Matthew Griswold (governor)
| Matthew Griswold | |
|---|---|
| 17th Governor of Connecticut | |
|
In office May 13, 1784 – May 11, 1786 |
|
| Lieutenant | Samuel Huntington |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Trumbull |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Huntington |
| 1st Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut | |
|
In office 1776–1784 |
|
| Governor | Jonathan Trumbull |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Huntington |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 25, 1714 Lyme, Connecticut |
| Died | April 28, 1799 (aged 85) Lyme, Connecticut |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse(s) | Ursula Wolcott |
| Children | Roger Griswold |
Matthew Griswold (March 25, 1714 – April 28, 1799) was the 17th Governor of Connecticut from 1784 to 1786. He also served as the first Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of the Superior Court, during the American Revolution (1769–1784).
Matthew Griswold was born in Lyme, Connecticut, the eldest son of John Griswold, politician and landowner, and Hannah (Lee) Griswold. He was the fourth generation of his family to live in Connecticut; the Griswold Family family had emigrated there from England in 1639. They were one of the wealthiest and most respected families in Lyme; several Griswolds served in public office in Connecticut over the generations. 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.
...
Wikipedia