Among the earliest acts of Andros, was his extending his authority over New Hampshire, Plymouth and Rhode Island, as well as Maine and Massachusetts. In October, 1687, he visited Hartford, and took the government of Connecticut also into his hands, and he afterwards traveled through that Colony. The first few months of 1688 were spent at Boston in consolidating the legislation necessary for the future guidance of the government.
He had at this time the misfortune to lose his wife, who died January 22, 1687-8, and was buried in the church-yard adjoining King's Chapel.[6]
[Footnote 6: In TRUMBULL'S Conn. Records, iii. 437, is a letter from John West to John Allen at Hartford. It is dated January 21st, (Saturday,) and states that he writes to let Allen "know the great griefe and sorrow wee are in for my Lady Andros, who since Tuesday last was sevenight hath been extreamly ill, and soe continues almost at the Court of Death, and is a greate affliction to his Excellency who is most passionately concerned. If it should please God to call her to himselfe, wee should all have a greate losse of a right good and vertuous Lady."
In a postscript West adds--"January 26th. Mr. Belcher not proceeding on his intended Journey, have opportunity to add that on Sunday last the Lady Andros departed this life, to the great griefe and sorrow of his Excellency and all that knew her."
As to the funeral, the following account is given in Judge Sewall's Diary, quoted in BRIDGMAN'S King's Chapel Epitaphs, p. 318. "Between 4 and 5 I went to the funeral of the Lady Andros, having been invited by the Clark of the South Company. Between 7 and 8 (lychns illuminating the cloudy air) the corpse was carried into the herse drawn by six horses, the soldiers making a guard from the Governor's house down the Prison Lane to the South meeting-house; there taken out and carried in at the western door, and set in the alley before the pulpit, with six mourning women by it. House made light with candles and torches. There was a great noise and clamor to keep people out of the house that they might not rush in too soon. I went home."]
In April, 1688, Andros visited Portsmouth and Pemaquid, where he repaired the fort, and proceeding to Penobscot, he seized some property of Castine, a Frenchman who had settled there among the Indians. Returning to Boston, "he found a great promotion awaiting him in a new commission, creating him Governor of all the English possessions on the mainland, except Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia."[7] His command embraced New England, New York and New Jersey, with its capital at Boston.