Robert Treat

Family 1: Jane Japp
  1. Mary Treat 
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Notes

BIR-DEA: BAR001. Born in Pitminster, England in 1622 and resided in New Jersey and Connecticut from 1637 to 1710. Information in the State Adjutant General's Records shows that Governor Treat, or Major Robert Treat, as he was frequently called -- and, after King Philip's War, Colonel (which title is on his tombstone) -- was at the early age of sixteen chosen with nine other colonists to lay out lands for the settlers of Milford, Conn. Soon afterwards, he was made Deputy of the General Court and Chief Military Officer, with title of Lieutenant. He then became Captain of the Milford Militia and assigned to Scout duty when trouble arose with their Dutch neighbors. This was at the time of the surrender of New Amsterdam to the English and when Robert Treat and his band returned, they brought glowing accounts of the liberal terms granted by the proprietors of New Jersey to the colonists and of the great opportunities afforded by that province. Many of the Connecticut settlers were much dissatisfied with the Connecticut Union forced upon them by Charles II and decided to emigrate to New Jersey, under the leadership of Robert Treat. So, in May 1666, they embarked in several small vessels, sailed the perilous waters of the Atlantic Ocean, passed through dangerous Hell Gate, up the beatiful harbor of New Amsterdam into Kill von Kull, thence up Newark Bay and the Passaic River, where they cast anchor and disembarked on May 17th, 1666 and founded the present city of Newark, N.J. Robert Treat laid out the land for the city, planned the public buildings and squares, wrote wills, deeds and other papers, served on the first five General Assemblies called by Governor Carteret and, finally, after seeing that everything was going smoothly in the colony, and that a spirit of kindness and tolerance was adopted in their dealings with the Indians and Quakers, he and all his family, with the exception of his daughter Mary and his son John, returned to Connecticut where he was needed to settle some disputes. His eldest son, Samuel, became a minister and was the grandfather of Robert Treat Paine who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Upon his return to Connecticut, he was made second in command of the Connecticut troops then in training. In 1675, when King Philip's War broke out, Major Treat was made commander in Chief of the Connecticut troops, rushed aid to the Massachusetts troops, saved the town of Springfield from utter destruction and finally defeated the Indians. Next year, he was elected Deputy Governor and filled the post with great ability, until the death of Governor Little in 1683, when he was elected Governor, a post he filled with courage and ability until 1698. During his life, he settled many boundary disputes between New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. James II decided to take away the charter of Connecticut and Rhode Island and unite them with Massachusetts under the control of Sir Edmund Andress, who was justly hated and feared. When the new royal governor appeared at Hartford in 1687 with a body of troops and demanded the charter, Governor Treat convened the Legislature and received Sir Edmund with great ceremony. After certain festivities, Governor Treat delivered an address showing why the people loved their charter; he discoursed upon the privations and hardships they had endured; told of the Indian Wars and, then, commenced to relate incidents in his own life. During this long recital, the charter lay on a table before him. Such was the respect that Governor Treat was held in England, that Sir Edmund had been instructed to treat him with all consideration and politeness. While he talked, it grew dark and candles were brought. Suddenly the lights went out and during the confusion that followed, the charter disappeared. During the following year, King James II was deposed, the charter was brought from its hiding place in the charter oak, and Governor Treat proclaimed William and Mary the lawful sovereigns of the Colony. His large mansion was opened to rich and poor alike and, when he died, he was mourned by all the colonists.

Created by Sparrowhawk 1.0 (4/17/1996) on Sun May 31 16:03:34 1998