SIR RICHARD SALTONSTALL, who was descended from an ancient family in Yorkshire, came to New Eng. land with Governor Winthrop and others, in the year 1630. The colonists with whom he was associated, first landed at Salem, and soon after removed to Charlestown. The apprehension, however, of the want of good water, and of other inconveniences in that place, induced some of their number to explore the surrounding country, in the hope of falling upon some spot of better promise. After the necessary survey, they determined to begin their establishment not far from Boston Neck; and as there was there an abundant supply of good water, from this circumstance they gave the name of Watertown to their new settlement.

The sufferings of these emigrants, during their first winter, were extreme. In consequence, Sir Richard appears to have become discouraged from further prosecuting personally this attempt at colonization, and went back to England; but he never ceased to befriend the colony which he had assisted in planting, and to take an active and zealous part in promoting its interests. His two oldest sons were not deterred by their father's return to Europe, Vol. II.

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from trying their fortunes in America, and soon after emigrated to Massachusetts. Of these, Richard settled in Ipswich, and was chosen to the office of an Assistant in the colony in 1637; but after the revolution in England, he returned home. In 1680, he came again to Massachusetts, and was again chosen Assistant. Within a few years, however, he visited his native country a second time, and died at Hulme in 1694, aged eighty-four years.

Nathanael Saltonstall, son of Richard, graduated at Harvard college in 1659, and established himself at Haverhill. He was one of the prominent men of his time, and was employed in various important stations both civil and military. He died in 1707, at an advanced age.

The oldest son of Nathanael Saltonstall was Gurdon, Governor of Connecticut, who was born at Haverhill, March 27th, 1666. He was educated at Harvard college, where he graduated in 1684, distinguished for his talents and acquirements. For a profession he chose divinity, became an accomplished preacher, and in 1691 was ordained pastor of the church in New London. Besides his reputation as a divine, he was soon known as a man of general knowledge and solid judgment,

and was consulted as a kind of oracle by the magistrates of Connecticut, and by literary men of all professions. So generally was he known and respected, that on the death of the Governor, Fitz John Winthrop, in 1707, Mr. Saltonstall, at an extra session of the legislature of Connecticut in December of that year, was elected to succeed him.

A highly respectable committee of the colonial assembly was sent to New London, with a letter requesting his acceptance of the place of chief magistrate, and with another letter to the church and society of New London, urging them to consent that their minister should leave the pastoral office. The application was successful, and Governor Saltonstall took the oaths of chief magistrate, January 1st, 1708. At this time there was a statute in Connecticut, that the Governor, when elected by the people, should be chosen from among those who had been previously nominated for magistrates; and to enable the freemen, as they were then called, to give their votes at the approaching election for Governor Saltonstall, this statute was repealed. Accordingly, in the following May, he became Governor by popular choice, and was annually re-elected chief magistrate to the time of his death, which occurred September 20th, 1724.

Governor Saltonstall came into office a short time before the war of the Spanish succession, or as it is sometimes called, Queen Anne's war. At this period, the English colonies, especially those of New England and New York, were greatly exposed to attacks from the French in Canada, and from the sudden inroads of the savages. The latter, chiefly from French instigation, often perpetrated the most barbarous murders, and committed extensive depredations among the frontier settlements, which were necessarily furnished with but feeble

protection. To remove this abun dant source of alarm and suffering, was one of the principal objects of the colonial policy and effort. Accordingly in 1709, Governor Saltonstall was appointed by the assembly their agent to the court of Great Britain, to present an address to the Queen, "praying for an armament to reduce the French in North America to her majesty's obedience." This agency he did not accept. The reasons of his declining it are not distinctly known; but the probability is, that he was influenced in his determination by the apparent change about this time in the meas ures of the English ministry for the defense of the American possessions of the crown.

The legislature of Massachusetts had addressed the Queen on the subject of the reduction of Canada, praying for an armament from Eng. land to cooperate with the troops of the colonies for this purpose. Early in 1709, news arrived that a plan had been concerted by the ministry for the conquest not only of Canada, but of Acadia and Newfoundland. To aid in the execution of this project, a requisition for troops was made on the colonies. Full quotas were furnished, and independent companies were raised and sent forward to join the expedition. A part of the New England troops were to embark in the squadron from England, which was destined to attack Quebec; the remainder was to unite with a land army chiefly rais ed in New York, which was to proceed by Lake Champlain, and simultaneously invest Montreal. For this great expedition, warlike stores had been collected, and a large por tion of the troops had advanced to Wood creek; when news arrived from Europe, that the allies of Great Britain had sustained some reverses in the Spanish peninsula, and that the forces destined for America had been ordered for Portugal. This information was very disheartening

to the colonies. Most of their military preparations were lost; their troops at the north had suffered greatly by sickness; they were all deeply in debt, and nothing towards their final object had been accom. plished.

This disappointment, however, was not followed by despair. A new deputation was sent to Eng. land, and the assembly of New York addressed the Queen. These efforts were so far successful, that in 1710 a small British squadron arrived in Boston, which with the additional force raised by great exertions in the colonies, took possession of Port Royal, and the whole of Nova Scotia was surrendered to the British crown. Another expedition against Canada was planned in 1711, and to concert measures for its success, a meeting of the governors of the several colonies was appointed at New London. New Jersey and Pennsylvania were united with New York and New England in this new attempt to drive the French from the continent. After great preparations, the fleet which was sent against Quebec, through bad management and unfavorable weather, was in part wrecked in the St. Lawrence; and the army, which was advancing northward, returned. Through the whole of this period, the duties of the governors of the several colonies were extremely arduous. On all occasions in this difficult crisis, Governor Saltonstall appears to have acted with promptness and discretion, and to have merited and retained the confidence reposed in him by the people of the colony. Connecticut, in consequence of these attempts to conquer Canada, was involved in debt.

To

meet the calls on the treasury, bills of credit, as they were called, to a large amount were issued. To pay these bills, extraordinary efforts were required, and they were all finally discharged.

The peace of Utrecht took place

in 1713, and the colonies were relieved of immediate danger from the French at the north, and from the savages. But attempts had been before made, and were soon renew. ed, to deprive Connecticut of its charter privileges. This colony, as well as some others, was thought to be too independent of the crown. To avert the danger which threat. ened the charter, required great prudence and decision, as well as know. ledge of the subject. In Connecticut, most of the labor of managing this difficult concern devolved on the Governor and council; and the Gov. ernor, as the first magistrate and the most prominent individual in these proceedings, must have borne the chief responsibility of what was done. The agents employed to defend the charter in England, were ably instructed; they were faithful to their employers, and the charter was untouched. But in conducting this business to a successful issue, large expenses were necessary, which, in the circumstances of the colony, still suffering from the debts incurred in the Canadian expeditions, it was difficult to meet. In this emergency, Governor Saltonstall, to facilitate payments in England, became personally responsible for the amount due; and for thus supporting the credit of the colony abroad, received the thanks of the legislature.

As the English colonies were independent of each other, the regulations respecting their mutual intercourse were numerous and often vexatious; and these together with the internal concerns of the colonies, differing very greatly from what they are at present, required almost the constant attention of the several governors. In Connecticut, the meeting of the Governor and council, in the recess of the legislature, to take into consideration such subjects as required immediate action, was an event of frequent occurrence. It may be useful towards