Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/453

 GRISWOLD

GRISWOLD

^^^€^^y^t.-^

(Veits) Griswolil ; f;i"indson of Samuel Griswold and of John and Lois Veits; and grandson of Dr. Alexander Veits, a Dutch settler of New York, who came to Siinsbury, where he purcliased the copper mines, which under his management proved unjjrotitable. Tlie Griswolds were descended from Mat- thew, who came from England to Nantucket island. May 30, 1030, and whose son Ed- ward appears on the records of Windsor, Conn., in 1640. Elisha Griswold was a mem- ber of the Established church and intended to educate Ale.xander at Yale. His pre- paratory education was acquired under the instruction of his uncle, the Rev. Rogers Veits, the rector of St. Andrew's church, Simsbury, who owned a good library, almost every book of which Alexander confessed to have read. His uncle in 1785 de- cided to remove to Digby, Nova Scotia, and Alexander was invited to accompany him to his new home and continue his studies. Meantime he was betrothed to Elizabeth Mitchelson and he decided to forego a college education, to marry and take his bride to Nova Scotia. He was mar- ried the latter part of 1785 and cared for his uncle's farm and household during his absence the next summer in his new parish. The family removed to Nova Scotia in 1787, but the oppo- sition of the young bride's parents, who had learned that the place was not healthful, deter- mined Ale.vauder to i-emain in Simsbury and become a farmer. He joined a club of young men who had taken up the study of law and made rapid progress, continuing his farm labors and teaching the district school, but finally decided to offer himself to the convention tliat met in June, 1794, as a candidate for orders in the church, and was accepted, and after reading one printeil sermon he was permitted to preach his own sermons. He was invited to officiate in three parishes, Plymouth, Harwinton and Litch- field, and for one j'ear he served the three, trav- elling from one parish to the others on hor.seback. He was admitted to deacon's orders at the con- vention at Stratford, June 3, 1795, and to priests' orders at the convention in Plymouth, Oct. I, 1795. by Bishop Seabury. He continued as rector of St. Matthew's, East Plymouth; Trinity, Litch- field, and St. Mark's, Harwinton, till May, 1804, when he was called to Bristol as rector of St. Michael's. In 1810 he was the unanimous choice

of the convention assembled in Boston for bishop of the newly organized eastern diocese, compris- ing all tlie New England states except Connecti- cut, and he was elected May 31, 1810, and his consecration took place in Trinity church. New Y'ork city. May 29, 1811. The bishops who per- formed the consecration ceremony were White Provoost and Jarvis. His wife Elizabeth died Sept. 10, 1817, and his eldest daughter Julia in 1836; and in 1828 he was married to Mrs. Amelia Smith, widow of a brother of Benjamin Bosworth Smith, first bishop of Kentucky. Bishop Gris- wold continued as the rector of St. Michael's in addition to his Episcopal duties until 1830, when he removed from Bristol, R.I., to Salem, Mass., and took charge of St. Peter's church. In 1835 the increasing care of his growing diocese com- pelled him to resign his rectorship and he re- moved to Boston, Mass., and on Dec. 29, 1842, Dr. Manton Eastburn of New York was conse- crated assistant bishop and relieved the bishop of his heaviest burdens. On the death of Bishop White, July 17, 1836, Bishop Griswold became senior bishop of the American episcopate and pre- siding officer of the house of bishops. He re- ceived the honorary degree of A.M. from Brown in 1810, and that of S.T.D. from Brown and from the College of New Jersey in 1811 and from Har- vard in 1812. He was connected with Brown as a fellow, 181'2-15, as a trustee, 1815-28, and as chan- cellor, 1815-28. His published works include: Discoiirses oti the Most Important Dortrines and Duties of the Christian Iteligion; The Eefurmation and the Apostolic Office ; Bemarks on Social Prayer 3/prtnir/.< ; and occasional sermons and addresses. See Memiiir of the Life of the lit. Jiev. Alexander V. Grisxrold. D.D. (1844) by John S. Stone, D.D., rector of Christ church, Brooklyn, N.Y. He died suddenl}' on the doorstep of the house of Bishop Eastlnirn in Boston, JIass., Feb. 15, 1843.

GRISWOLD, Casimir Clayton, painter, was born in Delaware, Ohio, in 1834; son of Ezra Griswold. He attended public school in Ohio, studied wood engraving in Cincinnati, and took painting lessons of his brother. In 1850 he re- moved to New York city, where he exhibited his first picture at the National academy of design in 1857. He was a charter n.eniber of the Artists' fund society, an associate academician in 1866, and an academician in 1867. In 1872 he removed to Rome, Italy, and returned to New York in 1886. His paintings, which consist chiefly of landscapes and coast scenes, include: December (1864); Winter Norninci (1865); 'Ilie Last of the Ice (ISeT) ; Awntst Day, Xeirport (1868) •, Early Spring C1869) ; Piirr/atoiij Point, Kcxrport (1870) : Lago de Nemi (1874) ; Ponte NoUe Across the Tiber (1878) : Monte Spinelli Unitria ; and Mar Albano.