Description
Sir William Phipps (also spelled Phips) served as Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1692 to 1694.
This portrait is a copy by artist Gertrude Hill of an original portrait by Thomas Child.
Born on February 21, 1651 on Maine's colonial frontier near Woolwich, Phipps became a shipbuilder and soldier. He was knighted in 1687 for recovering sunken treasure off the Bahama Islands.
He won a decisive victory as commander of Massachusetts troops against the French at Port Royal, Nova Scotia in 1690.
As Governor in 1692, it was his decision that brought the Salem Witch Trials to an end.
View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network.