The sun., 1913-10-19
MEMORIAL FOR FIRST
MAYOR OF new YORK
CITY club ErcctS Boulder in
Honor Of Thomas Willctt
at Riverside. II. I.
SERVED IN 1865 AND 1867
lie Carried Truce to Dutch and
tot New Amsterdam for
the English.
SERVED IN 1865 AND 1867

IHp,iurNCE. Il. 1. oct. iS.--rhe grave
o, Thomas Wllctt, first Mayor of New
york. who WA buried IN Little Neck
Cemetery. Riverside. NOR. than 200 years
.-,. was marked in hitting manner there
thus sNcrnonn when "A large. handsome
sl.,nltc boulder, the gift OF the city club
,f Sew York. was unveiled by Mrs Lewis
r. white of Riverside, who was instru-
mental IN having the condition Of the
" .lcjt grave brought to the attention OF
81 Sdvui strong of the city Club.
when Mrs White pulled the string at
m .ucd to- thu official flag of the present
Mayor of New York. which was loaned FOR
The occasion and which covered the boul-
d,, the batter was disclosed 10 large
,..omhlago. which included officials OF the
q, of Sew York and a delegation Of the
....,.,,.r- of the city club. Mayor Joseph
"A G,.u.r tud other officials Of frovi-
I.... members uf the Council OF East
I,t,,,ttuc.. dele gates from tn. Boston,
pl,nouth and Rhode Island historical as
,,..,t!ons and hundreds Of the towns
p.uYi-
MAYOR Kline OF New York city could
10, lee present and he was represented by
U,o,vc McAn.ny. President OF the Bor-
ouru II Manhattan.
The New York party arrived here at
,:o; o'clock this afternoon and boarded
A., train for Riverside. Mayor Gainer.
p,. dent Alston T.. Thorpe of the East
Providence Town Council and other mem-
b,r, 81 IN. Town Council met the party
at riverside.
Those who Made Addresses.
Tho .Ncrcises we're simple and impres-
s.vc Addresses were made by John
iiatscn Khoades. chairman Of the Willett
memorial committee OF the city Club
charles H. strong. president of the city
club. rrof. Wilfrcd H. Munroe, president
~ the Ehodc island Historical Society
Joseph \. Gainer. Mayor Of Providence
.g McAueuy and others.
Thomas Wiliett was big man In New
Works. rirly history. He was the son Of
andrew Will.tt. famous Episcopal
tlergyman. whose father. Thomas Willett
was rector "f Bailey in Hertfordshire.
Mayor Willetts father was II graduate Of
cambridge and voluminous writer ON
lthgious subjects
OF Thomas wiilet,s early boyhood
ihcfc is no record. but in 1926 he was
eraduated from Cambridge. During a
-hrr, years stay in Holland he acquired a
knowledge of the Dutch Language that
,ftervard proved useful 10 him. In 1882
II the age Of %, he arrived in Plymouth
IN the shipsLion. and identifying himself
with that colony became freeman on
January |. 1888. Here in 1886 he married
Hdry Brown.
Wilett from 1851 to 1864 was assistant
At the General Court was captain Of the
military force at Plymouth and a delegate
20 Massachusetts,, representing the inter
-sts II Plymouth Colony in the councils Of
he sister settlement
will~tt Was u Busy Man.
Will"tt conducted "A farm. built ships
ami went on trading voyages in them
80 Maine and to New Amsterdam and
p' the Hudson To Beverwyck. or Fort
orange az Albany WAS then called. In
sj3, at plymouth. Willett was chosen
IN Tho Council OF War, and in January.
is5i. was directed to repair to the COM
Gauier-in- chief of the Massa chusetts
'orce and accompany them to Manhattan,
'nd counsel
Laval followers of Peter Stuyvesant
"A" the uselessnoss OF opposing the Eng
Ish forces. listened to the arguments of
capt Willett and New Amsterdam be-
ann English soil without the firing OF
q gun and without any loss of life.
'"l Nichols. commander Of the English
forces later sent WiIlett as commissioner
% tn" IroQuois Indians. This mission
vas SO successful that on June l2. 1865,
'ol Nichols appointed him Mayor OF the
't!.
Al IN" end of his term OF one year
Mayor Wtllett became an Alderman and
he next year. 1867, was chosen Mayor
again. After fuilling his second term
ts Mayor he returned to his estate in
.'"anzey.
y was before he went to New York
'ua' Wilett left Plymouth to settle on
a. grant of land in Swanzey. The part
'u which hc built his house later be-
'a'r" Rhode Island soil.
HIS last years were not idle ones. for
l670.72 he was elected AZ commits
,Iorcr tu the General Council Of the
n't'd colonies and was directed by Plym-
"uth Colony to purchase lands from
A' Indians and to take necessary steps
'H' IA" admission Of proper persons as
fhthltdnts
''1r'h Year of his age. He was buried
80" Ia" cemetery Of the village OF River
80, Tvs" unpretentious stones mark his
resting place
Dcscrndant . Mayor Alss.
~ Mayor Willetts descendants the most
s'7h'' was Marinus Willett, his great.
Grandson, who was an officer in the Revo-
l'ion, friend Of Washington and later
Mayor Of New York. He died on August
-- I'3" and was buried with great mill
'a'' rd civic honors In Trinity Church
arI N'w York.
'h' -imple stones that marked the last
'ts'mS place of Thomas Willett and his
'Fi wife, Mary Brown, have withstoOd
.'' "Nin'nts for 239 years. Some time
~" their dlapidated condition was
'''Ht"d out to Charles II. Strong. presi-
""r' . the city Club, by Mrs. Lewis r.
Nrir of Riverside
~ strong became interested and mp
"'''i g special committee OF the City
1901 Nth Juhn liarscn Rhoades as chair
"'' This committee set about raising
' ."cSsary funds for the erection OF
'IHldcr.
n"molial itself bears the inscrip-
THOMAS WILLETT. 161O-1674.
Mayor of New York, Served 1865
It''. Erected by the City Club OF
Ne" York."
'uuHd the boulder and enclosing the
Ff ~ Mayor Willett. his wife and her
ia o.. Ohm brown, the club has erected
"' ''lnental fence Of Westerly granite
". Iatns,
Nercises to-day were simple
'" re- present a large number OF
~ '.''- 'lom Riverside. many representa-
~ historical societies from New
e. u ton, plymouth. Providence and
'loi az well as many city officials