Roger Williams was banished from theMassachusetts Bay Colony in October 1635 but was allowed to remain at his home inSalem, Massachusetts until the end of winter, provided that he did not preach. However, his followers visited him at his home in sizable numbers, and the authorities deemed this to be preaching. They planned to apprehend him by force and put him on a ship for England in January 1636, but magistrateJohn Winthrop warned him privately, and he slipped away from Salem in the dead of winter to find shelter with theWampanoags. He bought a parcel of land in Seekonk from Wampanoag sachemMassasoit which was at the western edge of thePlymouth Colony (nowRehoboth, Massachusetts). In a 1677 statement, Williams mentioned the four who were with him at Seekonk. The five members of the group were:[3][4][5]
The original 1636 deed for Providence, signed byCanonicus
In the spring of 1636, Williams and his company planted crops at Seekonk but were informed in a gentle letter from GovernorEdward Winslow of Plymouth that they were within Plymouth's jurisdiction, and this fact would cause difficulties with the Massachusetts authorities. Without urgency, Winslow suggested that Williams and his group move across the Seekonk River into the territory of theNarragansetts, where no colony had any claim. Joshua Verin wrote a statement in 1650 mentioning "we six which came first to Providence", suggesting that he was the next to join the original five.[6] Also, Benedict Arnold later wrote, "We came to Providence to Dwell the 20th of April, 1636". The traditional date of the settlement of Providence has been given as about June 20, 1636, but this does not take into account the Arnold record. More recent analysis of the settling of Providence suggests that Williams likely negotiated with the Narragansetts for land in March 1636, and that he and his party actually settled the land in April 1636 along with the Arnold family.[7] It is likely that the following people were the original settlers in the Narragansett territory atProvidence Plantations:[8]
Roger Williams (his wife Mary and daughters Mary and Freeborn likely came later)
William Harris (his wife Susannah and son Andrew likely came later)
John Smith (his wife Alice and children John Jr. and Elizabeth likely came later)
The1637 Providence Civil Compact (sometimes referred to as the "Scott Petition") was a foundational agreement signed by thirteen settlers of theTowne of Providence in which they pledged obedience to the decisions of local government—but only in "civil things." The text of the resolution is as follows:
We, whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active or passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of our body, in an orderly way, by the major assent of the present inhabitants, master of families, incorporated together into a town fellowship, and others whom they shall admit unto them only in civil things.[10]
John Sweet and wife Mary (received grant of land in 1637, was at Sweet's Cove, Salem; their lot became Court Street; their son John Sweet was a settler of Warwick Colony)[17]
Those early settlers who had trading posts in the area of Wickford in what was then the "Narragansett country" and later a part ofNorth Kingstown, Rhode Island:[27][28]
Richard Smith, built a trading post established about 1637 where his houseSmith's Castle still stands, rebuilt by Richard, Jr. after King Philip's War
Roger Williams, built his trading post about a mile north from Smith's post along the Pequot Path (or Post Road) and occupied it from about 1644 to 1651 and then sold it to Smith to get funds for his proposed errand to England
Mr. Wilcox (possibly Edward or John), built his trading post in the early 1640s in the same general area
The following individuals were among the earliest settlers ofAquidneck Island in theNarragansett Bay; the island was officially named Rhode Island by 1644,[30] from which the entire colony eventually took its name. The first group of 58 names appears to be settlers of Pocasset (later Portsmouth), while the second group of 42 appears to be settlers of Newport. These two lists come from Bartlett'sRecords of the Colony of Rhode Island, and apparently they were compiled and incorporated into the town records of Newport on November 25, 1639. The actual arrival dates of the individuals likely span over several months during 1638; a few individuals have legible dates next to their names, while several others have illegible dates.[31]
A Catalogue of such who, by the Generall consent of the Company were admitted to be Inhabytants of the Island now called Aqueedneck, having submitted themselves to the Government that is or shall be established, according to the word of God therein [1638]
In 1659 a second group set up theAtherton Trading Company, with perceived rights to land in Narragansett, in an area south of theNorth Kingstown, which includedWickford. Their claim was declared void years later.
The early Rhode Island inhabitants named in theRhode Island Royal Charter, dated July 8, 1663 and signed with the royal seal byKing Charles II; this charter was the basis for Rhode Island's government for nearly two centuries:[38]
During the devastating events ofKing Philip's War (1675-1676), the Rhode Island General Assembly sought the counsel of 16 prominent citizens of the colony with the resolution, "Voted that in these troublesome times and straites in this Collony, this Assembly desiringe to have the advice and concurrance of the most juditious inhabitants, if it may be had for the good of the whole, doe desire at their next sittinge the Company and Councill of":[40]
At a meeting of the General Assembly in Newport in May 1677, the following 48 individuals were granted 100-acre tracts inEast Greenwich "for the services rendered duringKing Philip's War."[41]
Bristol's early history began as a commercial enterprise when John Gorham was awarded 100 acres of land if it could be "honorably purchased from the indians."[42] Gorham's enterprise succeeded on 18 Sep 1680 when four proprietors were awarded the deed toMt. Hope Lands:[43]
John Walley
Nathaniel Byfield
Stephen Burton
Nathaniel Oliver (sold share to Nathan Hayman)
Nathan Hayman
On 27 Aug 1680, twelve men signed Articles agreeing to purchase lands:
On 1 Sep 1681, more than 60 families were present at the first town meeting and named these lands Bristol afterBristol, England.[45] Bristol was originally part of Massachusetts, but it became part of Rhode Island when disputed lands were awarded to the Colony of Rhode Island in 1747.[46]
FrenchHuguenots settled in what is now East Greenwich in 1687. On 12 October 1686, an agreement was signed between the following, representing the French settlers and the land owners:
The following individuals signed the follow-on agreement, usually giving only their surname, and these same names are found on a plat map of the settlement.
William Barbret
Paul Collin
Jean Germon
Dechamps
Fougere
Grignon
Legare'
Robineau
Petter Ayrault
Magni, Junior
Magni, Senior
Dauid, Junior
Dauid, Senior
Chadene
foretier
Ezechiel Carre', Ministre
Louis Alaire
Jamain
Bussereau
Le moine (Moses LeMoine, father of ColonelPeter Mawney)
Abraum tourtellot
La Veue Galay
Targe', Junior
Targe', Senior
Grasilier
Amian
Lafon
Belhair
Milard
Jouet
Renaud
Le gendre
Bertin dit Laronde
Menardeau
Galay
Ratier
Dauid
Beauchamps
Moize le Brun
Le Breton
La Vigne
Tauerrier
Bouniot
Arnaud
Lambert
Rambert
Coudret
Jean Julien
Also on the map are two additional lots: "La terre pour L'Eglise" (land for the church) and "La terr pour L'ecolle" (land for the school). Almost all of these people left Rhode Island to settle in Massachusetts and New York following some severe civil clashes with the English settlers. Two families remained on their original land, however:
LeMoine (later anglicized to Money, and then Mawney)
Italics: The names of Clarke, Johnson, Hall, and Brightman at the end of the Portsmouth list were crossed out, and it is uncertain if they came to Portsmouth, though most, if not all, of them did appear on Aquidneck Island.
