Person
Thomas Pownall
1722–1805
Thomas Pownall, born in Lincoln, England, educated for public service, became lieutenant governor of New Jersey,1755; governor of Massachusetts, 1757 to 1760; and member of Parliament, 1767 to 1780.
Pownall was a friend of Benjamin Franklin. Known for publishing The Administration of the Colonies in 1764, he addressed the topic of colonial administration, revising it to multiple volumes over five editions until 1777, arguing that efficiency was possible without direct taxation.