Originally settled as Monadnock Number 4, one in a line of eight towns settled by Scottish colonists. The town was named for William, fourth Earl of Fitzwilliam and cousin to Governor Wentworth. An early grantee in Fitzwilliam was Matthew Thornton, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Fitzwilliam claims one of the earliest granite quarries in New Hampshire, and is home to Rhododendron State Park.
