Benjamin Huntington (April 19, 1736 – October 16, 1800) was an eighteenth-century American lawyer, jurist and politician from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

and served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and as a member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

during the

First United States Congress The 1st United States Congress, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789, to March 4, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall in ...

Early life and career

Huntington was born in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

in the Connecticut Colony, the only child of Daniel Huntington and his second wife Rachel (Wolcott) Huntington. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1761 and was appointed surveyor of lands for Windham County in October 1764. Huntington studied law and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1765. He began the practice of law in Norwich. Yale College later bestowed an

LL.D Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...

upon Huntington. Huntington served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1771 to 1780 and served as speaker of that body in 1778 and 1779. In 1775 he served on the committee of safety in the State House and was appointed to advise with Governor Jonathan Trumbull during the recess of the legislature. In 1778 Huntington was appointed a delegate to the Provincial Congress at New Haven. From 1780 to 1784, and again in 1787 and 1788, Huntington was a member of the Continental Congress. He served on the Connecticut council of assistants from 1781 to 1789 and from 1791 to 1792. Huntington served as a member of the State Senate from 1781 to 1780 and from 1791 to 1793. When the new government went into operation in 1789, he was chosen to represent Connecticut in the First Congress of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

as a Pro-Administration Party candidate, serving from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791. On the incorporation of Norwich in 1784, he was elected its first

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

, serving until his resignation in 1796. In 1793 he was appointed judge of the superior court of Connecticut, holding this office until 1798.

Personal life

Huntington married Anne Huntington, of

Windham, Connecticut Windham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the former city of Willimantic as well as the boroughs of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. Willimantic, an incorporated city since 1893, was consol ...

, on May 5, 1765. She died on October 6, 1790 in Norwich. Their son was named Benjamin Huntington.

Death

Huntington died on October 16, 1800 in

Rome, New York Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area, which li ...

and is interred in the Old Colony Cemetery in Norwich.United States House of Representatives
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References

External links

* * ttp://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/benjamin_huntington/405835 Govtrack.us
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huntington, Benjamin 1736 births 1800 deaths American Congregationalists Continental Congressmen from Connecticut 18th-century American politicians Members of the Connecticut General Assembly Council of Assistants (1662–1818) Members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut Yale College alumni Speakers of the Connecticut House of Representatives Politicians from Norwich, Connecticut

Early life and career

Personal life

Death

References

Further reading

External links