in the colonies, when a change in the political conditions in England caused them to stay there. Rev. Ephraim Hewitt and the Wylys family were two others from Warwickshire. Edward Griswold had a grant of land at Poquonock, to which he removed in 1649, when his house was the outpost of the colony. It was on the site of the Eliphalet S. Ladd house, having the Tunxis river on the south and west. He was active in public affairs. In 1650 he helped build the fort at Springfield for Pynchon. He was a deputy to the general court from Windsor in 1656, and every season but one afterward until the new charter was granted. He was a prominent settler of Homonosett or West Saybrook, whither, about 1663, he removed with his younger children, deeding to his sons George and Joseph his Windsor property, reserving a small annuity. The settlement was organized as a town in 1667, and received the name of his Englisli birthplace and home, Kenilworth, which became strangely perverted in the spelling to Killingworth, and is now Clinton, Connecticut. He was the first deputy from the town, magistrate and deputy for more than twenty years, 1662 to 1688-89, and was succeeded in office by his son John. The colonial records show him to have been an active and influential member of the legislature, accomplishing much good. He had the pleasure of meeting his own son Francis and brother Mathew in office, and there has scarcely been a time since when the family has not been represented in the legislature of the province and state. In 1678 he was on the committee to establish a Latin school at New London ; he was deacon of the Killingworth church; died there in 1691, aged eighty-four years. He married (first) in England, in 1630, Margaret , who died August 23, 1670. Her gravestone is the oldest in the burial ground at Clinton, formerly Killingworth. He married (second) 1672-73, Sarah Bemis, widow of James Bemis, of New London. Children of first wife: Sarah, born 1631, in England; George, mentioned below; Frances, 1635; Lydia, 1637; Sarah, 1638, married (first) November 10, 1650, Samuel Phelps, (second) July 21, 1670, Nathaniel Pomeroy; Ann, baptized June 19, 1642, at Windsor ; Mary, baptized October 1, 1644, married, March 19, 1661, Timothy Phelps; Deborah, June 28, 1646, married Samuel Buell ; Joseph, born and baptized March 12, 1647; Samuel, born and baptized November 16, 1649, died July 6, 1672; John, born and baptized August 16, 1652.