Individual Details

Lived in Windsor and Saybrook, CT c 1639-40

http://www.holcombegenealogy.com/data/p74.htm#i3679
Matthew Griswold was born in 1620 at England. He was the son of George Griswold and Honora Pawley. Matthew Griswold married Anna Wolcott, daughter of Henry Wolcott Sr. and Elizabeth Saunders, on 16 October 1646 at Windsor, Hartford Co., CT. Matthew Griswold died on 27 September 1698 at Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT.

Matthew came to Windsor in 1639 with Edward Griswold, his older half brother, and the cngregation of the Rev. Ephraim Huit, but did not remain there long. He became an agent of Lord Fenwick and moved to Saybrook where he received a grant of land in 1645 which became the foundation of a large fortune. His estate became known as "Blackhall"

Old Lyme was first settled in 1664 as East Saybrook, and Matthew as the pioneer and its first settler. He was one of the signers of the Articles of Separation in 1665.

Although Matthew was a lawyer, he also followed the trade of a mason, furnishing the stones for many of the graves of the early settlers. He also furnished the stone for his father-in-law, Henry Wolcott, which is almost intact after all these years. However, there is no stone for Matthew's grave, nor do we know exactly where he is buried, although there are are records which would lead one to believe that he is probably buried in the Old Saybrook Cemetery. Although he removed to Lyme, he remained a member of the Saybrook church and was brought there for interment.

The terrible consequences of the witchcraft delusion and the opportunity which it provided for the poor and unscrupulous members of the community to harass people of wealth and character cannot be better illustrated than by the following account, although the outcome was more fortunate than for some.

In 1667 John Tillerson charged the wife of Mathew Griswold of Lyme with being a witch and induced others to suspect her of witchcraft, for which Matthew caused him to be arrested and arraigned before the court. This John stated the cause of his suspicions and jealousies. The court decided that she was not a witch and that he had no cause to be jealous of her; that he had greatly sinned in harboring such jealousy against so good a neighbor who had done him so many favors. To clear Mrs. Griswold of all suspicion of the offense the Court ordered that its opinion should be published by the constables at Saybrook and Lyme at some public meeting.

Anna was living in September 1700 when she and Abraham Bronson were summoned before the court at New London as administrators fo the estate of Matthew. Abraham was summoned alone to the court in May 1701, so Anna evidently died in the interim.

There were five children:
Elizabeth, b. abt 1648, d. before 1700
Anna, b. about 1651, died 13 Apr 1821
Matthew, b. 1653, d. 13 Jan 1716
Sarah, b. 1656, d. 12 Sep 1690
John, christened 15 Sep 1668, Middletown, Middlesex, CT; died after 1680

Birth	Abt 1620	Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England
Marriage	16 Oct 1646	Anna Wolcott
Death	21 Sep 1698	Lyme, New London County, Connecticut

Spouse

Anna Wolcott (1620 - 1701)

Father	GEORGE GRISWOLD ( - 1623)
Mother	Honora Pawley ( - )
Sibling	Thomas Griswold (1622 - 1699)