William Shirley, King's Governor of Massachusetts

The Shirleys were an old Sussex family. Upon the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 the first William Shirley moved to London to engage in trade. His eldest son married his distant cousin Elizabeth Godman. Elizabeth gave birth to William III on December 2, 1694. William III inherited his grandfather Godman estate and he studied law. Somewhere around 1731 William left for America and went to Boston. Where he later became a colonial governor of Massachessetts . He died at Roxbury, Massachessetts in 1771.