Mansfield’s First Citizen Speaker: The Honorable Shubael Conant, Esq.

By Roberta K. Smith

The Mansfield Historical Society is pleased to announce the publication of Roberta Smith’s long awaited biography of Shubael Conant. It is published as part of the Fred and Annarie Cazel Editions. The book is carefully researched, well written and amply illustrated. The author is a charter member of the Historical Society, a former librarian at the University of Connecticut and our current Town Historian.

In his introduction to the book, Norman D. Stevens, Director of University Libraries, Emeritus, writes: “For a long period of time, Roberta has been interested in the life and career of Shubael Conant (1711-1775) who was truly the First Citizen of Mansfield in the best Roman sense of the term. He was the person whom, through his active participation in a wide range of activities, brought Mansfield broader recognition. He was the first resident of Mansfield to be elected Speaker of the General Assembly and, as Roberta’s biography details, made numerous other important contributions to the town, the church, the state, and the emerging nation. He died shortly before the American Revolution, whose guiding principles he had helped establish. Conant has not received the attention and acclaim that he so richly deserves. Roberta’s carefully planned and researched brief biography should, hopefully, bring him back to public attention.

The cost of the book is $15.00 and is available for sale at the Historical Society Museum, and the Town Clerk’s Office. If you would like to order the book via mail please download the order form, fill out, and return by mail. You may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to open and print the membership form. Click on the logo below to download your free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.