Jonathan Law (August 6, 1674 – November 6, 1750) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the

governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

from 1741 to 1750.

Biography

Law was born in Milford in what was then the

Connecticut Colony The Connecticut Colony, originally known as the Connecticut River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became the state of Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636, as a settlement for a Puritans, Puritan congregation o ...

to Jonathan and Sarah (Clark) Law. He studied law at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

. Known as talented, amiable, and even-tempered, he graduated in 1695. He married five times and had a number of children, seven of whom were sons. On December 20, 1698, he married Anne Eliot; on February 14, 1704, Abigail Arnold; on August 1, 1706, Abigail Andrew; in 1725, widow Sarah Burr; and in 1730, Eunice (Hall) Andrew. Some of his children and grandchildren went on to serve in Congress and other national political offices. His daughter Anne was the aunt of Founding Father

Lyman Hall Lyman Hall (April 12, 1724 – October 19, 1790) was an American Founding Father, physician, clergyman, and statesman who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia. Hall County is named after him. He ...

Career

In 1698, Law established a law office in Milford. Initially serving as a justice of the peace and of the quorum for New Haven County in May 1709, he was then named Judge of the County Court of New Haven County and Assistant Judge of the Connecticut Superior Court. Elected Deputy to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1706, Law served several terms until 1717. He was then chosen as an assistant and served as such, with the exception of one year, until 1724. In October 1724, he became Deputy Governor and, in May 1725, Chief Judge of the Superior Court, holding these two offices at the same time, which was possible under the government of that era. By the time that Law came to the governorship in October 1741, following the death of Governor Joseph Talcott, Law was 67 years old and had been active in the colonial government for 35 years. He had an extensive farm and was one of the first to plant mulberry trees and introduce raising silk worms to Connecticut. He advocated for the industry and advertised by wearing a coat and stockings made of Connecticut silk at a public appearance in 1747.

Death and legacy

Law died while in office on November 6, 1750, in Milford, Connecticut, and is interred at Milford Cemetery.

Jonathan Law High School Jonathan Law High School is a public high school located in Milford, Connecticut, United States. It serves about 1,000 students in grades 9–12 in the Milford Public Schools system. History The school was built in the 1960s to accommodate the ...

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

was named in his honor.

References

External links

Connecticut State Library: Jonathan Law
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Law, Jonathan 1674 births 1750 deaths Harvard College alumni People from colonial Connecticut Colonial governors of Connecticut Members of the Connecticut General Assembly Council of Assistants (1662–1818) Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Speakers of the Connecticut House of Representatives (colonial period)