| William Dummer | |
 Painting of William Dummer created in 1886 by Frederic Porter Vinton |
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| In office January 2, 1723 – July 19, 1728 September 10, 1729 – June 11, 1730 |
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| Preceded by | Samuel Shute (1723) William Burnet (1729) |
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| Succeeded by | William Burnet (1728) William Tailer (1730) |
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| Born | October 10, 1677 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died | October 10, 1761 Newbury, Massachusetts |
William Dummer (October 10, 1677 – October 10, 1761) was Acting Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1723 to 1728.
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Family
Dummer was born in Boston and died in Newbury, Massachusetts, the son of Jeremiah Dummer, the first American born silversmith, and Anna Atwater.[1] He married Catherine Dudley, daughter of Joseph Dudley, on April 26, 1714.
His brother, Jeremiah , was a principal founder of the Collegiate School of Connecticut, now Yale.
His sister, Anna, was the grandmother of William Dummer Powell, who became an eminent judge in Canada.
Governor of Massachusetts
For a time Dummer lived in Plymouth, England, where he served as a commissioner, and it was from here that he was commissioned as lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1716.[2] The governor then was Samuel Shute, who left abruptly for London on January 1, 1723, leaving Dummer to serve as governor and commander-in-chief during hostilities with the French and their Indian allies -- a conflict known as Dummer's War. In 1728, William Burnet became governor, with Dummer as lieutenant governor. When Burnet died suddenly of a stroke on September 7, 1729, Dummer resumed acting as governor and commander-in-chief. He remained in office until June 11, 1730, when he retired at the age of 53.
Dummer Academy
At his bequest, a preparatory school was opened on February 27, 1763 using his property in Byfield. It was first called Dummer Charity School, then Dummer Academy, and until recently, Governor Dummer Academy. On July 1, 2006, it changed to The Governor's Academy (the benefactor's surname sounded uncomfortably like "dumber," it was decided, and thus elicited predictable taunts during sport meets.) Nevertheless, William Dummer's fine Georgian mansion remains a central feature of the campus, serving as the headmaster's residence.
The towns of Dummer, New Hampshire and Dummerston, Vermont were named after William Dummer, as was Fort Dummer in what is today Brattleboro, Vermont.
See also
References
- ^ Dummer, Michael (June 2005). "Ch. 5: Richard and Early Days in New England". The Family of Dummer (7th ed.). p. 27.
- ^ Bridgman, Thomas; Everett, Edward (1856). The Pilgrims of Boston and their descendants. New York: Appleton & Co. p. 363. http://books.google.com/books?id=oPQWAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
External links
- Official Massachusetts Governor biography
- Governor William Dummer of Massachusetts
- The Family of Dummer of British Origin
- The families of Dummer
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Samuel Shute |
Acting Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony January 2, 1723 – July 19, 1728 |
Succeeded by William Burnet |
| Preceded by William Burnet |
Acting Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony September 10, 1729 – June 11, 1730 |
Succeeded by William Tailer (acting) |
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