The New Student's Reference Work/Andros, Sir Edmund

An'dros, Sir Edmund (born 1637, died 1714), was governor of the colony of New York for eight years, beginning in 1674; subsequently he was governor of New England for three years. He was deposed by the colonies and then was made governor of Virginia for six years. He was harsh, and ruled without any regard to the wishes of the colonists. This made him disliked, in spite of his acknowledged honesty and uprightness. His demand for the charter of Connecticut is famous. To get it, he went to Hartford with a band of soldiers. The general assembly kept him talking in their hall until night, when candles were lighted and the charter brought in a box and laid on the table. Suddenly the lights were blown out. They were quickly lighted again, but the charter was gone. For three years no one knew where it was, but in 1789, when the new king, William III, had recalled Andros, the charter was carefully taken from the hollow of an oak tree, where it had been hastily put on the night it disappeared. This tree was known as the "Charter oak."