Elijah Greenslit, a farmer and the landlord of one of the early taverns of the town of Hampton, married Mary Burnham. His children were: David, Elijah, Henry, Ebenezer, and one daughter. His son David spent his life in Hampton, the town of his birth, where he was an industrious and prosperous farmer. He married Nancy, daughter of William Foster, of Canterbury. To this union were born nine children, of whom Lucius, William F. and David grew to mature years.
David Greenslit was born June 2d, 1817,’ in Hampton, and spent his early years at the schools in the vicinity of his home. At the age of sixteen he became useful as an assistant in the work of the farm, and was thus occupied until his nineteenth year. Leaving the paternal roof he then removed to Brooklyn, the adjoining town, and was for nearly two years engaged as a teacher.. Soon after, he purchased a farm in Windham, but preferring a home in his native town, was influenced to dispose of this property and locate as a farmer in Hampton. He was on the 26th of May, 1840, married to Elizabeth, daughter of John Searls, of Brooklyn. Their only daughter, Charlotte E., died in 1866 at the age of twenty-two years.
Mr. Greenslit was in 1844 made a deputy sheriff of Windham county, and was for nine years the incumbent of the office. He was then appointed by the legislature to fill the unexpired term as sheriff, and subsequently elected for two terms to the same office. In 1866 he was elected to the state senate from the Thirteenth senatorial district, and appointed chairman of the committee on state prisons. In 1878 he was elected to the Connecticut house of representatives, and made chairman of the same committee. He has served several years on the republican state central committee, and had much experience in political matters pertaining to the state. Mr. Greenslit is a director of the Windham County National Bank, and has been for ten years president of the Windham County Mutual Insurance Company, as also adjuster of losses for that corporation. He is a director of the Willimantic Dime Savings Bank. Mr. Greenslit, though not a professional man, has given much attention to the study of law, his occupation as a business agent requiring him to be well versed in legal rules and practices. His services are much sought in the settlement of estates and in kindred offices involving great responsibility and well balanced judgment. Among other positions of trust he was in 1866 appointed by the legislature a member of the board of equalization for the Thirteenth senatorial district.
