Charles Willing

Charles Willing (May 18, 1710 – November 30, 1754) was an English-born merchant and politician who twice served as the mayor of Philadelphia, from 1748 until 1749 and again in 1754. Early life Charles Willing was born in Bristol, Somerset on May 18, 1710, the son of Thomas Willing and Anne Harrison. He traveled to the Thirteen Colonies by ship and settled in Philadelphia in 1728 at the age of eighteen. His cousin, Thomas Willing, was selling land and laying out plans for a new community called Willingtown, which later became Wilmington, Delaware. While living in Willingtown, Willing became a very successful businessman and held political offices such as councilman and magistrate. Philadelphia