William Dummer
Encyclopedia
William Dummer was Acting Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
from 1723 to 1728.
and died in Newbury, Massachusetts
, the son of Jeremiah Dummer
, the first American born silversmith
, and Anna Atwater. He married Catherine Dudley, daughter of Joseph Dudley
, on April 26, 1714.
His brother, Jeremiah
, was a principal founder of the Collegiate School of Connecticut, now Yale
.
His sister, Anna, was the grandmother of William Dummer Powell
, who became an eminent judge in Canada.
, where he served as a commissioner, and it was from here that he was commissioned as lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1716. The governor then was Samuel Shute
, who left abruptly for London
on January 1, 1723, leaving Dummer to serve as governor and commander-in-chief during hostilities with the French
and their Indian
allies -- a conflict known as Dummer's War
. In 1728, William Burnet became governor, with Dummer as lieutenant governor. When Burnet died suddenly of a stroke
on September 7, 1729, Dummer resumed acting as governor and commander-in-chief. He remained in office until June 11, 1730, when he retired at the age of 53.
was opened on February 27, 1763 using his property in Byfield
. It was first called Dummer Charity School, then Dummer Academy, and until recently, Governor Dummer Academy. On July 1, 2006, it changed to The Governor's Academy
(the benefactor's surname
sounded uncomfortably like "dumber," it was decided, and thus elicited predictable taunts during sport meets.) Nevertheless, William Dummer's fine Georgian
mansion remains a central feature of the campus
, serving as the headmaster's residence.
The towns of Dummer
, New Hampshire
and Dummerston
, Vermont
were named after William Dummer, as was Fort Dummer
in what is today Brattleboro, Vermont
.
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony in North America. It was chartered on October 7, 1691 by William and Mary, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of England and Scotland...
from 1723 to 1728.
Family
Dummer was born in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and died in Newbury, Massachusetts
Newbury, Massachusetts
Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,666 at the 2010 census. Newbury includes the villages of Old Town , Plum Island and Byfield, home of The Governor's Academy , a private preparatory school.- History :Newbury Plantation was settled and incorporated...
, the son of Jeremiah Dummer
Jeremiah Dummer (silversmith)
Jeremiah Dummer was the first American-born silversmith, whose works are today highly valued.-Life:Dummer was born in Newbury, Massachusetts, the first son of Richard Dummer and his second wife, Frances Burr....
, the first American born silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
, and Anna Atwater. He married Catherine Dudley, daughter of Joseph Dudley
Joseph Dudley
Joseph Dudley was an English colonial administrator. A native of Roxbury, Massachusetts and son of one of its founders, he had a leading role in the administration of the unpopular Dominion of New England , and served briefly on the council of the Province of New York, where he oversaw the trial...
, on April 26, 1714.
His brother, Jeremiah
Jeremiah Dummer
Jeremiah Dummer was an important colonial figure for New England in the early 18th century. His most significant contributions to American history were his A Defense of the New England Charters and his role in the formation of Yale College.-Background and early life:Jeremiah Dummer's family...
, was a principal founder of the Collegiate School of Connecticut, now Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
His sister, Anna, was the grandmother of William Dummer Powell
William Dummer Powell
William Dummer Powell was a Loyalist lawyer, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.-Early life and education:...
, who became an eminent judge in Canada.
Governor of Massachusetts
For a time Dummer lived in Plymouth, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he served as a commissioner, and it was from here that he was commissioned as lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1716. The governor then was Samuel Shute
Samuel Shute
Samuel Shute was a military officer and royal governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. After serving in the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession, he was appointed by King George I as governor of Massachusetts in 1716...
, who left abruptly for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on January 1, 1723, leaving Dummer to serve as governor and commander-in-chief during hostilities with the French
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
and their Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
allies -- a conflict known as Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
. In 1728, William Burnet became governor, with Dummer as lieutenant governor. When Burnet died suddenly of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on September 7, 1729, Dummer resumed acting as governor and commander-in-chief. He remained in office until June 11, 1730, when he retired at the age of 53.
Dummer Academy
At his bequest, a preparatory schoolUniversity-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
was opened on February 27, 1763 using his property in Byfield
Byfield, Massachusetts
Byfield is a village in the town of Newbury, in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It borders West Newbury, Georgetown, and Rowley. It is located about 30 miles north-northeast of Boston, along Interstate 95, about 10 miles south of the border between New Hampshire and...
. It was first called Dummer Charity School, then Dummer Academy, and until recently, Governor Dummer Academy. On July 1, 2006, it changed to The Governor's Academy
The Governor's Academy
The Governor's Academy is an independent school located on in the village of Byfield, Massachusetts, United States ; north of Boston. The Academy enrolls approximately 385 students in grades nine through twelve, 70% of whom are boarders...
(the benefactor's surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
sounded uncomfortably like "dumber," it was decided, and thus elicited predictable taunts during sport meets.) Nevertheless, William Dummer's fine Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mansion remains a central feature of the campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
, serving as the headmaster's residence.
The towns of Dummer
Dummer, New Hampshire
Dummer is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 304 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT micropolitan statistical area...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and Dummerston
Dummerston, Vermont
Dummerston is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,915 at the 2000 census. Dummerston is home to the longest covered bridge still in use inside the state borders of Vermont.-History:...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
were named after William Dummer, as was Fort Dummer
Fort Dummer
Fort Dummer was a British fort built in 1724 by the colonial militia of the Province of Massachusetts Bay under the command of Lieutenant Timothy Dwight in what is now the Town of Brattleboro in southeastern Vermont. The fort was the first permanent European settlement in Vermont...
in what is today Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
.