ThegovernorsofConnecticut Norton CalvinFrederick I'his e dition is limited to one thousand copies of which this is No tbe A uthor Affectionately Dedicates Cbis Book Co George merriman of Bristol, Connecticut "tbe Cruest, noblest ana Best friend T €oer fia<T Copyrighted, 1 905, by Frederick Calvin Norton Printed by Dorman Lithographing Company at New Haven Governors Connecticut Biographies o f the Chief Executives of the Commonwealth that gave to the World the First Written Constitution known to History By F REDERICK CALVIN NORTON Illustrated w ith reproductions from oil paintings at the State Capitol and facsimile sig natures from official documents MDCCCCV Patron's E dition published by THE CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE Company at Hartford, Connecticut. ByV I a y of Introduction WHILE I w as living in the home of that sturdy Puritan governor, William Leete, — my native town of Guil ford, — the idea suggested itself to me that inasmuch as a collection of the biographies of the chief executives of Connecticut had never been made, the work would afford an interesting and agreeable undertaking. This was in the year 1895. 1 began the task, but before it had far progressed it offered what seemed to me insurmountable obstacles, so that for a time the collection of data concerning the early rulers of the state was entirely abandoned. A few years later the work was again resumed and carried to completion. The manuscript was requested by a magazine editor for publication and appeared serially in " The Connecticut Magazine." To R ev. Samuel Hart, D.D., president of the Connecticut Historical Society, I express my gratitude for his assistance in deciding some matters which were subject to controversy. Many current but unreliable anecdotes I have omitted after careful con sideration, and much care has been taken to record entertainingly only facts that are of essential interest and worth to the public-at- large. Knowing the inclination of both dates and data to become distorted, I secured the services of Mr. Frederick E. Norton, of the editorial staff of the "Hartford Courant," — a name-sake by chance,— to edit my original manuscript by verifying every fact and date herein given by his own original research. ByV I a y of Introduction Im a under obligation to several persons for many favors shown and valuable assistance cheerfully given in securing the material for these sketches. My thanks are especially due to the late Charles Jeremy Hoadly, LL.D., long time librarian of the Connecticut State Library. One of the ripest historians of this or any other generation, his vast storehouse of historical information was always open to investigators. Dr. Hoadly furnished many facts for the compilation of the following sketches which the author desires to publicly acknowledge. Professor F ranklin Bowditch Dexter, assistant librarian of Yale University, placed at my disposal much valuable information in the shape of rare books, pamphlets, etc., not elsewhere to be found, which assisted materially in the preparation of these sketches. Few scholars of this or any other state are as ready and willing to assist students of history in their investigation as Professor Dexter. Among t he volumes consulted may be specially mentioned the " History of Hartford County," edited by Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull and Mr. Charles Hopkins Clark. This work contains some valuable articles by Miss Mary K. Talcott on the original proprietors of Hartford, and from these articles were obtained many facts of interest regarding the early governors of Connecticut colony. The " Civil and Judicial History of Connecticut," edited by the late Judge Dwight Loomis, contributed many important details regarding the lives of the chief executives who were mem bers of the legal profession. Trumbull's, Hollister's and Barber's By W ay of Introduction general h istories of Connecticut, were freely consulted, as well as that unique and brilliant volume, " Connecticut : A Study of a Commonwealth Democracy" by the late lamented Professor Alexander Johnston of Princeton University. All t hat I have attempted in this the first collected account of the governors of Connecticut is to place in a concise and per manent form the principal events in the life of each governor from John Haynes of Coddicot to Henry Roberts of Hartford. Fifty-eight m en have been chosen