William Tryon (June 8, 1729–January 27, 1788) was colonial governor of the Province of North Carolina (1765-1771) and the Province of New York (1771-1780). Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1729 ( MDCCXXIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government The Province of North Carolina was originally part of the Province of Carolina, which was chartered by eight Lords Proprietors. The Province of New York (1664-1776 (Provincie New York resulted from the capture of the Dutch Republic colony of Provincie Nieuw-Nederland by the
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Early life and career
Tryon was born June 8, 1729 at the family's seat at Norbury Park, Surrey, England the son of Charles Tryon and Lady Mary Shirley. Norbury Park is a swathe of land arranged around a small Manor house near Leatherhead and Dorking, Surrey, which appears in the Domesday Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
In 1751, he entered the military as a lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards and was promoted to Captain in the same year. The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS is the most senior Regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, and as such is the most senior regiment of infantry He had a daughter by Mary Stanton, whom he never married. In 1757 he married Margaret Wake, a London heiress with a dowry of 30,000 pounds. Margaret Wake may refer to Margaret Wake 3rd Baroness Wake (1283–1349 English noblewoman of the 14th century Margaret Wake wife of William London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Her father had been the Honourable East India Company's Governor in Bombay from 1742 to 1750, and had died in Cape Town on the voyage home. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or
In 1758 he was promoted lieutenant colonel.
During the Seven Years War he and his regiment was involved in the Cherbourg-St. The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths Malo operation. They landed at Cherbourg and destroyed all war marking facilities. In September, they reembarked for St. Malo where the operation went smoothly until the withdrawal when they came under intense fire from the French. Tryon was twice wounded in the thigh and in the head.
Governor of North Carolina
On April 26, 1764, through family connections he obtained the position of acting lieutenant governor of the Province of North Carolina. The Province of North Carolina was originally part of the Province of Carolina, which was chartered by eight Lords Proprietors. He arrived in North Carolina on October 9 to find the previous governor Arthur Dobbs had not left and he said that he would not be leaving until May. Arthur Dobbs ( 2 April 1689 - March 28 1765) was a wealthy landowner in North Carolina and served as colonial governor from 1754 to 1765 Tryon found himself with no job, no income, and no place to stay. Tryon assumed his position as acting governor when Dobbs died March 28, 1765. On July 10, the King promoted him to governor and he resided in Brunswick Town. Brunswick Town is a colonial Ghost town located beside the Cape Fear River in Smithville Township, Brunswick County, North Carolina
In North Carolina there was strong opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765. The Stamp Act of 1765 (short title Duties in American Colonies Act 1765; 5 George III c When the Stamp Act Congress was held the state assembly was not in session and hence delegates could not be selected to this congress. The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting in the building that would become Federal Hall in New York City in October of 1765 consisting of delegates from 9 of the 13 colonies Tryon refused to allow meetings of the Assembly from May 18, 1765 to November 3, 1766 to prevent the Assembly passing a resolution in opposition to the Stamp Act. Tryon said that he was personally opposed to the Stamp Act and that he offered to pay the taxes on all stamped paper on which he was entitled to fees. Tryon requested troops to enforce the act, but instead he was informed on June 25, 1766 that the act was repealed.
In 1769 he created a postal service for the colony.
He is most noted for putting down the Regulator movement in western North Carolina during 1768 to 1771. The War of the Regulation (or the Regulator Movement was a North Carolina uprising lasting from approximately 1764 to 1771, where mostly lower class citizens Tryon suppressed the North Carolina Regulator uprising, caused partly by the taxation imposed to pay for a new governor's mansion (now called Tryon Palace) at New Bern (which Tryon made the provincial capital), and executed seven alleged Regulators. Tryon Palace is a modern reconstruction of the historical colonial governors' mansion of the Province of North Carolina. He had most of the men tried for violating the Riot Act, a crime temporarily made a capital offense by the General Assembly. The executed men included James Few, Benjamin Merrell, James Pugh, Robert Matear, "Captain" Messer, and two others. Six other Regulators -- Forrester Mercer, James Stewart, James Emmerson, Herman Cox, William Brown, and James Copeland -- were pardoned by King George III and released by Tryon. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places
Tryon's governorship ended and he left North Carolina on June 30, 1771.
