Richard Waldron

Richard Waldron
Major Waldron defends against armed natives in the Cocheco Massacre of 1689
President of New Hampshire
In office 1681–1682
Preceded by	John Cutt
Succeeded by	Edward Cranfield
Personal details
Born	Richard Walderne (1615-01-06)6 January 1615 Alcester, Warwickshire, England
Died	27 June 1689(1689-06-27) (aged 74) Dover, New Hampshire, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Unknown, Ann Scammon
Parents	William Walderne and Catherine Raven
Occupation	President of colonial New Hampshire, merchant, magistrate, councillor, mill owner, Major of the New Hampshire Militia and speaker of the colonial Massachusetts assembly
Religion	Puritan
Signature

Major Richard Waldron (or Richard Waldern, Richard Walderne; 1615–1689) dominated the society and economy of early colonial Dover, New Hampshire and had a substantial presence in greater New Hampshire and in neighbouring Massachusetts. He was the second president of the colonial New Hampshire Royal Council after it was first separated from Massachusetts.

An "immensely able, forceful and ambitious" member of a well-off Puritan family, he left his English home and moved to what is now Dover, New Hampshire. He first came about 1635. He built mills on the Cochecho River, amassed local land holdings that endured in his family for over 170 years, controlled much of the local native trade, and was prominent in local politics and as deputy to the Massachusetts General Court for twenty five years from 1654. He was speaker several times. When the first president of the colonial New Hampshire council, John Cutt, died suddenly, council member Walderne became the acting president or governor until Edward Cranfield arrived from England. "By the 1670s the portion of Dover known as Cochecho [village] had become something like Waldron's personal fiefdom, and citizens in the other areas of settlement rarely challenged his social authority."

Waldron (or Walderne) was born in Alcester, Warwickshire, England. One of many children of William Walderne and Catherine Raven, he was christened on 6 January 1615. Little is known of his early life. The name of his first wife is unknown. He married second Ann Scammon. He had several children.

Perhaps because he was a prominent landholder, he was singled out for a lawsuit which was part of a plan seeking to overturn all land titles in colonial New Hampshire in favour of the descendants of John Mason, the adventurer who had named New Hampshire and planted the first British colonists.