EDWARD GRISWOLD

• General Notes
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         Edward Griswold was born circa 1607 at England. He was the son of George Griswold and Dousabel Leigh. Edward Griswold was baptized on 26 July 1607 at Wooten Wawen, Warwickshire, England. He married Margaret (?) circa 1628 at England. Edward Griswold married Sarah Dimond, daughter of John Dimond and Rebecca Bemis, before 25 December 1672. Edward Griswold died in 1690.3
         Mr. Edward Griswold came to America at the time of the second visit of Mr. George Fenwick, at which date, also, came a large number of new settlers to the Conn. settlement. It was at a time when many of the gentry of England and wealthy persons connected with the Warwick Patent were intending removal hither; but the breaking out of the Scotch Rebellion compelled King Charles to call a Parliament, and they stayed at home to carry on their struggle with the King and Archbishop Laud. Mr. Griswold undoubtedly came in the interest of some of these patentees. He was attorney for Mr. St. Nicholas of Warwickshire, who had a house built in Windsor, and also a tract of land "impaled" (fenced), as had Sir Richard Saltonstall. The Rev. Ephraim Hit, who came, also in 1639, was from the same parish, as, also, the Wyllys family, who settled at Hartford.
    
    His first location in Windsor is not known; but he had a grant of land in Poquonock, to which re removed, in 1649, accompanied by a few families, who there found an "outpost" settlement. His residence at Poquonock was on the site of the present dwelling of the heirs of the late Eliphalet S. Ladd, and who, on the female side, are Griswold descendants. The spot is a beautiful knoll which overlooks the brook on the west, and the Tunxis River on the south and east. As soon as he had fairly established his home, he began to take that active part i public matters which was natural to a man of his character. In 1650 he built the "Old Fort" at Springfield for Mr. Pyncheon; in 1656 he was a deputy from Windsor to the General Court, and continued, with the exception of one session, to represent the town until the reception of the charter from King Charles. At this time he was the principal promoter of a new settlement authorized by the court, called Hommonoscett, which lay immediately west of Saybrook, and to which, about 1663, he removed with his younger children, deeding to his sons, George and Joseph, who remained behind, his Windsor lands, reserving a small life annuity therefrom. The settlement was organized as a town in 1667 and received,probably from him, the name of his old English home Kenilworth, afterwards corrupted to Killingworth, and now known as clinton. He was the first deputy from Kenilworth and continued to be its magistrate and representative for more than 20 years, 1662 to 1678-89, and 2was succeeded by his son John.
    
    The Colonial Records show him to have been a very active, influential member of the legislature -- pre-eminently one of those men who, in the first half-century, did so much to make the small colony of Connecticut so important a factor in American affairs. As a member of Sessions, he had the pleasure of meeting with his brother Matthew and his own son Francis; and there has, since that time, rarely been an Assembly of Conn., in which some of their lineal descendants have not been members. He was frequently a commissioner; and in 1678, was on a committee for establishing a Latin school in New London, and was first deacon of the Kenilworth church.
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    (1) Edward Griswold, born in England, 1607; married there about 1630, Margaret, whose parentage is unknown. Actual records of his birth and marriage have not been found.
        About 17 August 1639, Rev. Ephraim Huit arrived in Windsor, Connecticut with his company and immediately entered upon his labors assisting Rev. John Warham. Rev. Huit had been pastor at Knowle and Wroxall, Warwickshire, england, Wroxall being a part of Kenilworth parish. He was a religious writer and he was censured by the Bishop of Worcester, which, no doubt, was the moving cause of his organizing his company and for his removal to England. edward and his brother Matthew Griswold were members of this company, and for this reason it had been thought that the records of Knowle and Wroxall would disclose some clue as to the parentage of our ancestors, but thus far they are silent.
        Edward seems to have been an intellectual type and he speedily became prominent in the affairs of the new community at Windsor, exceedingly active, and was frequently mentioned in colonial records. He served as deputy to the General Court 18 August 1658 through 14 March 1660 and 15 May 1662 through11 March 1663. In 1659 he built the Old Fort at Springfield for Mr. Pynchon. He was granted land at Poquonoc Plain but did not remove there until the title of the Indians living there had expired in 1642. He was resident there with two other familes of John Bartlett and Thomas Holcomb, in 1649. His home stood near the highway at the top of the hill and had 29 1/2 acres bounded mostly south and west by Stony Brook and east by the Connecticut River. His sons George and Joseph inherited the homestead.
        In 1663, with his son John, Edward removed to Hammonassett, later called Killingworth. The present Clinton, Connecticut, is the original Killingworth; Main Street is the identical ground where the first settlers took their home lots. These were surveyed in 1663 by Byron Rossiter of Guilford. Edward was one of the first settlers and doubtless suggested the name from Kenilworth Parish in England, and was the most prominent man in the new settlement, given much credit for first organizing this community. He was its first deputy to the General Court.
        Among the names entered as planters by the committe we find Edward Griswold, Samuel Beull, and Jonas Westover, and in 1669 these were recorded as freemen.
        Edward was largely instrumental in organizing the first church and was its first deacon. He frequently served on important civil matters, his services, counsel and guidance evidently much sought after. He served on the committee to establish a Latin school at New London.
        Ancient land records on file at the Office of the Secretary of State, Hartford, Connecticut, show land grants in favor of Edward; one of 200 acres; another of 100 acres given by the town of Killingworth; he was a large landholder showing the spirit of those English settlers to accumulate large land holdings. 
     
