<P> New Hampshire was first settled by Europeans at Odiorne's Point in Rye (near Portsmouth) by a group of fishermen from England under David Thompson in 1623, just three years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth . Early historians believed the first native - born New Hampshirite, John Thompson, was born there . </P> <P> Fisherman David Thompson had been sent by Mason, to be followed a few years later by Edward and William Hilton . They led an expedition to the vicinity of Dover, which they called Northam . Mason died in 1635 without ever seeing the colony he founded . Settlers from Pannaway, moving to the Portsmouth region later and combining with an expedition of the new Laconia Company (formed 1629) under Captain Neal, called their new settlement Strawbery Banke . In 1638 Exeter was founded by John Wheelwright . </P> <P> In 1631, Captain Thomas Wiggin served as the first governor of the Upper Plantation (comprising modern - day Dover, Durham and Stratham). All the towns agreed to unite in 1639, but meanwhile Massachusetts had claimed the territory . In 1641 an agreement was reached with Massachusetts to come under its jurisdiction . Home rule of the towns was allowed . In 1653 Strawbery Banke petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts to change its name to Portsmouth, which was granted . </P> <P> The relationship between Massachusetts and the independent New Hampshirites was controversial and tenuous, and complicated by land claims maintained by the heirs of John Mason . In 1679 King Charles II separated New Hampshire from Massachusetts, issuing a charter for the royal Province of New Hampshire, with John Cutt as governor . New Hampshire was absorbed into the Dominion of New England in 1686, which collapsed in 1689 . After a brief period without formal government (the settlements were de facto ruled by Massachusetts) William III and Mary II issued a new provincial charter in 1691 . From 1699 to 1741 the governors of Massachusetts were also commissioned as governors of New Hampshire . </P>

Where did the new hampshire colonists come from