Simon Bradstreet

Simon Bradstreet
Engraving based on a painting in the Massachusetts State House
20th and 21st Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
In office
1679–1686
Preceded byJohn Leverett
Succeeded byJoseph Dudley (as President of the Dominion of New England)
In office
May 24, 1689 – May 16, 1692
Preceded bySir Edmund Andros (as Governor of the Dominion of New England)
Succeeded bySir William Phips (as Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay)
Deputy Governor of Massachusetts Bay
In office
1678–1679
GovernorJohn Leverett
Preceded bySimon Symonds
Succeeded byThomas Danforth
Secretary of Massachusetts Bay
In office
1630–1636
Preceded byNone, position established
Succeeded byIncrease Nowell
Member of the Council of Assistants
In office
1630–1678
Governor
In office
1679–1686
GovernorHimself
In office
1689–1692
GovernorHimself
Commissioner for Massachusetts Bay
In office
1644–1644
In office
1648–1661
In office
1663–1664
In office
1669–1672
In office
1674–1675
In office
1677–1677
Personal details
Bornbaptized (1604-03-18)March 18, 1604
Horbling, Lincolnshire
DiedMarch 27, 1697(1697-03-27) (aged 93)
Salem, Province of Massachusetts Bay
Spouse
(m. 1628; died 1672)
Children8: Samuel, Dorothy, Sarah, Simon, Hannah, Mercy, Dudley, John.
Signature

Simon Bradstreet (baptized March 18, 1603/4[1] – March 27, 1697) was a New England merchant, politician and colonial administrator who served as the last governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Arriving in Massachusetts on the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, Bradstreet was almost constantly involved in the politics of the colony but became its governor only in 1679.

He served on diplomatic missions and as agent to the crown in London, and also served as a commissioner to the New England Confederation. He argued for minority positions for accommodation of the demands of King Charles II following his restoration to the throne.

Bradstreet was married to Anne, the daughter of Massachusetts co-founder Thomas Dudley and New England's first published poet. He was a businessman, investing in land and shipping interests. Due to his advanced age (he died at 93) Cotton Mather referred to him as the "Nestor of New England".[2]

  1. ^ In the Julian calendar, then in use in England, the year began on March 25. To avoid confusion with dates in the Gregorian calendar, then in use in other parts of Europe, dates between January and March were often written with both years. Dates in this article are in the Julian calendar unless otherwise noted.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mather140 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).