Biography

Coat of Arms of Gov. George Wylls

Gov. George Wyllys, Lord of Fenny Compton Manor was born in 1590 in Fenny Compton, County Warwickshire, England to Richard Wyllys ( - ) and Hester Chambers ( - ) and died on 9 Mar 1644 in Hartford County, Connecticut, North America. He is buried at Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, North America. He married first in 1629 to Mary Smith (1603 - 1664) and second to Bridget Young ( - ) and arrived in 1634 in Massachusetts, North America.

He arrived in 1634 in Massachusetts, North America with his family. In 1634 he was appointed as Assistant to the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1636 he sent his steward who was William Gibbons ( - ) to Hartford, Connecticut, North America along with 20 domestic indentured servants to oversee the construction of the house. The house that was built for him was the largest house of any of the settlers in the whole Colony of Connecticut at the time.

There was a great Oak Tree called Charter Oak that stood on "Wyllys Hyll: on his property in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, North America. The tree had been around since the 12th or 13th century until it fell in 1856, which was stated in the 1662 Connecticut's Royal Charter. After the tree fell, the oak tree became the symbol of American Independence. His house was built on the same street that the future governors such as Wyllys, (1590 - 1661), (1594 - 1660) (1600 - 1657) would build houses and the tree would become known as Governor's Street.

In 1638 he moved with his family to Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, North America. On 11 Apr 1639, 1640, 1644 and in 1644 he was chosen Magistrate of the Colony of Connecticut. From 1639 to 1641 he was elected on of the six Assistants to the General Court. In 1641 he was elected Deputy Governor of the Colony of Connecticut which he served or a year. In 1642 to 1643 he was elected the fourth Governor of the Colony of Connecticut. He and the General Court sent sent two delegates to meetings in Boston after a rumor that the Narragansetts Indians were forming alliances with other tribes to destroys the English settlers in Connecticut; this later would become known as the Articles of Confederations between the colonies of Massachusetts Bay, New Haven and Connecticut. In 1643 he was chosen a Commissioner from the Colony of Connecticut to the United Colonies of New England after his commission of governor was over.

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