Joseph Talcott (November 16, 1669 – October 11, 1741) was the 26th governor of 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 ...

from 1724 until his death in 1741.

Biography

Talcott was born in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel John and Helena Wakeman Talcott. He married Abigail Clark in 1693 and the couple had three sons. Abigail died in 1704. His second wife was Eunice Howell with whom he had five more children.

Career

Descended from one of Connecticut's founding settlers, Talcott was appointed an assistant (member of the governor's council) in 1711. He held a number of city and state offices; justice of the peace in 1705, and beginning in 1710, he was a major in the First Regiment of the Colony of Connecticut. His position of major continued to 1723. He was a member of the committee to lay out the town of Coventry in 1711. He owned property in several Connecticut towns. In May 1714, he was appointed as a judge of the Hartford County Court and he became Judge of the Superior Court of Hartford in May 1721. In 1723, Talcott was elected Deputy Governor upon the death of Nathan Gold; then following the sudden death of

Gurdon Saltonstall Gurdon Saltonstall (27 March 1666 – 20 September 1724) was governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1708 to 1724. He was born into a distinguished family and became an eminent Connecticut pastor and a close associate of Governor Fitz-John ...

, he was made Governor. He was the first Connecticut Governor to be born in the state. He was re-elected annually until his death, for a total of seventeen years and five months in office. This time was only surpassed by Gov. John Winthrop's eighteen years in office.

Death and legacy

Talcott died on October 11, 1741. He is interred in the Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford. Talcott Street in Hartford bears his name.

References

External links

Order of the Descendants of Colonial Governors prior to 1750Talcott Pedigree in England and America
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Talcott, Joseph Colonial governors of Connecticut 1669 births 1741 deaths Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut State treasurers of Connecticut People from colonial Connecticut Speakers of the Connecticut House of Representatives (colonial period)