'''John Cutt''' (1613 – April_1, 1681) was the first President of the Province_of_New_Hampshire. John Cutt was born in England, emigrated to the colonies in 1646, and became a successful merchant and mill-owner in Portsmouth, New_Hampshire. On January_1, 1680, John Cutt became the first President of the royal Province of New Hampshire, when New Hampshire was first separated from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. John Cutt was the head of the nine-member royal provincial council. Soon after his appointment he fell ill. On March_1, 1681 the provincial Council and General Assembly designated March_17, 1681, "A day of public fasting and prayer." The Council and Assembly believed Cutt's illness and the recent sighting of a comet were signs of "divine displeasure." The day of fasting and prayer was unsuccessful, as John Cutt died on April_1, 1681. ==External links== *New Hampshire Almanac: History {{NewHampshire-politician-stub}} Cutt Cutt Category:1613_births Category:1681_deaths