Robert Keayne
(1595-1656)

Died aged c. 61

Robert Keayne (1595 – March 23, 1656) was a prominent public figure in 17th-century Boston, Massachusetts. He co-founded the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts and served as speaker of the House of the Massachusetts General Court. Keayne was a prosperous London merchant who joined his fellow Puritans in Boston where he built a fortune. He was accused of unfair business practices, and brought before the legislature, the Massachusetts General Court. It found Keayne guilty, fined him, and compelled him to confess his "sins." He proclaimed his innocence, and justified his actions in elaborate detail in his will. It bequeathed £2500 to Boston, to upgrade the infrastructure with an aqueduct, relieve the city's poor, and fund the First Town-House, a grand public meeting place. He attached a condition to the effect that the bequest would become void if there were any legal actions against his estate; there were none.

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Commemorated on 1 plaque

This tablet marks the birthplace of Robert Keayne 1595-1656 A member of the honourable Artillery Company of London A distinguished member of the colony of the Massachusetts Bay founder and first captain of the ancient and honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts the oldest military organization in America 1638 A wise and public spirited citizen a liberal patron of education. A generous contributor to the foundation of Harvard College Cambridge Massachusetts 1636

River Street, Windsor, United Kingdom where they was born (1595)