Capt Joshua HUNTINGTON

Notes:

Name:
"Huntington Family Memoir": He was allowed to take up "twenty feet square upon the water on the west side of Rocky Point, on the north side of Lieut. Lathrop's grant, if it be there to be had; not prejudicing the conveniency to be laid out by James Huntington and Daniel Tracy." He was highest on the list of subscribers to the bridge built in 1737, over the Shetucket to unite Norwich and Preston, an enterprise in which none but moneyed men in that day could engage. In his successful business career commenced that family distinction and wealth, which, at the opening of the Revolution, had placed his two surviving children at the head of the aristocracy, even of their own aristocratic town....

Joshua married Hannah PERKINS on 16 Oct 1718. Hannah (daughter of Jabez PERKINS and Hannah LATHROP) was born in 1701 in Norwich, New London Co., Connecticut; died in 1788. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"Huntington Family Memoir": Graduated at Yale College, 1741. He was elected, in 1759, a member of the general assembly of his native state, for many years represented his native town to the universal acceptance of his fellow citizens, presiding, often, over the deliberations of the lower house. Early after his graduation he entered into the West India trade, and by an honorable and efficient business career, laid the foundations of one of the amplest fortunes of that age. At the commencement of our revolution he was the owner of a large amount of shipping, which of course was a very greatly endangered by the rupture with the mother land. but his patriotism prevailed over his commercial and pecuniary ambition. He cheerfully sacrificed his property and consecrated himself and his family to the cause of independence. He was one of the most active of the committee of safety during the war; and in the September session of the assembly for the year 1776, he was appointed one of the two major generals from Connecticut, for the militia of the sate, David Wooster being the other; and on the death of Wooster, from a wound received in the skirmish with the British, retreating from Danbury, in april of the next year, he was appointed major general over the entire Connecticut militia.

His great exertions, made for his country's cause, during those trying years of our national history, together with the great pecuniary losses which, in such a struggle, were inevitable, were too much even for his strong mind and vigorous frame. As the pressure of the early excitement and indispensable action passed away, it was soon seen how greatly they had impaired his physical and mental powers. "On finding himself disabled from public service, he resigned all his offices, and spent the remainder of his life in retirement, at his seat in Norwich. He was seized with a fatal complaint, in Feb. 1779, and after a gradual decline of more than seven years, he died, Oct. 5, 1786."

Gen. Huntington was a man of religious principle, having united with the church in 1741. It was very justly said in the funeral sermon delivered over his remains," he sustained an amiable and worthy character in the domestic relations and private walks of life." One other passage from that sermon, deserves transcribing for this notice: "As the train of melancholy distress which brought him to his end, probably originated from his painful and unremitted exertions for his country, in the time of danger; his country, surely, will not withhold the tear of grateful sorrow, but pay deserved respect to his memory, and teach succeeding generations to revere his dust; and as they pass his urn, to say, 'there lies the man who devoted his all to the public good; who sacrificed his ease, his health, and eventually his life, to serve and save his country."......

Jabez married Elizabeth BACKUS on 20 Jan 1741/42. Elizabeth was born on 21 Feb 1721; died on 1 Jul 1745. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jabez married Hannah WILLIAMS on 10 Jul 1746. Hannah was born on 23 Jul 1726; died on 25 Mar 1807. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]