John Treworgie (born ca. 1618, date of death unknown) was the last

Proprietary Governor Proprietary colonies were a type of colony in English America which existed during the early modern period. In English overseas possessions established from the 17th century onwards, all land in the colonies belonged to the Crown, which held ul ...

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

. Treworgie had worked as an agent at a

Kittery, Maine Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States, and the oldest incorporated town in Maine. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of ...

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...

from 1635 to 1650. In 1651 he was named as one of a party of six sent to Newfoundland to arrest Sir

David Kirke Sir David Kirke ( – ) was an English privateer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Newfoundland from 1638 to 1651. He is best known for capturing Québec from the French in 1629 during the Anglo-French War. A favourite o ...

who had been accused of withholding taxes collected on behalf of the crown and otherwise violating the

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

which granted him the governorship of Newfoundland. His party was also ordered to administer the fishery and collect taxes on fish and oil from foreign fishermen. He remained after the arrest of Kirke and was named governor by the English government and given authority over both migratory fisherman and colonists and ordered to fortify the colony. John Treworgie was the son of James Treworgie (or Treworgy), the son-in-law of Alexander Shapleigh, a Devonshire merchant and fisheries owner who founded Kittery, Maine. John Treworgie was the brother-in-law of Hon. John Gilman of

Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 16,049 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county ...

. In 1654 Treworgie and two other commissioners were arrested for illegally taking possession of David Kirke's property and was found guilty.

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

ordered a second trial which cleared him and Treworgie continued as governor until 1660. In 1660, he asked for another term as governor but the legal conflict between

Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore (8 August 1605 – 30 November 1675) was an English politician and lawyer who was the first List of Proprietors of Maryland, proprietor of Maryland. Born in Kent, England in 1605, he inherited the proprietorsh ...

and the Kirke family over ownership of Newfoundland complicated matters and it is unlikely Treworgie ever returned to the island.

References

External links

Government House ''The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Treworgie, John 1610s births Governors of Newfoundland Colony Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Year of death missing People from Kittery, Maine Politicians from York County, Maine