New Hampshire experienced gradual colonial autonomy beginning in 1679 when King Charles II issued a charter stating it to be a royal colony separate from Massachusetts, but it did not achieve full control of its own government until 1741. A colonial society, economy, and culture developed during this time and local governing continued to oversee the day to day in growing Seacoast communities as well as further inland. Portsmouth served as a proxy of Boston for much of the first half of the 18th century, and its sea-based prosperity made it the obvious choice for a capital when New Hampshire began acting on its own.
The Wentworth family held a political dynasty during the colonial period, beginning with John, who served as Lt. Governor of New Hampshire while it was still under Massachusetts’ jurisdiction. His son Benning was appointed New Hampshire’s first Royal Governor and served from 1741 to 1767, overseeing a period of incredible expansion for the colony. As “Surveyor of the King’s Woods,” Governor Wentworth was responsible for managing the lucrative timber industry that spanned from the Seacoast to Lake Champlain.