governors of Connecticut in the last two hundred and sixty-seven years. Including the royal governor, popularly known as a usurper, there are therefore fifty-nine biographies in this book, appearing in the consecutive order in which each one was first called to the governorship. The s ubject has been more and more fascinating during the years that I have worked at it ; and now that I am about to dis miss the last page of my book it is with the hope that the work will fill a place in the biographical history of our Commonwealth. Its i indeed my own fond intention to make, at some time in years to come, when time permits, a still further study of the lives of the founders of Connecticut. Frederick C alvin Norton Bristol, C onnecticut First Day of December Nineteen Hundred and Five Digest o f the Governors of Connect icu NPage umber Biography Full N ame of Governor Born Birthplace Education I 1 John H aynes 1594 Coddicot, E ng. II i Edward H opkins 1 6 00 Shrewsbury, E ng. III 13 George W yllys 1570 Fenny C ompton, Eng. University IV 19 Thomas W elles 1598 •London, E ng. V John W ebster •Warwickshire, E ng. VI 28 John W inthrop 1606 Groton M anor, Eng. Trinity C ollege (Dublin, I re.) VII 35 William L eete 1612 Dodington, E ng. For t he Bar VIII 4i Robert T reat 1622 ♦Pitminster, E ng. Royal 47 Sir E dmund Andros 1637 London, E ng. Royal C ourt IX 57 Fitz-John W inthrop 1639 Ipswich, M ass. Harvard C ollege X 63 Gurdon S altonstall 1666 Haverhill, M ass. Harvard C ollege XI 69 Joseph T alcott 1669 Hartford, C onn. XII 75 Jonathan L aw 1674 Milford, C onn. Harvard C ollege XIII 81 Roger W olcott 1679 Windsor, C onn. Self - Educated XIV 87 Thomas F itch 1700 Norwalk, C onn. Yale C ollege XV 93 William P itkin 1694 East H artford, Conn. XVI 99 Jonathan T rumbull 1710 Lebanon, C onn. Harvard C ollege XVII 107 Matthew G riswold 1714 Lyme, C onn. Self-Educated XVIII 113 Samuel H untington 1731 Windham, C onn. Self-Educated XIX 119 Oliver W olcott 1726 Windsor, C onn. Yale C ollege XX 127 Jonathan T rumbull, 2nd 1740 Lebanon, C onn. Harvard C ollege XXI 133 John T readwell 1745 Farmington, C onn. Yale C ollege XXII 139 Roger G riswold 1762 Lyme, C onn. Yale C ollege XXIII 145 John C otton Smith 1765 Sharon, C onn. Yale C ollege XXIV 151 Oliver W olcott 1760 Litchfield, C onn. Yale C ollege * N ot fully authenticated. tabulated C ontents of this Volume Agewhen Chosen Occupation Residence Aged When C hosen When C hosen Datef o Yearsf o Governor Governor j S ervice Service Died Biography Land O wner Hartford 45 1639-41,43.45. 8 1653-4 59 I (planter) 47.49.51.53 Trading Hartford 40 1640,44,46,48, 7 1657 57 II Merchant 50,52,54 Land O wner Hartford 72 1642-43 1 1645 75 III (planter) Land O wner Hartford 57 8«655. 5 2 1660 62 IV (planter) Land O wner Hartford 1656-57 1 1661 V (planter) Adventurer New L ondon 51 J657. 5 9-76 18 1676 70 VI and S cholar Magistrate Guilford 64 1676-83 7 1683 71 VII Military Milford 61 15 1710 89 VIII Leader Military New Y ork 50 1687-89 iyr. 1714 77 Royal 6 m os. Military New L ondon 60 1698-1707 9 1707 69 IX Clergyman New L ondon 42 1708-25 17 1724 58 X Military Hartford 56 1725-42 17 1741 72 xi Judiciary Milford 68 1742-51 9 1750 76 XII Military Windsor 72 1751-54 3 1767 89 XIII Lawyer Norwalk 54 1754-66 12 1774 74 XIV Judiciary Hartford 72 1766-69 3 1769 75 XV Merchant- Lebanon 59 1769-84 15 1/85 75 XVI Lawyer Lawyer Lyme 70 1784-86 2 1799" 85 XVII Lawyer Norwich 55 1786-96 9 y rs. 1796 65 XVIII 8 m os. Physician Litchfield 70 1796-97 1 y r. 1797 7i XIX 11 m os. Statesman Lebanon 57 1 7 97-1 809 11 y rs. 18C9 69 XX 8 m os. Judiciary Farmington 64 1 8 09- 1 1 1 y r. 1823 78 XXI 9 m os. Statesman Lyme 49 1811-12 1 y r. J812 50 XXII 5 m os. Judiciary Sharon 47 1812-17 4 y rs. 1845 80 XXIII 7 m os. Manufacturer Litchfield 57 1817-27 10 1833 XXIV (Statesman) 73 * A ges are given i 1 l acked a few weeks of the age recorded. Digest o f the Governors of Connect /cut U 3a Biography 55 Full N ame of Governor Born Birthplace Education & P.cd XXV 161 Gideon T omlinson 1780 Stratford, C onn. Yale C ollege XXVI 167 John S amuel Peters 1772 Hebron, C onn. Self-Educated XXVII 173 Henry W aggaman Edwards 1779 New H aven, Conn. fCollege o New J ersey XXVIII 177 Samuel A ugustus Foote 1780 Cheshire, C onn. Yale C ollege XXIX 183 William W olcott Ellsworth 1 7 91 Windsor, C onn. Yale C ollege XXX 189 Chauncey F itch Cleveland 1799 Canterbury, C onn.