Governor of New York
On July 8, 1771, Tryon arrived in the Province of New York and became its governor. The Province of New York (1664-1776 (Provincie New York resulted from the capture of the Dutch Republic colony of Provincie Nieuw-Nederland by the In 1771 and 1772 he was successful in having the assembly appropriate funds for the quartering of British troops and also on March 18, 1772 the establishment of a militia. Funds were also appropriated for the rebuilding of New York City's defenses.
In 1772, opposition in New York was strong against the Tea Act. The Tea Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (13 Geo III c In December, the Sons of Liberty "persuaded" the tea agents to resign. The Sons of Liberty was a Secret organization of American Patriots which originated in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. Tryon proposed to land the tea and store it at Fort George. The Sons of Liberty were opposed and Alexander McDougall said, "prevent the landing, and kill [the]governor and all the council". Alexander McDougall (about 1731&ndash1786 was an American seaman merchant a Sons of Liberty leader from New York City before and during the American Revolution When news of the Boston Tea Party arrived on December 22, Tryon gave up trying to land the tea. The Boston Tea Party was an act of Direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many He told London the tea could only be brought ashore "only under the protection of the point of the bayonet, and muzzle of cannon, and even then I do not see how consumption could be effected". In 1774, the New Yorkers dumped their own consignment of tea into the harbour.
On December 29, 1773 the governor's mansion and all its contents were destroyed by fire. The New York assembly appropriated five thousand pounds for his losses.
On April 7, 1774 Tryon departed for a trip to England. Cadwallader Colden was the acting governor of New York in Tryon's absence. Cadwallader Colden ( February 7, 1688 &ndash September 20, 1776) was a Physician, Farmer, surveyor, He arrived back in New York on June 25, 1775 after the American Revolutionary War had begun. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Isaac Sears in July returned from the Continental Congress with orders to put Tryon under arrest, but George Washington had ordered Philip Schuyler, the commander in New York, to leave Tryon alone. Isaac Sears (1730 &ndash 1786 was an American merchant sailor and political figure who played an important role in the American Revolution. Philip John Schuyler ( November 20[[ 733]] - November 18[[ 804]] was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from On October 19, 1775, Tryon was compelled to seek refuge on the British sloop-of-war Halifax in New York Harbor. In 1776, he dissolved the assembly and called for new elections in February. The new assembly was for independence and Tryon dissolved it.
During the spring and summer of 1776, Tryon and New York City's mayor, David Mathews, were conspirators in a miserably bungled plot to kidnap General George Washington and to assassinate his chief officers. For the US HEW secretary see F David Mathews; for a similar name see David Matthews David Mathews (died 1800 was a lawyer and One of Washington's bodyguards, Thomas Hickey, was involved in the plot. Thomas Hickey is the name of Thomas Hickey (painter (1741–1824 an Irish painter Thomas Hickey (soldier (d Hickey, while in prison for passing counterfeit money, bragged to his cellmate Isaac Ketcham about the kidnapping plot. Ketcham revealed it to authorities in an effort to gain his own freedom. Hickey was court-martialed, and was hanged for mutiny on June 28, 1776.
In June, Admiral Howe arrived in New York City with the British army. Howe placed New York under martial law with James Robertson as the military commander. James Robertson, Jim Robertson, Jimmy Robertson and Jamie Robertson is a name shared by the following individuals Public officials Tryon retained his position as governor, but with little power.
In early 1777, Tryon was given the rank of major-general of the provincials. In April, he was ordered to invade Connecticut and march on the city of Danbury to destroy an arsenal there. Tryon engaged and defeated Patriot forces under the command of General David Wooster and Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Ridgefield when attempting to return to an invasion fleet anchored in Westport. David Wooster ( March 2 1710 – May 2 1777) was an American general in the American Revolutionary War. Benedict Arnold V ( – June 14, 1801) was a General during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental The Battle of Ridgefield was in fact multiple hostile engagements between American and British forces during the American Revolutionary War near the modern-date Westport is a coastal town located on Long Island Sound in Fairfield County, Connecticut, 47 miles north of New York City in the United In May, 1778 he was given the rank of major-general in the British army, but in America only, and also the colonelcy of the 70th Regiment of Foot. The 70th (Surrey Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army formed in 1758 and united with the 31st (Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot in 1881 to form He became the British commander of the British forces on Long Island.
