Jonathan Sturges
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Jonathan Sturges (August 23, 1740– October 4, 1819) was an American lawyer and jurist from Fairfield, Connecticut. He represented Connecticut as a delegate to the Continental Congress and in the United States House of Representatives.
Jonathan was born in Fairfield where his father, Samuel (1712-1771) was a surveyor. His mother, Ann (Burr) Sturges was Samuel's second wife. His great-great grandfather, also Jonathan Sturges (1624-1700), had been one of the original settlers of the town. He graduated from Yale, read law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Fairfield. In 1760 he married Deborah Lewis (1742-1832). Their son, Lewis Burr Sturges, would follow his father in the U.S. Congress.
Sturges entry into public service came when his neighbors in Fairfield sent him to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1772. He was returned every year until 1784. He also served Fairfield County as a justice of the peace and of probate court. Connecticut sent him is a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1786.
When the new United States government was formed, the voters elected him to the U.S. House where he served two terms from 1789 until 1793. Returning home, he was appointed an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, serving there from 1793 until 1805.
Sturges died at home in Fairfield in 1819 and is buried in the Old Burying Ground there.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
