Marinus Willet: Son of Queens, Rebel, Soldier, and (Briefly) Mayor

Marinus Willett was a Revolutionary War hero and an important figure in the early history of New York City, and Queens can claim him as a son (though just barely).

Marinus Willett was born on July 31, 1740, in Jamaica, Queens, to Edward Willett, a Quaker, and his wife, Aletta (Clowes) Willett. By the late 1740s, the Willett family had moved to New York City, where Edward became a prominent tavernkeeper. In 1758, during the French and Indian War, 18-year-old Marinus Willett was commissioned as a lieutenant in a New York provincial regiment, fought at both Ticonderoga and Frontenac, and was involved with the construction of Fort Stanwix — a site that would figure prominently in his later career. After becoming ill, Willett left the militia and returned to civilian life in New York City, where he participated in New York's resistance movement and joined the Sons of Liberty, a secret society formed to resist oppressive British policies.

When we think of the Sons of Liberty, we tend to focus on Boston, where they're famous for having carried out the Boston Tea Party. But there were branches of the Sons of Liberty throughout the colonies, and an especially zealous one in New York. As in Boston, the Sons of Liberty in New York City protested the Stamp Act and Quartering Act, and they organized boycotts. They even orchestrated a small-scale tea party, dumping 18 chests of tea from the ship the London into the Hudson River in April 1774. Willett himself helped capture weapons from the British in New York City several times in 1775 before signing on as a captain in the 1st New York Regiment. After participating in the unsuccessful Quebec campaign, he returned to New York City, fought in the Battle of Long Island, and was transferred to Fort Stanwix in present-day Rome, New York.

Ralph Earl, Marinus Willett, ca. 1791. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 17.87.1. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

When Willett, now a lieutenant colonel, arrived at Fort Stanwix, it was in poor condition. Willett and the garrison quickly made significant repairs, finishing just before British forces under Colonel St. Leger arrived from the west and laid siege to the fort on August 4, 1777. On August 5, Willett led a sortie that targeted two enemy camps, capturing supplies and valuable information. Several days later, Willett, accompanied by Lt. George Stockwell, again slipped out of the fort during a stormy night to seek reinforcements. After traveling 50 miles, they met up with General Benedict Arnold, who brought troops from Fort Dayton to break the siege.

Willett went on to take part in the Battle of Monmouth (1778), and he led the American forces at the Battle of Johnstown (1781), but the defense of Fort Stanwix was the defining moment of his Revolutionary War career. Forced to retreat from Fort Stanwix, St. Leger's troops were not able to support British General Burgoyne's invasion from the north. This led to the Americans' victory at the Battles of Saratoga, which marked the turning point of the Revolution.

After the war, Willett returned to New York, where he accumulated property, some of which had been confiscated from Loyalists, and served two terms as Sheriff of New York County, from 1784 to 1787 and from 1790 to 1795. He was appointed mayor in 1797 and served for one year. In an interesting twist of history, many sources state that, in 1665, his great-grandfather, Thomas Willett, was appointed the first English mayor of New York, after the Dutch surrendered the colony in 1664. One source, however, suggests that they were from two different Willett families. Given the still confounding variety of Willet, Willett, and Willets names in New York, the confusion isn't surprising. (Case in point: Depending on the source consulted, Willets Point and Willets Point Blvd. may be named after either Isaac Underhill Willets, a prominent Long Island farmer, or Charles Augustus Willets, a Bayside nursery owner — who may or may not be related.)

Willett died on August 22, 1830, at his estate, Cedar Grove, which was along the East River at Corlear's Hook in New York City (There's still a Willett St. on the Lower East Side.) One account reports that an estimated 10,000 people came to mourn Willett, and a procession followed his coffin to his burial at Trinity Church, although he was later moved to the New York City Marble Cemetery. He does, however, have one last tie to Queens: His mother and father are interred in the graveyard at Grace Episcopal Church in Jamaica.