History of Montville, (New London County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

James Hillhouse, senator, was born in Montville, Conn., Oct. 20, 1754; second son of Judge William and Sarah (Griswold) Hillhouse. He was adopted in the family of his uncle, James Abraham Hillhouse, of New Haven, in 1761; and was graduated at Yale, A.B., 1773, A.M., 1776. he commanded the Governor's footguards and was entrusted by Governor Trumbull with promoting enlistments, and on July 5, 1779, when Tryon invaded Connecticut and attacked New Haven, his company stoutly resisted the advance. He was married, Jan. l, 1779, to Sarah, daughter of John Lloyd, of Stamford, Conn., who died in the same year; and secondly, in 1782, to Rebecca, daughter of Col. Melanchton Woolsey, of Dosoris, Long Island. He was a state representative, 1780-89; a member of the first city council of New Haven, 1784; was elected, but did not serve, as delegate to the Continental congress, 1786 and 1787; was a member of the council, 1789-91; a representative in the 2d, 3d and 4th U.S. congresses, 1791-96; and U.S. senator as successor to Oliver Ellsworth, resigned, 1796-97, and by election, 1797-1815. He was president pro tempore of the senate from Feb. 28 to March 3, 1801. In the senate he acted with the Federalist party, but in 1808 proposed amendments to the constitution intended to check the growing tendency toward presidential power and patronage, and to protect the independent self-government of the states within their separate sovereignties. He resigned his seat in the senate in May, 1810, to accept the appointment of first commissioner of the school fund of Connecticut. This fund was acquired by the sale of land on the southern shore of Lake Erie, of the same length and between the same parallels of latitude as old Connecticut, and known as New Connecticut or Western Reserve, which Connecticut reserved when she ceded to the United States all her right and title in the land which she claimed under the charter which made the "South Sea," or Pacific Ocean, her western boundary. Tills fund, amounting to $1,200,000, consisted chiefly of the debts due from the original purchasers of the Western Reserve, and those substituted securities which had been accepted in their stead by a board of managers. Reports in 1801 showed a large amount of interest unpaid and portions of the capital in danger of being lost by the failure of collateral securities. Mr. Hillhouse straightened these affairs, and in fifteen years added to the fund by careful investment, and on his resignation in 1825, had increased it by $500,000. Donations made to him by several of the original purchasers of the Western Reserve amounting to $9982.02, and earned by extra official labor to which the state had no claim or right, was by him turned over to the Connecticut school fund through a "high sense of honor" not often exhibited in fiduciary history. His wife died Dec. 29, 1813. Of their sons, James Abraham , was the well-known poet, and Augustus L. became a resident of Paris, France. Senator Hillhouse was an early counsellor of Yale college, and his advice largely insured its continuance at the critical period in its history, 1791-92. He was treasurer of Yale, 1782-1832, and received the honorary degree of LL.D. from there in 1823. He died in New London, Conn., Dec. 29, 1832.

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

William Hillhouse, delegate, was born in that part of New London, Conn., afterward the town of Montville, Aug. 25. 1728; son of the Rev. James and Mary (Fitch) Hillhouse; grandson of John Hillhouse of Free Hall, Londonderry, Ireland, and of Daniel Fitch of Connecticut; great grandson of Abraham Hillhouse of Artikill, Londonderry, Ireland; great2 grandson of the Rev. James and Priscilla Mason, of Norwich, Conn., and great3 grandson of Capt. John Mason, the hero of the Pequot war of 1637. His father, the Rev. James Hillhouse, was graduated in arts and theology at the University of Glasgow, Scotland; was ordained by the Presbytery of Londonderry, Ireland, about 1700; immigrated to America in 1717, and was pastor at Derry and Londonderry, N.H., 1719-22, and had charge of the second parish New London, Conn. 1722-1740: James Abraham (born, 1730; Yale, 1749; lawyer in New Haven; "assistant" or senator, 1772-75); died childless in 1775. William was educated for the law and practised in his native town. He was married in 1750 to Sarah, sister of Matthew Griswold, the first governor of Connecticut, 1784-86; was a representative in the Colonial legislature by semiannual elections, 1755-84; member or "assistant" of the council, 1784-1808, in the meantime serving as judge of the county court for many years; a delegate to the Continental congress, 1783-86, and major of the 2d Connecticut cavalry in the war of the Revolution. In 1808, when eighty years of age, he declined renomination to the council and withdrew from public life. Six of his seven sons and two of his three daughters lived to maturity and most of them to old age. He died in Montville, Conn., Jan. 12, 1816.

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