Governor William Tryon: Certification of Cornell, August 24, 1770

William Tryon (1729-January 27, 1788), royal governor of both North Carolina and New York, served the two colonies during times of controversy and conflict. Tryon was related by marriage to Lord Hillsborough, Lord of Trade and Plantations. It is likely that Hillsborough was behind Tryon's appointment as lieutenant governor of North Carolina in 1764 when Arthur Dobbs requested retirement from the governorship. Tryon, his wife, and young daughter arrived in the colony in October 1764. He assumed the duties of governor on March 28, 1765, upon Dobbs' death, and received his commission within a few months. Tryon erroneously believed that the colonists would not object to a tax levied to erect a capitol and governor's residence. The assembly appropriated funds and authorized Tryon to oversee the project, which quickly exceeded the budget. Some North Carolinians felt that injustices in the colony, including the tax for Tryon's Palace, corrupt officials, and lack of representation for the backcountry, needed regulation. They therefore formed a resistance group known as the Regulators. After several defiant incidents, a special session of the assembly was called which caused only further agitation. Tryon organized and led militia into the backcountry in 1768 and 1771, defeating the Regulators on May 16, 1771, in the Battle of Alamance. While on the expedition in the backcountry in 1771, Tryon was notified of his transfer to the governorship of New York. Throughout the Revolution, Tryon maneuvered for military position, attaining Major General. Feeling underemployed in America, Tryon asked to be excused from the civil governorship and allowed to return to England, which he did in 1780.