William Leete, 1683
William Leete was the only man to serve as governor of both the New Haven Colony and the Connecticut Colony.
The towns of Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford joined to form the Connecticut Colony in 1639. But an entirely separate entity, the New Haven Colony, had been established in 1638 on the coast of Long Island Sound. The two existed independently until 1662, when King Charles II granted the Connecticut Colony a charter of government that included the entire New Haven Colony within its boundaries.
New Haven Colony Governor William Leete at first resisted this hostile takeover by Connecticut at the royal whim, but eventually came to support the merger. His labors to ensure that it occurred “in a righteous & amicable way” helped smooth the path to union, which occurred in 1665.
In 1676 William Leete became governor of the Connecticut Colony that he had helped bring into existence. He moved to the capital of Hartford and served as governor until his death in 1683.
Learn more about the stories of people buried at the Ancient Burying Ground:
- Reverend Thomas Hooker and Government by the Consent of the People
- Nathaniel Willet and his role in Connecticut’s Witchcraft Trials
- Governor William Leete – Connecticut and New Haven Became One
- John Allyn, securing the Royal Charter and the Charter Oak
- Elizabeth Willson from Hartford as a successful Colonial Business And Commercial Center
- Col. Nathan Payson and Dr. Eliakim Fish, who served in the military in several Colonial Conflicts
- Richard Bernham and Ebenezer Watson in Connecticut’s Run-Up To Rebellion
- Captain Pownal Deming and Moses Dunbar – opposing roles in the American Revolution
- Jeremiah Wadsworth – Creating A New State And Nation
- Learn more about the People of Diverse Races and Ethnic Heritages found at the Ancient Burying Ground