Shirley, William

Shirley, William
born Dec. 2, 1694, Preston, Sussex, Eng.
died March 24, 1771, Roxbury, Mass.

American colonial governor.

A lawyer in England, he moved to Boston in 1731. He was appointed admiralty judge (1733), king's advocate general (1734), and governor of Massachusetts (1741–49, 1753–56). In King George's War he planned the British capture of Louisbourg (1745). He became commander of British forces in North America (1755) but was dismissed after the failure of his expedition against Fort Niagara. He served as governor of the Bahamas (1761–67).

* * *

▪ British colonial governor
born Dec. 2, 1694, Preston, Sussex, Eng.
died March 24, 1771, Roxbury, Mass. [U.S.]

      colonial governor of Massachusetts who played an important role in Britain's struggle against France for control of North America.

      In 1731, after 11 years of law practice in England, Shirley migrated to Boston. He was appointed admiralty judge in 1733 and the king's advocate general in 1734. In 1741 Shirley was appointed governor. He built up the Massachusetts fortifications, and during King George's War (1740–48) he organized and planned Britain's one great victory, the capture in 1745 of the French fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island.

      After the defeat and death of Gen. Edward Braddock in western Pennsylvania (1755), Shirley became commander in chief of the English forces in America but failed to gain the respect and cooperation necessary to carry out his plans. Following the failure of his expedition against Ft. Niagara, he was replaced as commander and governor. Accusations of mismanagement aroused suspicions, and he was recalled to England, where he was charged with treason. After being vindicated he was appointed governor of the Bahamas in 1761 but later returned to Massachusetts (1770).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Shirley,William — Shir·ley (shûrʹlē), William. 1694 1771. British colonial administrator who was governor of Massachusetts (1741 1749 and 1753 1756) and commanded British forces in the French and Indian War. * * * …   Universalium

  • Shirley, William — (2 dic. 1694, Preston, Sussex, Inglaterra–24 mar. 1771, Roxbury, Mass.). Gobernador colonial en EE.UU. Fue abogado en Inglaterra y se trasladó a Boston en 1731. Fue nombrado juez marítimo (1733), abogado general de la corona (1734) y gobernador… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Shirley, William — (1693 1771)    Born in Preston, England. Called to the English bar; removed to Boston, where he practised his profession. Governor of Massachusetts, 1741 1745; planned the successful expedition against Louisbourg. Resided in England, 1745 1753.… …   The makers of Canada

  • William Shirley — (2 décembre 1694 – 24 mars 1771) était le gouverneur anglais du Massachusetts entre 1741 et 1759. Il est né à Preston Manor dans le Sussex, de William et Elizabeth Go …   Wikipédia en Français

  • William Shirley — (* 1693 in Preston, Sussex; † 24. März 1771 in Roxbury, Massachusetts) war ein britischer Kolonialgouverneur in Nordamerika. Er studierte Rechte und kam 1731 nach Amerika, ließ sich in Boston, Massachusetts, nieder und arbeitete dort als Anwalt.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Shirley — Shirley, James * * * (as used in expressions) Chisholm, Shirley Shirley Anita St. Hill Jackson, Shirley (Hardie) MacLaine, Shirley Shirley McLean Beaty Shirley, William Myra Belle Shirley Temple, Shirley Shirley Temple Black …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • William S. Sahakian — (1922 1986) was an American philosopher. Sahakian completed his graduate studies in philosophy at Harvard University and at Boston University. In 1951, Sahakian received his Ph.D. degree from Boston University. Sahakian s dissertation was… …   Wikipedia

  • Shirley — /sherr lee/, n. 1. James, 1596 1666, English dramatist. 2. a city on the S shore of Long Island, in SE New York. 18,072. 3. a male or female given name: a family name taken from an Old English placename. * * * (as used in expressions) Chisholm… …   Universalium

  • William — /wil yeuhm/, n. 1. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter W. 2. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning will and helmet. * * * (as used in expressions) Huddie William Ledbetter Aberhart William George William… …   Universalium

  • William Cavendish (1592-1676) — Para otros usos de este término, véase William Cavendish. William Cavendish Duque de Newcastle El I duque de Newcastle upon Tyne 7 de …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”