William Burnet

Who was William Burnet?

William Burnet was a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as governor of New York and New Jersey and Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born into a position of privilege, Burnet was well educated, tutored among others by Isaac Newton.

Active for most of his life in intellectual pursuits, he occupied no posts of importance until financial considerations and political connections brought him the governorships of New York and New Jersey. His tenure in New Jersey was without major controversies, although he set a precedent there for accepting what were effectively bribes in exchange for his assent to legislation. In New York he sought unsuccessfully to end the fur trade between Albany and Montreal in order to implement a colonial policy preferring direct trade with the Native Americans in central North America. His New York rule was marked by an increase in political divisions between land owners and merchants. After the death of King George I, King George II appointed Burnet governor of New Hampshire and Massachusetts.