Thomas Willett
Encyclopedia
Thomas Willett was a British
-born American merchant
, Plymouth Colony
trader and sea-captain, Commissioner of New Netherland
, magistrate of Plymouth Colony, Captain of the Plymouth Colony militia and was the first Mayor of New York City
, prior to the consolidation of the five boroughs into the City of New York in 1898.
, he was born in August 1605, in the rectory-house of Barley, Hertfordshire
, and was baptised on the 29th of the same month. He was educated at The King's School, Ely
. His father dying when he was only sixteen years of age, he appears to have continued to reside with his widowed mother and maternal grandmother till he came of age. Shortly after he went to Leyden, and then to the new Plymouth Colony
where he gained the trust of Governor William Bradford.
In 1633, after he had become a successful trader with the Native Americans, he was admitted to the freedom of the colony, and married a daughter of Major John Brown, a leading citizen. He shortly afterwards became a large shipowner, trading with New Amsterdam
. He was elected one of the assistant governors of the Plymouth colony, and acted as arbitrator in disputes between the English and Dutch colonies; he also became captain of a military company. Early in 1660 he left Plymouth, and, establishing himself in Rhode Island
, became the founder of the town of Swansey.
Accompanying the English commander Richard Nicolls
, he contributed to the peaceable surrender of New Amsterdam to the English on 7 September 1664.
When the colony received the name of New York, Willett was appointed the first mayor (12 June 1665) and a commissioner of admiralty on August 23, with the approval of English and Dutch alike. The next year he was elected alderman, and became mayor a second time in 1667.
Shortly after he withdrew to Swansey, and here, after having lost his first wife, he married the widow of a clergyman named John Pruden. He was a member of the New York governor's executive council from 1665 to 1672 under Richard Lovelace
. He retired in 1673, and died in 1674, at the age of sixty-nine. He was buried in the Little Neck Cemetery
at Bullock's Cove, Riverside area of East Providence, Rhode Island. In his religious views Willet was an independent
.
. Mary Willett, eldest daughter of Capt. Thomas Willett and his wife Mary, married in 1658 Rev. Samuel Hooker, son of Rev. Thomas Hooker
, Puritan divine and founder of Hartford, Connecticut
.
Some have claimed that his great-grandson was Marinus Willett
, who also served as Mayor of New York
, from 1807-1808. This claim has been refuted by E. Haviland Hillman in an article published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volume 47 at 119, published in April 1916.
The descendants of Thomas Willett were numerous. The 'Dorothy Q.' of the poem of Oliver Wendell Holmes was Thomas Willett's great-granddaughter, and the great-grandmother of Holmes.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born American merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
trader and sea-captain, Commissioner of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
, magistrate of Plymouth Colony, Captain of the Plymouth Colony militia and was the first Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
, prior to the consolidation of the five boroughs into the City of New York in 1898.
Life
The fourth son of Andrew WilletAndrew Willet
Andrew Willet was an English clergyman and controversialist. A prolific writer, he is known for his anti-papal works. His views were Calvinist, conforming and non-separatist, and he appeared as a witness against Edward Dering before the Star-chamber...
, he was born in August 1605, in the rectory-house of Barley, Hertfordshire
Barley, Hertfordshire
Barley is a village and civil parish in the district of North Hertfordshire, England. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 659. The place-name refers to a lea or meadow and not to the grain-producing plant...
, and was baptised on the 29th of the same month. He was educated at The King's School, Ely
The King's School, Ely
The King's School, Ely, is a coeducational independent day and boarding school in the cathedral city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. It was founded in 970 A.D., making it one of the oldest schools in the world, though it was given its Royal Charter by King Henry VIII in 1541...
. His father dying when he was only sixteen years of age, he appears to have continued to reside with his widowed mother and maternal grandmother till he came of age. Shortly after he went to Leyden, and then to the new Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
where he gained the trust of Governor William Bradford.
In 1633, after he had become a successful trader with the Native Americans, he was admitted to the freedom of the colony, and married a daughter of Major John Brown, a leading citizen. He shortly afterwards became a large shipowner, trading with New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
. He was elected one of the assistant governors of the Plymouth colony, and acted as arbitrator in disputes between the English and Dutch colonies; he also became captain of a military company. Early in 1660 he left Plymouth, and, establishing himself in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, became the founder of the town of Swansey.
Accompanying the English commander Richard Nicolls
Richard Nicolls
Richard Nicolls was the first English colonial governor of New York province....
, he contributed to the peaceable surrender of New Amsterdam to the English on 7 September 1664.
When the colony received the name of New York, Willett was appointed the first mayor (12 June 1665) and a commissioner of admiralty on August 23, with the approval of English and Dutch alike. The next year he was elected alderman, and became mayor a second time in 1667.
Shortly after he withdrew to Swansey, and here, after having lost his first wife, he married the widow of a clergyman named John Pruden. He was a member of the New York governor's executive council from 1665 to 1672 under Richard Lovelace
Richard Lovelace
Richard Lovelace was an English poet in the seventeenth century. He was a cavalier poet who fought on behalf of the king during the Civil war. His best known works are To Althea, from Prison, and To Lucasta, Going to the Warres....
. He retired in 1673, and died in 1674, at the age of sixty-nine. He was buried in the Little Neck Cemetery
Little Neck Cemetery
The Little Neck Cemetery is a historic cemetery off Read Street in East Providence, Rhode Island.The cemetery was founded in 1655 and is one of the oldest colonial cemeteries in Rhode Island. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980....
at Bullock's Cove, Riverside area of East Providence, Rhode Island. In his religious views Willet was an independent
Independent (religion)
In English church history, Independents advocated local congregational control of religious and church matters, without any wider geographical hierarchy, either ecclesiastical or political...
.
Family
His son Thomas Willett was a major in the militia of Queens County and a councillor under Governors Sir Edmund Andros and Henry SloughterHenry Sloughter
Henry Sloughter was briefly colonial governor of New York in 1691. Sloughter was the governor who put down Leisler's Rebellion, which had installed Jacob Leisler as de facto governor in 1689. Lieutenant Governor Richard Ingoldesby, who had served against Leisler's rebels, took over after...
. Mary Willett, eldest daughter of Capt. Thomas Willett and his wife Mary, married in 1658 Rev. Samuel Hooker, son of Rev. Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker was a prominent Puritan colonial leader, who founded the Colony of Connecticut after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts...
, Puritan divine and founder of Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
.
Some have claimed that his great-grandson was Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett was an American soldier and political leader from New York. He was characterized by historian Mark M. Boatner as "one of the truly outstanding American leaders of the Revolution."...
, who also served as Mayor of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, from 1807-1808. This claim has been refuted by E. Haviland Hillman in an article published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volume 47 at 119, published in April 1916.
The descendants of Thomas Willett were numerous. The 'Dorothy Q.' of the poem of Oliver Wendell Holmes was Thomas Willett's great-granddaughter, and the great-grandmother of Holmes.