        Margaret died 23 August 1670 and is buried in the Congregational Cemetery at Clinton, CT -- her gravestone marked "M.G. 1670" is the oldest monument. However it does not show or indicate the patient devotion nor the hardship endured in that vast wilderness in rearing her family. For many years, it has been debated as to whether her mother was a descendant of edward Winslow, but there seems to be no sure proof yet.
        Edward married second, 1673, Sarah Bemis, widow of James Bemis, constable of New London, who died in 1665. She was the daughter of John Dimond and Rebecca Bemis.
        Edward died in his 84th year, his burial place being unknown, except it may be the vacant space next to that of Margaret.
       
    
    
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    EDWARD'S BROTHER MATHEW'S STORY
    Matthew Griswold1,2 (M)
    b. 1620, d. 27 September 1698
    Pedigree
    
    
         Matthew Griswold was born in 1620 at England. He was the son of George Griswold and Honora Pawley. Matthew Griswold married Anna Wolcott, daughter of Henry Wolcott Sr. and Elizabeth Saunders, on 16 October 1646 at Windsor, Hartford Co., CT. Matthew Griswold died on 27 September 1698 at Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT.
        
    
    Matthew came to Windsor in 1639 with Edward Griswold, his older half brother, and the cngregation of the Rev. Ephraim Huit, but did not remain there long. He became an agent of Lord Fenwick and moved to Saybrook where he received a grant of land in 1645 which became the foundation of a large fortune.
    
    Old Lyme was first settled in 1664 as East Saybrook, and Matthew as the pioneer and its first settler. He was one of the signers of the Articles of Separation in 1665.
    
    Although Matthew was a lawyer, he also followed the trade of a mason, furnishing the stones for many of the graves of the early settlers. He also furnished the stone for his father-in-law, Henry Wolcott, which is almost intact after all these years. However, there is no stone for Matthew's grave, nor do we know exaclty where he is buried, although there are are records which would lead one to believe that he is probably buried in the Old Saybrook Cemetery. Although he removed to Lyme, he remained a member of the Saybrook church and was brought there for interment.
    
    The terrible consequences of the witchcraft delusion and the opportunity which it provided for the poor and unscrupulous membes of the community to harass people of wealth and character cannot be better illustrated than by the following account, although the outcome was more fortunate than for some.
    
    In 1667 John Tillerson charged the wife of Mathew Griswold of Lyme with being a witch and induced others to suspect her of witchcraft, for which Matthew caused him to be arrested and arraigned before the court. This John stated the cause of his suspicions and jealousies. The court decided that she was not a witch and that he had no cause to be jealous of her; that he had greatly sinned in harboring such jealousy against so good a neighbor who had done him so many favors. To clear Mrs. Griswold of all suspicion of the offense the Court ordered that its opinion should be published by the constables at Saybrook and Lyme at some public meeting.
    
    Anna was living in September 1700 when she and Abraham Bronson were summoned before the court at New London as adminstrators fo the estate of Matthew. Abraham was summoned alone to the court in May 1701, so Anna evidently died in the interim.
    
    The birth sequence of the children is from Vol. II:122 of the Middletown Congregational Church records, but the Frenches suspect a discrepancy.
    
    The Frenches cited the following sources: Town and church records of Lyme, Middletown and Saybrook, Ct; Wolcott Memorial; Connecticut Colony Records Vols. I, II; Historical Society Collections, Particular Court Records; Court of Assistants Records, Office Secretary of State.
    
    Children of Matthew Griswold and Anna Wolcott
    Sarah Griswold d. 12 Sep 1690
    Elizabeth Griswold b. c 1652
    Matthew Griswold+ b. 1653, d. 1715
    John Griswold
    Anna Griswold
    Citations
    
    [S116] Esther Griswold French and Robert Lewis French, Griswold, Pages 185-187..
    [S206] Researched and Edited by Robert L. & Esther G. French and Complied by Coralee Griswold., The Greswold Family, 12 Generatins in England, Page 59.
    
    

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