WINDER, Samuel Gent. [3124]

  General Notes:

According to Winders of America:
The Duke of York, having levied upon the colonists for the space of three years certain duties on goods brought to this country, which levy had expired by limitation in November 1680, the merchants of the city of New York had then discharged their cargoes without giving any attention to the custom-house officers. The legality of the customs being thus denied, on May 31, 1681, suits were instigated against Colonel Dyer, who was collector of the port, mayor of the city, and a member of the council, accusing him of treason because of his collecting taxes without authority of the law. Samuel Winder, who brought suit, was evidently acting in the interest of his fellow citizens and supported by them. Dyer, who questioned the authority of the court here to try him, was shipped to England for trial, Winder entering into a recognizance of five thousand pounds to prosecute him. As Winder did not appear against him, although in England at or shortly before the time appointed for trying the case, Colonel Dyer was discharged. His opponents gained their point by gettng rid of him.
"This spirited measure," says Chalmers, "however irregular it may now appear, had the greatest effect in laying in ruins that system of despotism which had so long affected the people of New York." The resistance offered thus early by the merchants of New York to taxation without representation led to the introduction soon after of a representative form of government into the province.

Extracted from DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, VOLUME XXIII, CALENDAR OF NEW JERSEY WILLS, VOLUME I, 1670-1730; Paterson NJ, 1901 ( Libers 1, 2, etc. are of West Jersey Wills. Those as Libers A, B, etc., are of East Jersey Wills)
1688-9 Jan. 7. Winder, Samuel, of Boston, N. E.; will of. NJ Archives, XXI, p. 253. ⁴

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Occupation: Provincial Councillor: East Jersey, , New Jersey, USA. ⁵

2. Occupation: Registrar, 1678, East Jersey, , New Jersey, USA. ⁶

3. Property, 12 May 1681, East Jersey, , New Jersey, USA. ⁶ One of three who purchased land from the Indians on the Raritan River.

4. Occupation: Clerk, 9 Feb 1683/84. ⁷

5. Property, 16 Apr 1686, East Jersey, , New Jersey, USA. ¹ Purchased 1000 acres of land at Cheesquakes from John Palmer and his wife Sarah (Samuel's parents). In this deed described as "late of New York City, now of Cheesquakes"

6. Occupation: King's Attorney General, 29 Oct 1686, East Jersey, , New Jersey, USA. ⁷

7. Property, 6 Nov 1688, East Jersey, , New Jersey, USA. ⁸ Leased his property to William Richardson in preparation for his move to Boston. Sir Edmund Andros was at that time governor of East and West Jersey and resided in Boston. Also, John Palmer, Samuel's step-father, was a member of Sir Edmund Andros' council.

8. Will, 7 Jan 1688/89, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. ⁸

9. Probate, 14 Feb 1688/89, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. ⁸

Samuel married Margaret RUDYARD [3125] [MRIN: 1316], daughter of Deputy Gov. Thomas RUDYARD [13155] and Unknown, on 25 Oct 1684.^{1 2} (Margaret RUDYARD [3125] died after Jan 1688/89.)