George Clinton (royal governor)
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George Clinton (c.1686-1761) was a British naval officer and political leader who served as the colonial governor of New York from 1743 to 1753.
Clinton was the youngest son of the 6th Earl of Lincoln and connected by marriage to the Duke of Newcastle and Henry Pelham. He joined the Royal Navy in 1708 and served for 35 years. In 1732, he was commissioned as a commodore and appointed governor of Newfoundland, where he remained until 1741, when when he was appointed governor of the colony of New York through the influence of the Duke of Newcastle. However, he didn't arrive in New York until 1743, the year in which he became a rear admiral. Clinton became a full Admiral in 1747.
During King George's War with France (1744-1748), Clinton was force to assume responsibility for Indian diplomacy, raising troops for defending of the northern frontier, and the unsuccessful Canadian expedition of 1746.
Between 1746 and 1750, aided by Chief Justice James DeLancey and Cadwallader Colden, Clinton mounted a strong defense in favor of the royal prerogative. After the war he became involved with struggles with the assembly over constitutional issues and Indian relations.
In 1753 he was replaced as governor by Sir Danvers Osborn and returned to England where he served as a Member of Parliament from 1754-1760. His son, General Sir Henry Clinton (1732–1795), fought in the American Revolutionary War.