succeeded death_date death_place birth_name birth_place children signature order term_start spouse article_title term_end name occupation
richard waldron april 5 , 1681 -lrb- age 68 -rrb- portsmouth , new hampshire john cutt wales john , elizabeth , hannah , mary , samuel john_cutt_signature_crop . jpg president of new hampshire 1680 hannah starr , ursula john cutt
 1681 john cutt president merchant , magistrate , councilor . -lrb- governor -rrb- of colonial new hampshire and
john cutt

john cutt -lrb- 1613 -- april 5 , 1681 -rrb- was the first president of the province of new hampshire .
cutt was born in wales , emigrated to the colonies in 1646 , and became a successful merchant and mill owner in portsmouth , new hampshire .
he was married to hannah starr , daughter of dr. comfort starr of boston , a founder of harvard college and a surgeon who emigrated from ashford , kent , england .
starr is buried in king 's chapel burying ground , boston .
on january 1 , 1680 , john cutt became the first president of the royal province of new hampshire , when new hampshire was first separated from the massachusetts bay colony .
cutt was the head of the seven-member royal provincial council .
an early copy of the document appointing cutt and his council is now preserved by the state of new hampshire .
soon after his appointment he fell ill .
on march 1 , 1681 the provincial council and general assembly designated march 17 , 1681 , `` a day of public fasting and prayer . ''
the council and assembly believed cutt 's illness and the recent sighting of a comet were signs of `` divine displeasure . ''
the day of fasting and prayer was unsuccessful , as john cutt died on april 5 , 1681 .
after his decease richard waldron was named acting president .
