Fitz John WINTHROP

Family/Spouse: Elizabeth TONGUE. Elizabeth was born on 20 Oct 1653 in New London, New London Co., Connecticut; died on 25 Apr 1731 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
Colonial Royal Governor. he was the first Royal Governor of Connecticut serving in 1657, and from 1659 to his death in 1676.

Migrated to New England the first time aboard the 'Lyon', November 1631, age 25, as the head of a group consisting of his first wife, Martha, sister Mary, step-mother Margaret (Tyndal) Winthrop, and half-brother, Adam (youngest half sister Anne, age about a year and half, died at sea a week after their departure from England), and the widow and infant daughter of his brother Henry Winthrop, joining his father Gov. John Winthrop and brothers Stephen and Samuel who had come in the Winthrop Fleet at Boston. His brother Henry had drowned on arrival at Salem in July 1630. Settled at Boston, became a founder of Agawam (Ipswich), later of Saybrook, Pequot (New London), New Have and Hartford, Connecticut.

After the death of his first wife and daughter at Ipswich, John sailed back to England in 1634 'in the winter time, in a small and weak ship, bound for Barnstaple, were driven by foul weather upon the coast of Ireland...and were brought, through many desperate dangers, into Gallway.' From there he went to Dublin, Antrim, into Scotland and England 'and all the way he met with persons of quality, whose thoughts were towards New England, who observed his coming among them as a special providence of God.'

He second arrival in Boston was on the 'Abigail' in October 1635 after ten weeks from Plymouth, England. This time John brought his new wife, Elizabeth, and half-brother Deane Winthrop, about 12. His step-father-in-law, Rev. Hugh Peter was also a passenger. John subsequently was governor of the plantation of Saybrook for a year. In August 1641 he sailed the second time out of New England for London, where he stayed for more than two years. His third trip to New England began at Gravesend in May 1643 but with many delays did not arrive in the colonies until that autumn.

Having obtained grants in the Pequot lands of Connecticut, John eventually removed from Massachusetts, settled at New London, and shortly later became governor of the Connecticut Colony. He made his third trip back to England in 1661, where he obtained the Royal charter for Connecticut, and returned on his fourth and final trip from England to New England in 1663.

John married Elizabeth READE on 6 Jul 1635 in St. Matthew, Firday Street, London, England. Elizabeth was born in 1615 in Wickford, Essex, England; died on 24 Nov 1672 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of Edmund Reade and Elizabeth Cook