cessary
officials for the colony. Thence he went to Fairfield, New Haven, and
New London, commissioning justices of the peace for those counties and
organizing the customs service. No resistance was made to his
proceedings, though it was generally understood in the colony that the
charter itself had been spirited away and hidden in the hollow of an oak
tree, henceforth famous as the Charter Oak.

Connecticut and the other colonies became for the time being
administrative districts of the larger dominion. Their assemblies
everywhere ceased to meet, that of Rhode Island for five years. Courts,
provided by the act of December, 1687, were, however, generally held.
The superior court for Connecticut sat four times in 1688 and the county
courts, quarter sessions and common pleas, where appeared the newly
appointed justices of the peace, sat for Hartford County, the one ten
times and the other thirteen times during 1688 and 1689. But the
surviving records of their meetings are few and references to their work
very rare. The ordinary business of everyday life was carried on by the
towns alone, which continued their usual activities undisturbed. In
Connecticut, before Andros arrived, the assembly had taken the
precaution to issue formal patents of land to the towns and to grant the
public lands of the colony to Hartford and Windsor to prevent their
falling into the hands of the new Government. This act may at the time
have seemed a wise one, but it made a great deal of trouble afterwards.

The Dominion of New England, which now extended from the Penobscot to
the borders of New York, was organized as a centralized government,
with the old colonies serving as counties for administration and the
exercise of justice. But as plans for an expedition against the French
began to mature, it became evident that, if the French were to be
successfully met, a further extension of territory was necessary; so in
April, 1688, a second commission was issued to Andros, constituting him
Governor of all the territory from the St. Croix River to the fortieth
parallel, and thus adding to his domain New York and the Jerseys.
Delaware and Pennsylvania were excepted by special royal intervention.
Dongan was recalled, and Francis Nicholson was appointed
lieutenant-governor under Andros, with his residence in New York.

Thus on paper Andros was Governor-General of a single territory running
from the Delaware River and the northern boundary of Pennsylvan