William Sayle

William Sayle (* around 1590 , probably in England , † March 4, 1671 in the Bahamas ) was an English colonial politician.

resume

The exact place and date of birth of William Sayle are not known. He was most likely born in England. Nothing is known about his youth and education either. He married and had three sons (Thomas, Nathaniel, and James).

Around 1630 Sayle settled in the Bermuda Islands , where he acquired considerable land. In his new home, he soon rose to become one of the most influential and powerful people thanks to his wealth. In the meantime he officiated there as colonial governor with interruptions. When Bermuda against his will in the course of the English Civil War proved loyal to the king, the follower of Oliver Cromwell decided to leave the island with like-minded people. These so-called Eleutheran Adventurers settled in the Bahamas Islands in the late 1640s. Sayle lived there between around 1648 and 1657 before he returned to Bermuda, where he again held the office of governor from 1658 to 1662.

In the late 1660s, Sayle took a few ships to bring settlers from Bermuda to Carolina Province . There he was also involved in founding the city of Charleston . Despite his old age of 80 years, he was appointed colonial governor by John Yeamans on March 15, 1670 . He held this office until his death on March 4, 1671. As governor, he had to deal with a strong opposition that accused him of religious intolerance (he was a Puritan ). The opposition also questioned Sayle's legal capacity. This was justified with his age and his apparently poor health at the time. There was even a petition demanding impeachment, but it did not materialize. The governor died on March 4, 1761.

Web links

• Sayle in the South Carolina Encyclopedia
• Sayle at carolana.com