History of New York City (prehistory–1664) as a city and to incidentally allow New York to celebrate its 350th anniversary just 11 years after its 300th. The English renamed the colony New York, after the king's brother James, Duke of York and on June 12, 1665, appointed Thomas Willett the first of the mayors of New York. The city grew northward, remaining the largest and most important city in the colony of New York. History of New York City (prehistory–1664) The history of New York City has been influenced by the prehistoric geological formation during the last glacial period of the territory that is today New
Allan Willett Leigh-Pemberton, Baron Kingsdown as Lord Lieutenant of Kent. Willett was appointed Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John in 2003. He is also the former Chairman of the Canterbury Cathedral Trust Fund (of which he remains trustee), and was Honorary Colonel of the 3rd Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (a Territorial Army reserve battalion based at Canterbury) 2005-10, and Ambassador for Kent. He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for his service as lord-lieutenant. In January 2004 Willett created a charitable foundation whose principal beneficiaries are persons or organisations