Jonathan Sturges
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Sturges was an American
lawyer and jurist from Fairfield, Connecticut
. He represented Connecticut
as a delegate to the Continental Congress
and in the United States House of Representatives
.
Jonathan was born in Fairfield where his father, Samuel (1712–1771) was a surveyor. His mother, Ann (Burr) Sturges was Samuel's second wife. His great-great grandfather, also Jonathan Sturges (1624–1700), had been one of the original settlers of the town. He graduated from Yale
, read law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Fairfield. In 1760 he married Deborah Lewis (1742–1832). Their son, Lewis Burr Sturges, would follow his father in the U.S. Congress.
Sturges entry into public service came when his neighbors in Fairfield sent him to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1772. He was returned every year until 1784. He also served Fairfield County
as a justice of the peace and of probate court. Connecticut sent him is a delegate to the Continental Congress
in 1786.
When the new United States
government was formed, the voters elected him to the U.S. House
where he served two terms from 1789 until 1793. Returning home, he was appointed an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, serving there from 1793 until 1805.
Sturges died at home in Fairfield in 1819 and is buried in the Old Burying Ground there.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and jurist from Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
. He represented Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
as a delegate to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
and in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Jonathan was born in Fairfield where his father, Samuel (1712–1771) was a surveyor. His mother, Ann (Burr) Sturges was Samuel's second wife. His great-great grandfather, also Jonathan Sturges (1624–1700), had been one of the original settlers of the town. He graduated from Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, read law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Fairfield. In 1760 he married Deborah Lewis (1742–1832). Their son, Lewis Burr Sturges, would follow his father in the U.S. Congress.
Sturges entry into public service came when his neighbors in Fairfield sent him to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1772. He was returned every year until 1784. He also served Fairfield County
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
as a justice of the peace and of probate court. Connecticut sent him is a delegate to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
in 1786.
When the new United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government was formed, the voters elected him to the U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
where he served two terms from 1789 until 1793. Returning home, he was appointed an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, serving there from 1793 until 1805.
Sturges died at home in Fairfield in 1819 and is buried in the Old Burying Ground there.