Nathaniel Ely (also Nathaniel Eli) (1605 – December 25, 1675) was a founding settler of Hartford and Norwalk, Connecticut. He served as a deputy of the General Court of the

Connecticut Colony The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...

from Norwalk in the October 1656 session. He was born in 1605 in Tenterden, Kent, England. He was the son of the Reverend Nathaniel Ely and Susan Dowle. He came to America, sailing from Ipswich aboard the ''Elizabeth'', in 1634. He originally settled in Cambridge,

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...

Settlement of Hartford

In June 1636, Reverend Thomas Hooker led a group of about one hundred people including Ely to Hartford. He served there as a constable in 1639, and as a selectman in 1643 and 1649.

Settlement of Norwalk

Roger Ludlow purchased the land that would become Norwalk in 1640. Ludlow contracted with fourteen men for the original planting of Norwalk. In 1649, Ely and Richard Olmsted became the first two settlers.Norwalk v.1
/ref> He served in the General Court of the Colony of Connecticut representing Norwalk in 1656. He lived in Norwalk until 1659. He then moved to

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

. He served as a selectman there in 1661, 1663, 1666, 1668, 1671 and 1673. After 1665, he was a tavern keeper. He is listed on the Founders Stone bearing the names of the founders of Hartford in the

Ancient Burying Ground The Ancient Burying Ground (or Phinney's Lane Cemetery) is a historical cemetery at Phinney's Lane in Barnstable, Massachusetts. It is the oldest cemetery in the village of Centerville, and the only surviving civic element of its colonial or ...

in Hartford, and he is also listed on the Founders Stone bearing the names of the founding settlers of Norwalk in the

East Norwalk Historical Cemetery __NOTOC__ Established in , the East Norwalk Historical Cemetery is Norwalk's oldest cemetery, and many of the area's first settlers are buried there. The cemetery is owned and maintained by the Third Taxing District, formally known as the East No ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ely, Nathaniel 1605 births 1675 deaths American Puritans Connecticut city council members Deputies of the Connecticut General Court (1639–1662) Founding settlers of Norwalk, Connecticut Massachusetts city council members Founders of Hartford, Connecticut Politicians from Springfield, Massachusetts People from Tenterden Saloonkeepers Businesspeople from Springfield, Massachusetts