William Williams (politician, 1731)
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William Williams (born April 28, 1731 in Lebanon , Colony of Connecticut , † August 2, 1811 in Lebanon , Connecticut , USA) was a British-American trader and politician. In 1776 he was a delegate for Connecticut to the Continental Congress , where he signed the US Declaration of Independence . This makes him one of the founding fathers of the USA .
Life
William's parents were Minister Tim Solomon Williams and Mary Porter. He studied theology from 1747 and graduated from Harvard University in 1751 . From 1753 to 1796 he was city director of Lebanon. He joined the militia in the French and Indian War and took part in the expedition to Lake George in 1755. After the war he opened a shop in Lebanon, which he ran for many years. Williams married Mary Trumbull, daughter of Governor Jonathan Trumbull senior , in 1771 . They stayed together until his death and had three children.
He was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1757 to 1762, 1763 to 1776, and 1780 to 1784; 1775 and 1781 to 1783 as its spokesman.
Williams was elected to replace Oliver Wolcott in the Continental Congress and stayed there in 1776 and 1777. Although he was late to vote for the Declaration of Independence, he signed the official copy as Representative of Connecticut.
During the American Revolutionary War , Williams was a member of a security committee. He served on the Windham County (Connecticut) Court of Justice from 1776 to 1804 and inheritance judge for the Windham District from 1776 to 1808. In 1787 Williams took part in the Connecticut Congress to ratify the United States' Declaration of Independence.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Williams, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British-American trader and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 28, 1731 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lebanon , Colony of Connecticut |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 2, 1811 |
| Place of death | Lebanon , Connecticut , USA |