ELEVENTH GENERATION

1812. Governor William Leete ^{(16) (56)} was born in 1612 in Dodington, Huntingdon, England. He died on Apr 16 1683 in Hartford, Connecticut. He was buried in The cemetery of the First Church of Hartford, Connecticut. Governor William Leete was educated as a lawyer and worked as a registrar in the Bishop's Court at Cambridge, England. He was so impressed by the fortitude of the Puritans who were being persecuted by the religious authorities that he looked into their doctrines and was converted.

To escape the persecution he had witnessed, he joined Reverend Henry Whitfield's company and sailed for America in May, 1639, with his wife. On June 1st, 1639, during the voyage, he signed with others a Plantation Covenant. Arriving in New Haven, they bought land from the Indians and established a town later named Guilford. Leete was chosen as one of the six trustees of this land and one of the four who acted as a temporary government. He was town secretary from 1639 until he resigned in 1662. He was also one of the "seven pillars" who organized the Guilford Church in 1643, after which the town entered the "combination" at New Haven and Leete was sent to represent the town there.

He became town magistrate in 1651, a position he held until his death. He frequently undertook missions for the colony to other New England colonies and represented New Haven colony in the New England Confederation from 1655 to 1664. He was deputy governor of New Haven Colony from 1658 to 1661 and Governor from 1661 to 1664.

After the restoration of King Charles II, most of those who had sided with Parliament and the Commonwealth were forgiven by the general pardon issued by Charles II and by the Act of Oblivion passed by Parliament. The exceptions were the so-called regicides, those who had directly partaken in the trial and execution of Charles I. Those who were captured mostly suffered the penalty for treason (see No.3812). Two of the judges at the King's trial, Edward Whalley and William Goffe, however, escaped to New England.

On May 11, 1661, two King's Pursuivants called on then Acting Governor Leete's house at Guilford, and asked for his authority to arrest the two fugitives, who were known to be hiding in New Haven. Leete parleyed with the king's officers for as long as he could, meanwhile having sent a messenger to warn the two men. The two escaped and the officers' attempts to have Leete arraigned by Governor Endicott in Boston were unsuccessful.

It was largely due to the influence of William Leete that New Haven peacefully submitted to the Connecticut charter of 1662. As a reward, he was chosen as a magistrate by the Connecticut General Court. In 1669 he was named deputy governor of Connecticut and served for seven years until, following the death of Governor Winthrop, he became Governor. He served that office until he died in 1683.

There is an article on Governor William Leete in the Dictionary of American Biography and in the American National Biography. He was married to Anna Payne on Aug 1 1636 in Hail Weston, Huntington, England.

1813. Anna Payne was born in 1621 in England. She died on Sep 1 1668. Children were:

906 i. John Leete.
ii. Andrew Leete was born in 1643 in Guilford, Connecticut. He died on Oct 31 1702 in Guilford, Connecticut.
iii. William Leete was born about 1645 in Guilford, Connecticut. He died on Jun 1 1687 in Guilford, Connecticut.
iv. Abigail Leete was born about 1650 in Guilford, Connecticut. She died on Feb 9 1710/11.
v. Caleb Leete was born on Aug 24 1651. He died on Jan 13 1672/73.
vi. Peregrine Leete was born in 1658. She died young.
vii. Joshua Leete was born in 1659. He died on Feb 20 1659/60.
viii. Anna Leete was born on Mar 10 1660 in Guilford, Connecticut.

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