List of colonial governors of Connecticut

The following is a list of governors of the Connecticut Colony, from 1639 to 1776.

Governors of the Colony of Connecticut, 1639-1662

The colony was initially formed from the towns of Hartford, Windsor and Wethersfield. Between 1639 and 1655, consecutive terms were not allowed, so the governorship rotated between John Haynes and Edward Hopkins each year, except for 1642 when George Wyllys served.

*1. John Haynes 1639-1640
*2. Edward Hopkins 1640-1641
*3. John Haynes 1641-1642
*4. George Wyllys 1642-1643
*5. John Haynes 1643-1644
*6. Edward Hopkins 1644-1645
*7. John Haynes 1645-1646
*8. Edward Hopkins 1646-1647
*9. John Haynes 1647-1648
*10. Edward Hopkins 1648-1649
*11. John Haynes 1649-1650
*12. Edward Hopkins 1650-1651
*13. John Haynes 1651-1652
*14. Edward Hopkins 1652-1653
*15. John Haynes 1653-1654
*16. Edward Hopkins 1654-1655
*17. Thomas Welles 1655-1656
*18. John Webster 1656-1657
*19. John Winthrop, Jr. 1657-1658
*20. Thomas Welles 1658-1659
*21. John Winthrop, Jr. 1659-1662

Governors of the Colony of New Haven, 1639-1665

*1. Theophilus Eaton 1639-1658
*2. Francis Newman 1658-1660
*3. William Leete 1661-1665 (when the Colony of Connecticut and the Colony of New Haven, merged by Royal Charter in 1662, became one government)

Governors of the Colony of Connecticut, 1662-1776

*21. John Winthrop, Jr. 1662-1676
*22. William Leete 1676-1683
*23. Robert Treat de jure 1683-1698, de facto 1683-1687
*Sir Edmund Andros, de facto 1687-1689, "as part of the Dominion of New England"
*Robert Treat 1689-1698
*24. Fitz-John Winthrop 1698-1707
*25. Gurdon Saltonstall 1708-1724
*26. Joseph Talcott 1724-1741
*27. Jonathan Law 1741-1750
*28. Roger Wolcott 1750-1754
*29. Thomas Fitch 1754-1766
*30. William Pitkin 1766-1769
*31. Jonathan Trumbull 1769-1776

John Winthrop, Jr. was the governor of the combined Connecticut Colony in 1662. However, the regime change didn't include an election for governor; Winthrop was merely retained in his position. In fact, the merger took three years to complete, during which time William Leete remained in New Haven. A similar situation happened to Jonathan Trumbull in 1776; the royal government was discarded for state government without a gubernatorial election.

Sir Edmund Andros, who remains a true villain of Connecticut history three hundred years after his death, is pointedly not included in any numbered list of Connecticut governors.

ee also

*List of Governors of Connecticut