Tryon had long advocated engaging in attacks on civilian targets, but Clinton turned down Tryon's proposals. In July 1779, Tryon commanded a series of raids on the Connecticut coast, attacking New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk, burning and plundering most of Fairfield and Norwalk. Tryon's raids were intended to draw American forces away from the defense of the Hudson valley. In spite of pressure from Governor Trumbull, George Washington did not move his troops. Americans condemned him for making war on "women and children", and the British commander Clinton was also indignant for Tryon disobeying his orders. Tryon found approval in his conduct from Lord Germain, but Clinton refused to give Tryon any further significant commands. George Germain 1st Viscount Sackville PC ( 26 January 1716 &ndash 26 August 1785) also known previously first as Lord George
In September 1780, Tryon returned to his home in London, England. He directed the affairs of his 70th Regiment of Foot still in the colonies and he gave directions in 1783 for the regiment to be brought back to England for disbandment. The 70th (Surrey Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army formed in 1758 and united with the 31st (Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot in 1881 to form In 1782 was promoted to lieutenant-general. In 1784 he was made colonel of the 29th Regiment of Foot which was stationed in Canada. The 29th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army The regiment was raised in 1694 by Colonel Thomas Farrington,
He died at his home in London on January 27, 1788 and was buried at St. Mary's Church, Twickenham, Middlesex.
Legacy
Like many pre-Revolutionary War officials in America, Tryon has generally been pictured by Americans as a tyrant (e. g. , nicknamed "The Wolf" by the citizens of North Carolina). In reality, he seems to have been tactful and a good administrator, who improved the colonial postal service. He became unpopular first because he obeyed the instructions of his superiors prior to the war and then by disobeying his orders by being overly harsh against the Americans during the war.
- Tryon County, New York and Tryon County, North Carolina were both named for him (though later renamed).
- His name is still preserved at Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan in New York City, which was held by the British throughout most of the American Revolution. FortTryonjbjpg|thumb|Fort Tryon]] Fort Tryon Park is a public park located in the Inwood section of the New York City borough of Manhattan
- The town of Tryon, North Carolina. Tryon is a town in Polk County, North Carolina, United States.
- One of the the major roads in Charlotte, North Carolina is named Tryon.
- There is also a Tryon Road in Raleigh (which happens to be in Wake County, named after Tryon's wife Margaret Wake), North Carolina.
- A Tryon Street in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and Albany, New York.
- A Tryon Street in South Glastonbury, Connecticut that travels along the banks of the Connecticut River. The adjacent Tryon Farms was featured in Glastonbury's yearly 2007 calendar. Sarah Jane Tryon-Betts is the land owner, as is her uncle; Charles Tryon. Many homes on Tryon Street date back to this period, and in fact accommodate the furniture of this era, some of which, (Cherry Highboy) produced by the cabinetmaker, Isaac Tryon, circa 1772.
Many decendents of William Tryon reside in Connecticut, and upstate New York.
References
- Haywood, Marshal D. Governor William Tryon and his Administration in the Province of North Carolina. Raleigh, 1903.
- Nelson, Paul, William Tryon and the Course of Empire, 1990, ISBN 0-8078-1917-4
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
External links
- Tryon Palace, North Carolina
- Captain Benjamin Merrell & The Regulators of Colonial North Carolina
- Regulator Movement of North Carolina
| Preceded by: Arthur Dobbs |
Governor of the Royal Colony of North Carolina 1765-1771 |
Succeeded by: James Hasell |
| Preceded by: Lord Dunmore |
Governor of the Province of New York 1771-1780 |
Succeeded by: James Robertson |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Tryon, William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Colonial governor in America |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 8, 1729 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Norbury Park, Surrey, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1788 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | London, England |
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