Shirley, William

(born Dec. 2, 1694, Preston, Sussex, Eng.—died March 24, 1771, Roxbury, Mass.) American colonial governor. A lawyer in England, he moved to Boston in 1731. He was appointed admiralty judge (1733), king's advocate general (1734), and governor of Massachusetts (1741–49, 1753–56). In King George's War he planned the British capture of Louisbourg (1745). He became commander of British forces in North America (1755) but was dismissed after the failure of his expedition against Fort Niagara. He served as governor of the Bahamas (1761–67).

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica