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
Thomas Danby (mayor) Thomas Danby (mayor) Thomas Danby (1631–1667) of Farnley and Thorpe Perrow was the first Mayor of Leeds (1661–62). He was born in 1631, the son of Sir Thomas Danby (1610–1660) of Farnley Hall (West Yorkshire), and his wife Katherine Wandesford, and married Margaret Eure in 1659. In 1660 he became Member of Parliament for Malton, and in 1661 (via a charter for the city of Leeds from King Charles II) he became the first Mayor of Leeds. The mayoral duties were actually carried out by his deputy Edward Atkinson, but Danby's symbols were added to the Leeds coat of arms.