History of Hampton, (Windham County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Chauncey Fitch Cleveland, governor of Connecticut, was born in Hampton, Conn., Feb. 16, 1799; son of Silas and Lois (Sharpe) Cleveland; grandson of Silas and Elizabeth (Hyde) Cleveland, and a descendant of Moses and Ann (Winn) Cleaveland. He was educated in the public schools, taught school 1814-19; and was admitted to the bar in 1819. He passed through all the grades in the state militia from private to major-general, was judge of probate for Windham district for five years and prosecuting attorney of the county for several years. He represented his district in the state legislature, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1833, 1836, 1837, 1839, and served as speaker of the house in 1836-37. He was bank commissioner in 1838, and was defeated for representative in the 26th and 27th congresses, 1838 and 1840. In June, 1841, he removed his law office and residence to Norwich, Conn. He was elected governor of Connecticut in 1842 and again in 1843. He was a state representative in 1848-49, a Democratic representative from Connecticut in the 31st and 32nd congresses, 1849-53, and there opposed the extension of slavery. He helped to form the Republican party, was a delegate to the Republican national conventions at Philadelphia, 1856, and at Chicago, 1860; was a presidential elector in 1860; a member of the peace convention at Washington in 1861; speaker of the Connecticut assembly in 1863; and again a state representative in 1866. He was married Dec. 13, 1821, to Diantha, daughter of Dr. Jacob Hovey of Hampton, Conn. She died Oct. 29, 1867, and he was married Jan. 27, 1869, to Helen C., daughter of Dr. Eleazer and Mariana L. (Hovey) Litchfield. He died in Hampton, Conn., June 6, 1887.

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

Waterman Lilly Ormsby, engraver, was born in Hampton, Windham county, Conn., in 1809. He attended the public school of Hampton, removed to New York city, where he learned the engraver's art and devoted himself to bank note engraving. He invented several ruling machines, transfer presses, and the grammagraph for engraving on steel. He was the founder of the Continental Bank Note company, executed large contracts for the U.S. treasury, and almost wholly designed the five-dollar note, intended to prevent counterfeiting. He is credited with having aided S. F. B. Morse in preparing the Morse telegraphic alphabet, and in transmitting messages at the first public exhibition of the telegraph in New York city. He is the author of: Ormsby Bank Note Engraving (1852). He died in Brooklyn, N.Y., Nov. 1, 1883.

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