William Cosby was an American colonial governor of New York and New Jersey.
Background
William Cosby was born about 1690 in Stradbally Hall, Ireland. He was a member of an influential Irish family. His father was Alexander Cosby of Stradbally Hall and his mother, Elizabeth, who died in 1692, was a daughter of Henry L'Estrange.
Career
William Cosby became an officer in the British army.
During Cosby's régime in New York his daughter was wedded to Lord Augustus, son of the Duke of Grafton. According to hostile critics this match was due to the intrigues of Lady Cosb.
Cosby was one of the placemen who surrounded the Duke of Newcastle. Before coming to America he had served as governor of the Island of Minorca, but had incurred charges of extortion. Nevertheless, upon the death of Montgomerie in 1731, Cosby secured commissions as governor of New York and the Jerseys. Delaying, however, in order to lobby against the Sugar Act which was hurtful to his colonies, he did not arrive in New York until August 1, 1732. Among his first acts were to appoint his son, "Billy, " to a sinecure as secretary of the Jerseys and to send a live beaver to the Duchess of Newcastle. With the Assembly of New York he got on fairly well, securing an act for support for five years with additional reward for his services against the Sugar Act. He came into collision, however, with a group of provincial aristocrats of whom the leaders were Chief Justice Lewis Morris and James Alexander. These men foiled Cosby's efforts to wrench from Rip Van Dam, president of the Council, one-half of the emoluments received for conducting the administration before his arrival, and they supported John Peter Zenger in establishing the New York Weekly Journal to assail Cosby. The Governor struck back in the famous libel suit but met humiliating defeat when Zenger was acquitted.
About a year later Cosby died after a long illness.
As governor of the Jerseys he avoided serious trouble.
Achievements
Views
Quotations:
"I am sorry to inform your Grace, that ye example and spirit of the Boston people begins to spread among these colonys in a most prodigious manner. I had more trouble to manage these people than I could have imagined".
Connections
He married Grace Montagu, a sister of the second earl of Halifax.