Author: James Edward Mitchell
Born 1710 in Lebanon, CT, a second son of Joseph and Hannah Higley Trumble (sic) aka Trumbull. His personal and business letters, accounts, bills, sermon sketches, diary notes and legal papers are filed still, within the manuscript stacks at the Connecticut Historical Society. He was educated at church in Lebanon by the town minister, Samuel Welles. After Welles re-settled to Boston; Trumbull, now in his teens, traveled to enroll at Harvard college to study theology.

As Jonathan completed his studies, the sudden death occurred of his older brother, Joseph. His father asked Jonathan, age 21, to assume his brother’s place in the family’s extensive trading business directly with merchants in London. With permission from both families, Jonathan married on 9 Dec 1735, Faith Robinson a daughter of Rev. John and Hannah Wiswall Robinson of Duxbury, Massachusetts (MA). Faith was a direct lineal descendant of John and Priscilla Mullins Alden, (Mayflower) Puritans sailing to found Plymouth, New England.

Despite Trumbull’s compromised financial position, the Connecticut General Assembly made him colonial governor in 1769 after the death of Wm. Pitkin. Trumbull’s lengthy political career and publick’ service began in 1733.

Jonathan and Faith Robinson Trumbull, began their family with the arrival of a son, Joseph born in 1737; a second son, Jonathan Jr., born in 1740 followed by two daughters – Faith Trumbull Huntington born in 1742 and Mary Trumbull Williams born in 1746; a third son, David Trumbull born in Lebanon on 5 Feb 1751; and, lastly the youngest son -John Trumbull, the artist born on 6 Jun 1756.

Remarkably, all the family sons variously contributed during the American Revolutionary War either militarily or with civil and/or publick’ service.

Following the death of Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., on 17 Aug 1785 at Lebanon, CT he was laid to rest at Old Cemetery on Exeter Road at Lebanon, New London County, CT at Latitude: 41.64369, Longitude: -72.20342