Matthew Mead (politician)

Matthew Mead (August 20, 1736 – February 26, 1816) was a Lieutenant Colonel who served on George Washington's staff in the American Revolutionary War. He was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk in the sessions of May 1779, May and October 1780, May and October 1781.

Matthew Mead
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk
In office May 1779 – October 1779[1][2] Serving with Samuel Cook Silliman
Preceded by	Stephen St. John, Clapp Raymond
Succeeded by	James Richards, Clapp Raymond
In office May 1780 – May 1782 Serving with Stephen St. John
Preceded by	James Richards, Clapp Raymond
Succeeded by	Stephen St. John, Samuel Cook Silliman
Personal details
Born	(1736-08-20)August 20, 1736 Norwalk, Connecticut
Died	February 26, 1816(1816-02-26) (aged 79) Wilton, Connecticut[3]
Spouse(s)	Phebe Whelpey
Children	Mary, Thaddeus, Joseph, Elizabeth, Lucy, David, Matthew, James, Aaron, Xenophon, Roswell, Sallie
Residence	Norwalk, Connecticut
Military service
Branch/service	Connecticut Militia Continental Army
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel[4]
Unit	Ninth Regiment, Fourth Brigade, Connecticut Militia[4]
Commands	Eighth Regiment of Connecticut Fifth Regiment of Connecticut
Battles/wars	French and Indian War  • Battle of Ticonderoga American Revolutionary War  • Battle of Germantown

Early life and family

He was born on August 20, 1736 in Norwalk. He was the son of Jeremiah Mead and Hannah St. John.[5]

Mead enlisted in the army on September 8, 1755 as a private in Captain Samuel Hanford's Company, French and Indian War.[5] In 1758 he was Quartermaster of the 4th Regiment in the expedition against Crown Point and Ticonderoga.

He married Phebe Whelpey on February 7, 1759 in Wilton.[5]

In 1773 he was commissioned Captain of the Wilton company in the Norwalk, Connecticut Militia. At the outbreak of the Revolution he was commissioned Captain of the 5th Regiment of Connecticut, Continental Line.[5] In 1777 he was made Lieutenant Colonel of the 5th Regiment. In that year he was in the Battle of Germantown, Philadelphia. He commanded the 8th Regiment of Connecticut, Continental Line, at Valley Forge. He resigned his commission on 25 May 1778 after the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, where he was quartered with his Regiment and was on the staff of General Washington.[5]

He served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk in the sessions of May 1779, May and October 1780, and May and October 1781.

References

1. Connecticut. General Assembly (1881). Roll of State Officers and Members of General Assembly of Connecticut, from 1776 to 1881: With an Appendix Giving the Congressional Delegates, Judges of the Supreme and Superior Courts, and the Date of Incorporation of the Cities, Boroughs, and Towns. Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
2. Bouton, N. (1851). An Historical Discourse in Commemoration of the Two-hundredth Anniversary of the Settlement of Norwalk, Ct., in 1651: Delivered in the First Congregational Church in Norwalk, July 9, 1851. S.W. Benedict. p. 79. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
3. Daughters of the American Revolution (1919). Lineage Book - National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 48. Daughters of the American Revolution. p. 143. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
4. "Captain Matthew Mead - Sons of the American Revolution, Connecticut". connecticutsar.org. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
5. Mary Lou Cook (4 June 2011). "Descendants of William Mead" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-07-12.

Preceded by Stephen St. John Clapp Raymond	Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk May 1779 – October 1779 With: Samuel Cook Silliman	Succeeded by James Richards Clapp Raymond
Preceded by James Richards Clapp Raymond	Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk May 1780 – May 1782 With: Stephen St. John	Succeeded by Stephen St. John Samuel Cook Silliman