|
The ancestors of the Griswold family of Connecticut came over from England about 1639 and settled in Windsor and Wethersfield.
Three interpretations of the name 'Griswold' have been made: (1) Graywood, form Old High German gris "gray" and Anglo Saxon
weald "Forest". (2) Pigyard, from Scandinavian gris "pig" and wold "enclosure". (3) Dr. R.M. Griswold of Kensington,
Ct. who has spent considerable time in England in research at Kenilworth presents a third explanation: "In reference
to John of Kenilworth' who seems to be the first Griswold we have authentic record of, I think I found collateral evidence
enough to warrant the belief that his father or grandfarther came from Gottinberg in Thuringia about 1200, and that the old
German name was Greifswald. Which came over during the wars. which indicates that the remote ancestors of theGriswold
clan were among the Anglo-saxon or Danish or Norse invaders of England or even immigrants from Germany.
The history of the Griswolds may be friefly summed up. There is documentary evidence that Edward Griswold and his
brother Matthew came over from Kenilworth, England about 1639 and settled first in Windsor, CT.(see the Griswold Family of
CT by E.E. Salisbury in Magazine of American History Vol. XI, p 121) where the afficavits of Edward and Matthew are quoted
under the date of May 15, 1684. Michael Grisowld, who settled in Wethersfield, came over from England perhaps a little
later. It is not known how Michael was related to the brothers Edward and Matthew. The name Griswold makes relationship
highly probable. The English ancestors of the Wethersfiled Griswolds may have branched off from those of the Windsor
Griswolds at an early date. Talcott, however, in his guilford Genealogies says there were five brothers, Edward, Mtthew,
Francis, Michael and Thomas. (but it is not verified).
|
