Proprietary Governor
Encyclopedia
Proprietary Governors were individuals authorized to govern proprietary colonies
. Under the proprietary system, individuals or companies were granted commercial charter
s by the King of England
to establish colonies. These proprietors then selected the governors and other officials in the colony. This system was used to establish several colonies on the island of Newfoundland. The province
s of Maryland
, Carolina
and several other colonies in the Americas
were initially established under the proprietary system.
These colonies were distinct from royal colonies in that they were commercial enterprises established under authority of the crown. Proprietary Governors had legal responsibilities over the colony as well as responsibilities to shareholders to ensure the security of their investments.
The proprietary system was a mostly inefficient system, in that the proprietors were, for the most part, like absentee landlord
s. Many never even visited the colonies they owned. By the early 18th century, nearly all of the proprietary colonies had either surrendered their charters to the crown to become royal colonies, or else had significant limitations placed on them by the crown.
Proprietary colony
A proprietary colony was a colony in which one or more individuals, usually land owners, remaining subject to their parent state's sanctions, retained rights that are today regarded as the privilege of the state, and in all cases eventually became so....
. Under the proprietary system, individuals or companies were granted commercial charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
s by the King of England
England
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...
to establish colonies. These proprietors then selected the governors and other officials in the colony. This system was used to establish several colonies on the island of Newfoundland. The province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s of Maryland
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
, Carolina
Province of Carolina
The Province of Carolina, originally chartered in 1629, was an English and later British colony of North America. Because the original Heath charter was unrealized and was ruled invalid, a new charter was issued to a group of eight English noblemen, the Lords Proprietors, in 1663...
and several other colonies in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
were initially established under the proprietary system.
These colonies were distinct from royal colonies in that they were commercial enterprises established under authority of the crown. Proprietary Governors had legal responsibilities over the colony as well as responsibilities to shareholders to ensure the security of their investments.
The proprietary system was a mostly inefficient system, in that the proprietors were, for the most part, like absentee landlord
Absentee landlord
Absentee landlord is an economic term for a person who owns and rents out a profit-earning property, but does not live within the property's local economic region. This practice is problematic for that region because absentee landlords drain local wealth into their home country, particularly that...
s. Many never even visited the colonies they owned. By the early 18th century, nearly all of the proprietary colonies had either surrendered their charters to the crown to become royal colonies, or else had significant limitations placed on them by the crown.
See also
- Cuper's CoveCuper's Cove, Newfoundland and LabradorCuper's Cove, on the southwest shore of Conception Bay on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula was an early English settlement in the New World, and the second one after the Jamestown Settlement to endure for longer than a year...
- Virginia CompanyVirginia CompanyThe Virginia Company refers collectively to a pair of English joint stock companies chartered by James I on 10 April1606 with the purposes of establishing settlements on the coast of North America...
- Proprietary colonyProprietary colonyA proprietary colony was a colony in which one or more individuals, usually land owners, remaining subject to their parent state's sanctions, retained rights that are today regarded as the privilege of the state, and in all cases eventually became so....
- Proprietary HouseProprietary HouseProprietary House in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is the only Proprietary Governor's Mansion of the Original Thirteen Colonies still standing. Erected in 1762 in the Georgian style, it was occupied only temporarily by the royal governor, Benjamin Franklin's son William Franklin, before he was arrested...
- Colonial government in AmericaColonial government in AmericaThe organization and structure of British colonial governments in America shared many attributes. While each of the Thirteen Colonies destined to become the United States had its own history and development, there emerged over time some common features and patterns to the structure andd...
- British colonization of the AmericasBritish colonization of the AmericasBritish colonization of the Americas began in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas...
- British colonial grants in North America (1621-1639)British colonial grants in North America (1621-1639)This article provides a listing and map of British colonial grants in North America during the years 1621 to 1639.Grants prior to 1621 include Sir Humphrey Gilbert's 1578 grant for Newfoundland, the Society of Merchant Venturers, the London and Bristol Company, the Virginia Company and the...
- List of Newfoundland and Labrador lieutenant-governors