Dr. Samuel Broadbent

Samuel Broadbent was born in England on 29 March 1759. Nothing is known of him until 1798, by which time he had relocated to Rocky Hill section of the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut. In the Connecticut Courant of 8 June 1798 he advertised to practice "Physic and Surgery", but it is unknown whether he had recieved training for either.

Samuel Broadbent was also a painter, although there is no record of his having advertised as one. Looking at his paintings chronologically, they appear to fall into a period from 1800-1819. Half of his portraits were people in the Newington-Wethersfield area, or were closely connected with people near where Broadbent lived.

Samuel Broadbent married Abigail Harris Griswold (d. 1874 at age 101), widow of Josiah Griswold and mother of four children, on 12 July 1808 at Christ Church Episcopal in Hartford. He moved onto the Griswold homestead. The Broadbents had two children: Samuel Broadbent, Jr. (b. about 1812); and Rowena (later Mrs. Stephen Morgan) (b. 1813). Samuel Broadbent died in 1828.