Thomas Pownall

English, 1722–1805

Birth placeLincoln, England

Death placeBath, England

Biographyhttp://www.ettc.net/njarts/details.cfm?ID=20
Born at Lincoln, England in 1722, Thomas Pownall went to Trinity College in Cambridge and graduated in 1743. After arriving in America in 1753 at the age of 31 he became Lieutenant-Governor of New Jersey under then-Governor Thomas Boone. In 1760 Pownall was named to succeed William H. Lylleton as governor of New Jersey for two years. He was then assigned the position Governor of Massachusetts in 1757. After being quite active in the French and Indian War, Pownall resigned his post and returned to England in 1760.

In 1761 Pownall was able to use his colonial experience to publish “Six Remarkable Views of the Province of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.” He engaged the leading British artist Paul Sandby to re-copy his drawings (which are now lost) for the publication. He also published “A Topographical Description of the Dominions of the United States of America.” The publication of illustrated travel accounts was very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. Such publications served in part as propaganda, enticing settlers to the New World. In his landscape “A View of the Falls on the Passaick,” Pownall created a topographical drawing of this major tourist attraction of the day. Thomas Pownall died on February 25, 1805 in Bath, England.

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