Philip Carteret

Philip Carteret (1639-1682), English colonial governor in America, born on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands. He was the first colonial governor of New Jersey, having been appointed in 1664 by the lords proprietors, one of whom was his fourth cousin, Sir George Carteret. Philip Carteret arrived at New Jersey in 1665 and founded Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth). He tried to attract emigrants from the New England colonies by publicizing among them the liberal concessions granted by the proprietors of New Jersey. Except in 1673 and 1674, when the western part of New Jersey was held by the Dutch, he was governor of the entire colony until it was divided into East Jersey and West Jersey in 1676. From 1676 until his death, he was governor of East Jersey. The early part of his administration was marked by conflicts with Sir Edmund Andros, governor of New York, who claimed that New Jersey belonged under his jurisdiction.