• My 7th great-grandfather was Gov. Thomas Rudyard, who served as Deputy Governor of East Jersey (now New Jersey) from 1682 until 1684. Thomas was an attorney in London in 1670 when he defended William Penn against charges of disturbing the peace by preaching Quakerism in the streets. When Penn was acquitted, Rudyard became his land agent for those willing to purchase land in the New World. One of 24 Proprietary Governors selected by the Crown to govern the new province, Rudyard served only two years, then became Attorney General for the City of New York.2088, p 3