Thomas Willett (August 29, 1674) was a Plymouth Colony fur trader, merchant, land purchaser and developer, Captain of the Plymouth Colony militia, Magistrate of the colony, and was the 1st and 3rd Mayor of New York, prior to the consolidation of the five boroughs into the City of New York in 1898. Career Plymouth Colony Fur Trade The early years of the Plymouth Colony were marked by severe economic crises and challenges. Incremental progress was made as the colonists learned the native Americans' method of raising corn and beans, cattle were imported from England and multiplied, and some trade in wampum and other goods was established. However, the major contribution to placing the colony on a firm financial basis and finally paying its debt to its financial "Adventurers" in London was made by exporting furs, primarily of beaver to be used in making hats. The first record of Willett's long career is probably that of William Bradford regarding the establishment of a second main trading post for the Plymouth Colony on the Penobscot River in what is now Maine in 1629. The Plymouth Colony was reluctantly joining in this effort, initiated by Isaac Allerton, in order to protect their established trading post on the Kennebunk River. Willett is thought to be the "honest young man" recently arrived with the second and last major group from John Robinson's Leyden congregation who was given the task of monitoring the activities of Edward Ashley, the man placed in charge of the trading post by Allerton. This "young man being discreet, and one (Willett) whom they could trust, they so instructed as kept Ashley ... within bounds". It is definitely known that Willett, among others, was deposed and Ashley and the depositions were transported to England for trial in July 1631 after Ashley was arrested and accused of trading arms and ammunition with native Americans. In 1631, the trading post was robbed of just about anything of value by the French while the "master of the house" was away meeting a supply ship. Willett was in charge of the trading post when the French again robbed it in 1635 and evicted the English; a subsequent effort to recapture it using a ship commanded by a Captain Girling was futile, and the colony gave up the Penobscot post permanently. An account of the expulsion of the English from Penobscot and the subsequent attempt to regain