Edward Byllynge was a British colonial administrator and governor of

West New Jersey West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often ...

from 1680 to 1687, until his death in England. Byllynge owned a large section of land in New Jersey with the

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

. Byllynge was a London brewer. He purchased land in New Jersey in 1674 from Sir John Berkeley, in deal also involving John Fenwick. Byllynge's financial position was complicated by bankruptcy, and after negotiations involving

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

, the purchase in 1675 was reassigned to a trust involving Fenwick, Penn and others with Byllynge. The planting of Quaker colonies then proceeded. Byllynge was an unpopular governor with the settlers of New Jersey. He never even set foot on the tract of land he owned. In 1682, Byllynge was one of the 24 proprietaries who owned a piece of West New Jersey.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byllynge, Edward Year of birth missing 1687 deaths Colonial governors of New Jersey English emigrants British Quakers Governors of West New Jersey People of colonial New Jersey