William Shirley 1694-1771
William Shirley was a British governor and soldier in America. He was born in Sussex, England, educated at the University of Cambridge and became a lawyer. In 1731 he went to Boston and became an upholder of British colonial interests in America. Ten years later, he was appointed governor of the colony, serving until 1756, when he was removed from office after he led an unsuccessful attack on Fort Niagara during the French and Indian War. Shirley’s greatest accomplishments were his plan that led to the capture of the French fortress of Louisbourg in 1745, during King George’s War, and his stabilizing of the economy in Massachusetts. In 1761 he was appointed governor of the Bahamas. He retired in 1770.
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