William King (governor)
| William King | |
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King circa 1806
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| 1st Governor of Maine | |
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In office March 15, 1820 – May 28, 1821 |
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| Succeeded by | William D. Williamson |
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate | |
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In office 1807–1811 1816–1820 |
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| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
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In office 1795–1799 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 9, 1768 Scarborough, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America |
| Died | June 17, 1852 (aged 84) Bath, Maine, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican Party |
William King (February 9, 1768 – June 17, 1852) was an American merchant, shipbuilder, army officer, and statesman from Bath, Maine. A proponent of statehood for Maine, he became its first governor when it separated from Massachusetts in 1820.
William King was born to Richard King, a merchant and shipowner, and Mary Black, on February 9, 1768 at Scarborough, then in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. His formal education was limited to local schools (he spent one term at Phillips Academy) and ended when he was thirteen. He was largely self-educated. Starting as a hand in a saw-mill, he went on to open his own mill.
King was employed in a variety of businesses, including as a shipbuilder, then a ship-owner. He became the largest merchant shipping owner in Maine. He became a successful merchant and a significant real-estate investor. He opened the first cotton mill in Maine, at Brunswick. He founded and was president of the first bank of Bath.
King became active politically in 1795 as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. He represented Topsham in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1795 and 1799. After he moved to Bath, he represented that town in 1804. He served in the Massachusetts Senate for Lincoln County from 1807 to 1811.
When the War of 1812 began, Massachusetts made him major general of the militia, in charge of the Maine district. He devoted much of his attention to coastal shipping and defenses. He also led recruiting efforts for the regular army, for which he was made a colonel in the United States Army. In 1813 King began a seven-year effort that started with his petition to Massachusetts for separation.
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Wikipedia