History of Torringford, (Litchfield County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Stanley Griswold, senator, was born in Torringford, Conn., Nov. 14, 1763. He was brought up on a farm, attended a district school, and was graduated from Yale in 1786. He taught school for a while, then studied theology, and on Jan. 20, 1790, became associate pastor of a Congregational church at New Milford, Conn. In 1797 he was charged with preaching contrary to the established doctrines of the church and was expelled from the association. He was, however, supported by his congregation and remained at New Milford till 1802. In 1801 he preached at a Democratic jubilee in Wallingford, Conn., a sermon entitled "Overcome Evil with Good," in which he gave voice to such liberal political opinions, for a Congregational clergyman of that day, that it attracted wide attention. It was published in 1891 and in 1845 ran through a second edition. After resigning from New Milford he preached for a time at Greenfield, Mass., then gave up the ministry and edited a Democratic paper at Walpole, N.H., 1804-05. He was secretary and acting governor of Michigan Territory, 1805-06. He then removed to Ohio and served as a U.S. senator, 1809-10, having been appointed by Governor Huntington to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Tiffin. He was U.S. judge for Illinois Territory, 1811-15. He died in Shawneetown, Ill., Aug. 21, 1815.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Samuel John Mills, missionary, was born in Torringford, Conn., April 21, 1783; son of the Ray. Samuel John (1743-1833) and Esther (Robbins) Mills, and grandson of John and Jane (Lewis) Mills, and of Samuel Robbins of Canaan, Conn. His father was graduated at Yale, 1764, and was pastor at Torringford, 1768-1833. The son conducted a farm inherited from his maternal grandmother until 1806, when he abandoned it to enter college. He was graduated at Willams in 1809; was a resident graduate at Yale for a few months, 1809-10, and a student at the Andover Theological seminary, 1810-12. In 1810 he was one of four young men to communicate a paper expressing their deep interest in missions to the heathen, to the meeting of the General Association of Massachusetts at Bradford, which resulted in the formation of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. He was licensed to preach in 1812, and with the Rev. F. Schermerhorn of the Reformed Dutch church, made a missionary tour through southwestern United States under the patronage of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Missionary societies. He made a second tour in 1814-15, accompanied by the Rev. David Smith, and while in New Orleans, La., finding it impossible to purchase a Bible, he procured a supply in both French and English and distributed them. He was ordained at Newburyport, June 21, 1815; resided successively in Albany, N.Y., Philadelphia, Pa., and in Washington, D.C., 1815-17, and was influential in establishing the American Bible society in May, 1816, and afterward the United Foreign Missionary society. He devoted himself to the elevation of the colored race in the United States and Africa. It was chiefly through his efforts that the synod of New York and New Jersey established a school for the training of young colored men as preachers and teachers of the African race in 1816. He served as the agent of this institution in the middle states, and in January, 1817, on the organization of the American Colonization society was chosen to explore the western coast of Africa and select the most eligible place for a settlement. The Rev. Ebenezer Burgess accompanied him on this mission, and they sailed for London, England, in November, 1817, and for Africa in February, 1818, reaching their destination in March, 1818. After fulfilling the duties of his mission Mr. Mills took passage from Sierra Leone for London in the brig Success, May 22, 1818. He published an account of his missionary tours in the southern and western parts of the United States in 1815. See Memoirs of the Rev. Samuel J. Mills by Gardner Spring (1854). He died at sea on the voyage from Sierra Leone to London, June 16, 1818.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor