John Strong Sr. (November 26, 1798 – February 23, 1881) was an English–

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

farmer and politician who served one term in the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

, and was an early settler of

Greenfield Township, Michigan Greenfield is a former civil township of Wayne County, Michigan; it was created from a portion of neighboring Springwells Township in 1833. Greenfield eventually encompassed the survey township T1S R11E. It even had its own police force. By ...

Biography

John Strong was born on November 26, 1798, in Wroxton,

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

, England. He studied for the ministry, but did not find it to his liking. After his father's death, he emigrated to the United States, arriving in the early 1820s, likely in 1825. He settled in

(now within the city boundaries of Detroit) by 1826, after a year spent living near Chatham, Ontario. The date of his arrival varies by source. , and , give 1820 and the latter adds that he spent a year in Canada. , says he arrived in Michigan in 1822. , says he arrived in the United States in 1825 and in Greenfield Township in 1826; this latter date is also given in . Passenger lists of the ''Silas Richards'' show a John Strong born in 1798 traveling from England to New York in 1825 (). He was a farmer, and as one of the few educated men in the area, he assisted the Native American and

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residents with business and legal matters, and he also sold many small tracts of land to incoming

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colonists. Strong was a

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, and was elected to the

in the first election following adoption of the state constitution in 1835, and served through 1836. He was supervisor of Greenfield Township in 1836 and 1836. Strong died in Greenfield Township on February 23, 1881,

Family

In 1827, Strong married Isabella Campbell, who was born in Scotland on January 25, 1810. They had six children: John Jr., Ann, George, Isabella, Elizabeth, and Sarah. Isabella Strong died on October 29, 1840. John Strong Jr. was elected to both the state house and senate, and also served as

lieutenant governor of Michigan The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. The current lieutenant governor by default is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019. Proce ...

. Elizabeth's son John S. Haggerty served as Michigan Secretary of State.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strong, John 1798 births 1881 deaths Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives 19th-century American legislators British emigrants to the United States People from Michigan Territory