Matthew Griswold (governor)

Matthew Griswold ( born March 25, 1714 Lyme, Connecticut, † April 28, 1799 ) was an American politician and Governor of the State of Connecticut 1784-1786 He was also vice-governor and held the office of Chief Justice ( highest state judges. ) Superior Court of Justice (English Superior Court ) during the American Revolution ( 1769-1784 ). He was a member of the Federalist Party.

Early years

Matthew Griswold was the eldest son of John Griswold, politicians and landowners, and Hannah ( Lee) Griswold. He was the fourth generation of his family who lived in Connecticut. His family immigrated in 1639 from England to America. They were among the wealthiest and most respected families in Lyme. Some Griswold clad over generations public offices in Connecticut.

Griswold studied law while he was in his mid twenties, and then in 1742 opened his own law practice in Lyme. He married Governor Roger Wolcott's daughter Ursula on November 10, 1743rd The couple had seven children together. Her son Roger Griswold was later governor of Connecticut.

The Revolution

Griswold 1748 General Assembly elected to the Connecticut, where he also served 1751-1759 then. He was then elected to the Council of Assistants, where he worked from 1759 to 1769. Griswold and eight other Council members were staunch opponents against the Stamp Act of 1765, as Governor Thomas Fitch was forced to swear an oath to support it. Then Griswold was a member of the Sons of Liberty (English Sons of Liberty ), who protested publicly against the Stamp Act.

Between 1769 and 1784, he was elected each succeeding year to the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut. In this position, he also served as Chief Justice of the Superior Court operates. During this time he worked with education and was a member of a committee to improve the teaching activities at the Yale College. Yale awarded him a Doctor of Laws in 1779 then.

Griswold was a staunch supporter of the colonial cause during the American Revolution. He served in many committees that monitored the movements of troops, military equipment, food and defense. He focused in particular on the defense of American ships and Connecticut shoreline.

Governor and later years

After the end of the war Griswold was elected in 1784 by the General Assembly to the Governor of Connecticut. In the regular election took place before he missed namely the majority of votes. He was re-elected in 1785, but lost in 1786 to Samuel Huntington. In 1788, he was then. , Delegate of President of Lyme Connecticut Convention which ratified the new Constitution of the United States

When Ursula Griswold died later in 1788, to Matthew Griswold retired from public life. From then on, he continued, his family, Blackhall to manage until his death on 28 April 1799.

His brother in law was Rev. Jonathan Parsons, father of General Samuel Holden Parsons. His sister Sarah Griswold was the mother of James Hillhouse.

References

Connecticut State Library - Matthew Griswold. Retrieved on 19 May 2006.