Joseph Trumbull (governor)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Trumbull was a U.S.
lawyer, banker, and politician from Connecticut
. He represented Connecticut in the U.S. Congress
and served as the 20th Governor of Connecticut.
Sarah Backus in Lebanon, Connecticut
. He lived in the family home known as Redwood, on the Lebanon green.
David and Sarah had five children. Joseph's siblings were:
Joseph first married Harriet Champion (1789-1823) in 1818, daughter of General Henry Champion
and nee Abigail Tinker. This marriage produced one child, Henry Champion Trumbull (1821-1855). Harriet died in 1823 and Joseph married Eliza Storrs (1784-1861) on December 1st of the following year. His second marriage also produced one child, Eliza Storrs Trumbull (1826-1862).
He died as a result of typhoid fever on August 4, 1861. Two days later, his second wife Eliza died. Amazingly, within a year of his death ten of his close relatives died, including his sister Abigail, his wife Eliza, his brother-in-law William L. Storrs
, Joseph and Eliza's daughter Eliza, their son-in-law Lucius Robinson and Lucius' father David Robinson. Joseph and his two wives are buried in the Old North Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut.
in 1797 and graduated in 1801. He immediately studied law with his cousin, William Trumbull Williams. In 1802 he moved to the Connecticut Western Reserve (now Trumbull County, Ohio) and was admitted to the Ohio bar. Shortly thereafter he moved back to Hartford
. He was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1803 and established his practice at Hartford. In 1828 he became the president of the Hartford Bank and held that office until he resigned in 1839. He was also president of the Providence, Hartford & Fishkill Railroad Co.
In 1849 he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Yale, his alma mater.
, was a colonial Connecticut governor and was the first governor of the State of Connecticut, serving a total of fourteen one year terms. His uncle, Jonathan Jr. also served as governor for ten terms. Another uncle, John Trumbull, served as a personal aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War and later became a famous painter. Several of his paintings are hanging in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. His aunt Mary Trumbull married William Williams, a political activist and signer of the Declaration of Independence
.
He also married into powerful families. His first wife, Harriet Champion, was the daughter of Henry Champion, a general in the Revolutioinary War. His second wife was the sister of William L. Storrs, a U.S. Congressman and later the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Connecticut.
Trumbull began his political career with his election to the state's House of Representatives
in 1832. He was sent to the U.S. Congress in December 1834 to complete the term of William W. Ellsworth
who had resigned, and was elected as a Whig
to the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1839-March 3, 1843). Trumbull served as governor of Connecticut in 1849 and 1850.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer, banker, and politician from 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...
. He represented Connecticut in the U.S. Congress
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...
and served as the 20th Governor of Connecticut.
Family
Joseph was born to David Trumbull and his wife neeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Sarah Backus in Lebanon, Connecticut
Lebanon, Connecticut
Lebanon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,907 at the 2000 census. The town lies just to the northwest of Norwich, north of New London, and east of Hartford...
. He lived in the family home known as Redwood, on the Lebanon green.
David and Sarah had five children. Joseph's siblings were:
- Sarah Trumbull (1779-1839), who married William Trumbull Williams (1779-1839), her cousin
- Abigail Trumbull (1781-1861), who married Peter Lanman (1771-1854)
- John Trumbull (1784-1859), who married Anne Gibbons (1789-1823), Hanna Wallace Tunis (1800-1823) and Eliza Bruen (1793-1857)
- Jonathan G. W. Trumbull (about 1790-1853), who married Jane Eliza Lathrop (1795-1843)
Joseph first married Harriet Champion (1789-1823) in 1818, daughter of General Henry Champion
Henry Champion (general)
General Henry Champion was born to Colonel Henry Champion and Deborah Brainard. He is a descendant of the Henry Champion who settled in Connecticut in 1647...
and nee Abigail Tinker. This marriage produced one child, Henry Champion Trumbull (1821-1855). Harriet died in 1823 and Joseph married Eliza Storrs (1784-1861) on December 1st of the following year. His second marriage also produced one child, Eliza Storrs Trumbull (1826-1862).
He died as a result of typhoid fever on August 4, 1861. Two days later, his second wife Eliza died. Amazingly, within a year of his death ten of his close relatives died, including his sister Abigail, his wife Eliza, his brother-in-law William L. Storrs
William L. Storrs
William Lucius Storrs was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut, brother of Henry Randolph Storrs.Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Storrs was graduated from Yale College in 1814....
, Joseph and Eliza's daughter Eliza, their son-in-law Lucius Robinson and Lucius' father David Robinson. Joseph and his two wives are buried in the Old North Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut.
Early Life
He entered YaleYale 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...
in 1797 and graduated in 1801. He immediately studied law with his cousin, William Trumbull Williams. In 1802 he moved to the Connecticut Western Reserve (now Trumbull County, Ohio) and was admitted to the Ohio bar. Shortly thereafter he moved back to Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. He was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1803 and established his practice at Hartford. In 1828 he became the president of the Hartford Bank and held that office until he resigned in 1839. He was also president of the Providence, Hartford & Fishkill Railroad Co.
In 1849 he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Yale, his alma mater.
Political career
Joseph Trumbull was born into an influential and politically active family. His grandfather, Jonathan TrumbullJonathan Trumbull
Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. was one of the few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Revolutionary state...
, was a colonial Connecticut governor and was the first governor of the State of Connecticut, serving a total of fourteen one year terms. His uncle, Jonathan Jr. also served as governor for ten terms. Another uncle, John Trumbull, served as a personal aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War and later became a famous painter. Several of his paintings are hanging in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. His aunt Mary Trumbull married William Williams, a political activist and signer of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
.
He also married into powerful families. His first wife, Harriet Champion, was the daughter of Henry Champion, a general in the Revolutioinary War. His second wife was the sister of William L. Storrs, a U.S. Congressman and later the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Connecticut.
Trumbull began his political career with his election to the state's House of Representatives
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
in 1832. He was sent to the U.S. Congress in December 1834 to complete the term of William W. Ellsworth
William W. Ellsworth
William Wolcott Ellsworth was a Yale-educated attorney who served as the 30th Governor of Connecticut, a three-term United States Congressman, a Justice on the State Supreme Court, and who twice turned down nomination to the state's United States Senate seat...
who had resigned, and was elected as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
to the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1839-March 3, 1843). Trumbull served as governor of Connecticut in 1849 and 1850.