Eaton, Theophilus (1590-1658), a Puritan founder of New Haven colony, sailed from England for Boston in 1637 with 250 colonists. The group was invited to settle in Massachusetts, but the controversy over Anne Hutchinson was raging there, and news from England suggested that the colony might lose its charter (see Hutchinson, Anne M.). Most important, Eaton, a wealthy merchant, wanted a good harbor for trade.
He and his friends left Boston, and in 1638 settled New Haven. They purchased land from the Indians and organized a church and court. Eaton was elected governor in 1639. He ruled almost as a dictator until his death on Jan. 8, 1658. He helped found the New England Confederation (see New England Confederation). Eaton was born in Stony Stratford, England, around 1590.
