William Leete
Encyclopedia
Governor William Leete was Governor of the Colony of New Haven from 1661 to 1665 and Governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1676 to 1683.
He was born about 1612 or 1613 at Doddington
, Huntingdonshire
, England
, the son of John Leete and his wife Anna Shute, daughter of John Shute, a justice of the King's Court.
He was educated as a lawyer, and served as a clerk in Bishop's Court at Cambridge, England. His distaste for the oppression of the Puritans by that court was a key factor in his emigration to Connecticut. On 1 June 1639, William Leete was among the 25 signers of the Plantation Covenant on shipboard. He was town clerk of Guilford, Connecticut
from 1639 to 1662, and Justice of the Peace
there in 1642. He served as town magistrate at Guilford from 1651 to 1658, and as deputy from Guilford to the New Haven Colony General Court from 1643 to 1649. He was Commissioner of New Haven Colony (1655-1658), Deputy Governor (1658-1661) and Governor of the New Haven Colony from 1661 to 1664. After the consolidation of New Haven Colony and the Colony of Connecticut, he became Governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1676 to 1683. He is the only man to serve as governor of both New Haven and Connecticut.
He is remembered for sheltering the Regicide
s William Goffe
and Edward Whalley
in Guilford.
He married three times. His first wife, and mother of all ten of his known children, was Anna Payne, daughter of Reverend John Payne of Sothoe. They married on 1 August 1636; she died on 1 September 1668. His second wife, whom he married 7 April 1670, was Sarah, widow of Henry Rutherford. She died 10 February 1673/4. His third wife was Mary, widow successively of Francis Newman
and Reverend Nicholas Street.
Gov. Leete died at Hartford, Connecticut
in April 1683 and was interred at Hartford, Connecticut
in Hartford's Ancient Burying Ground
. His third wife survived him for several months, dying on 13 December 1683.
He was born about 1612 or 1613 at Doddington
Doddington, Cambridgeshire
Doddington is a village in Cambridgeshire, between Chatteris and March. Historically, Doddington was one of the largest parishes in England. Under the Doddington Rectory Division Act of 1856 it was divided into seven rectories, Benwick, Doddington, Wimblington, March Old Town, March St Peter,...
, Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
, 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...
, the son of John Leete and his wife Anna Shute, daughter of John Shute, a justice of the King's Court.
He was educated as a lawyer, and served as a clerk in Bishop's Court at Cambridge, England. His distaste for the oppression of the Puritans by that court was a key factor in his emigration to Connecticut. On 1 June 1639, William Leete was among the 25 signers of the Plantation Covenant on shipboard. He was town clerk of Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, that borders Madison, Branford, North Branford and Durham, and is situated on I-95 and the coast. The population was 21,398 at the 2000 census...
from 1639 to 1662, and Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
there in 1642. He served as town magistrate at Guilford from 1651 to 1658, and as deputy from Guilford to the New Haven Colony General Court from 1643 to 1649. He was Commissioner of New Haven Colony (1655-1658), Deputy Governor (1658-1661) and Governor of the New Haven Colony from 1661 to 1664. After the consolidation of New Haven Colony and the Colony of Connecticut, he became Governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1676 to 1683. He is the only man to serve as governor of both New Haven and Connecticut.
He is remembered for sheltering the Regicide
Regicide
The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
s William Goffe
William Goffe
William Goffe was an English Roundhead politician and soldier, perhaps best known for his role in the execution of King Charles I and later flight to America.-Early life:...
and Edward Whalley
Edward Whalley
Edward Whalley was an English military leader during the English Civil War, and was one of the regicides who signed the death warrant of King Charles I of England.-Early career:The exact dates of his birth and death are unknown...
in Guilford.
He married three times. His first wife, and mother of all ten of his known children, was Anna Payne, daughter of Reverend John Payne of Sothoe. They married on 1 August 1636; she died on 1 September 1668. His second wife, whom he married 7 April 1670, was Sarah, widow of Henry Rutherford. She died 10 February 1673/4. His third wife was Mary, widow successively of Francis Newman
Francis Newman
Francis Newman was an English colonist in America and Governor of the New Haven Colony in 1658-59. He was born in England and emigrated to New Hampshire in 1634, but shortly thereafter removed to the Connecticut valley and became prominent in the affairs of the colony at New Haven.In 1653, he was...
and Reverend Nicholas Street.
Gov. Leete died at 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...
in April 1683 and was interred at 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...
in Hartford's Ancient Burying Ground
First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground
First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground is a historic church and cemetery at 60 Gold Street in Hartford, Connecticut...
. His third wife survived him for several months, dying on 13 December 1683.
External links
- http://www.cslib.org/gov/leetew.htm
- Frederick Calvin Norton,The Governors of Connecticut, Connecticut Magazine Co., 1905.
- http://the-eversdens.co.uk/leetefamily/leetesofeversden.html