USA > Rhode Island > Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England. Printed by order of the General Assembly, Vol. V > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
Gc 974.5 R34b v.V 1151583
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01145 8160
LL
E
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
http://www.archive.org/details/recordsofcolonyo05rhod
Colonial RECORDS
OF THE
COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND
AND
PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS, IN
NEW ENGLAND.
RHODE ISLAND
HOPE
PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
EDITED BY JOHN RUSSELL BARTLETT, SECRETARY OF STATE.
VOL, V.
1741 TO 1756.
PROVIDENCE: KNOWLES, ANTHONY & CO., STATE PRINTERS. 1860.
1151583 PREFACE.
THE present, or fifth volume of the Colonial Records of Rhode Island, includes but sixteen years of its history. It commences in 1741, closes with 1756, and is chiefly devoted to that portion of its annals which includes the wars between Great Britain and France. These wars were the beginning of the great struggle for empire in North America. At the commencement of this struggle, the British colonies were con- fined to a narrow belt of territory, scarcely reaching, at its broadest point, three hundred miles from the Atlantic coast. Part of New England, the greater portions of New York, Pennsyl- vania and Virginia, as well as all the vast region to the west of these colonies, were then included in Louisiana, or New France ; while the Spanish possessions crowded close upon Georgia and the Carolinas, under the general name of Florida, and ex- tended nearly to the Mississippi. The New England colo- nies and New York were the most prominent in these wars, but none of them more so than Rhode Island. The ships fitted out by her and sent against the enemy, were more nu- merous than those of either of the other colonies; while her soldiers were prominent in all the expeditions for the reduction of Canada, and other portions of the French empire, in America. In the expeditions sent against Louisburg, Cape Breton, Crown Point, Ticonderoga, Oswego, Quebec and other places, her troops or ships took part ; and the correspondence, in this vol- ume, of her Governors with the home government, the British admirals and generals, as well as with the Governors of the other English colonies, show the position which she held, and the aid she offered in the struggle for supremacy on the continent.
5
IV.
PREFACE.
In the war between Great Britain and Spain, Rhode Island also furnished her contingent, by sending troops to Cuba, as the proceedings of the General Assembly, and the correspond- ence accompanying will show.
The issuing of bills of credit, or paper money, to a vast amount, by the English colonies, which was absolutely necessa- ry, to enable them to meet the heavy expenditures required of them to carry on their several campaigns, is another prolific subject for discussion in this volume. The numerous acts for the emission and calling in of this paper money, the several objects for which the emissions were made, the correspondence with the other colonies in relation to the same, and with the British government, in its efforts to curtail and check the enor- mous emissions, are given at length. Among these documents, the official report of Governor Ward to the lords commissioners of trade and plantations, written in 1740, giving a full history of the paper money emissions from 1710 to 1740, the causes of these issues, the exertions and sacrifices made by the colony to assist the mother country in her foreign wars, will be found of great interest.
The originals received by the colony, of all the orders of the King and council ; the letters, commissions, instructions and other documents, printed or referred to in this volume, are among the archives of the secretary of state's office, in Provi- dence, chronologically arranged and bound in volumes, where they may be conveniently referred to. Besides these, there are among the archives, many military returns, and other papers connected with the French wars, showing the names of the of- ficers and men of the Rhode Island regiments, with a variety of original letters and documents of a private nature, belonging to the period embraced in this volume, which are not printed.
PROVIDENCE, January, 1860. J. R. B.
RHODE ISLAND RECORDS.
RHODE ISLAND RECORDS.
Proceedings of the General Assembly, held for the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, at Warwick, the 27th day of January, 1741.
The Hon. Richard Ward, Governor.
The Hon. William Greene, Deputy Governor.
With the assistants and deputies from the several towns.
An Act for the more effectually putting the colony in a proper posture of defence.
Whereas, there is an absolute necessity of putting the colo- ny, and particularly the town of Newport, in a better posture of defence, not only in regard to the present war with Spain ; but, more especially, as all advices from abroad suppose a war with France inevitable in the spring :
And whereas, it hath been found vastly prejudicial to this colony, the act empowering the freemen and soldiers to choose their own military officers ; and as the fines already stated by law, on soldiers' neglecting their attendance on military duty, have been too small ;-
All which being duly considered, be it enacted by the Gen- eral Assembly, and by the authority thereof, it is enacted, that
4
RECORDS OF TIIE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND
[1741
the aforesaid act empowering the freemen and soldiers choosing their military officers, be, and it is hereby repealed, and de- clared null and void ; and that for the future, the General As- sembly, annually, at their session holden in May, choose and elect the military officers in this government, and to be com- missioned by His Honor, the Governor, as usual ; and that the military officers already elected be continued in their respec- tive offices till the first Wednesday in May next.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that for the future, the council of war shall consist of the Governor, and so many of the council for the time being as are then present, the field officers, and the captains of each company (and the lieutenant in the absence of the captain), and no oth- ers ; who are hereby empowered to appoint such other days as may be necessary, to discipline the militia, and make them ex- pert in the use of their arms, over and above the four training days by law appointed in war time; and that every soldier neglecting to give his attendance and do his duty in that ser- vice, shall be obliged to pay as a fine, the sum of ten shillings, and forty shillings for each day's neglect on an alarm ; which fines shall be appropriated towards the maintaining a magazine for the public use in each county, after the necessary charge of each company is defrayed.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that there be two more companies made in the town of Newport, and proper officers appointed over them by the General Assembly.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the lower battery, at Fort George, be repaired and enlarged, so as to mount ten or more cannon ; and that a committee be appointed for that purpose, and to make all necessary altera- tions and reparations at said fort and battery.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that there be a magazine or powder house, of brick, erected, not ex- ceeding twenty-four feet in diameter, in some convenient place in the town of Newport, to contain the powder that may be im- ported into this colony ; and that there be ten barrels of pow- erd procured at the colony charge, and for their use ; and also
5
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
1741.]
a suitable quantity of ball, to be lodged in said magazine ; and the same quantity from time to time to be there kept; and that there be three barrels of powder and a suitable quantity of ball procured for the county of Providence ; and the same quantity of each, for the county of Kings county, all for the use of the colony, to be under the care of the field officers of each county ; and that ten field pieces be procured for the use of the colony, to be kept in the county of Newport; and a committee to be appointed for the purposes aforesaid.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all persons making solemn engagement before the Governor or any magistrate, in the respective counties where an alarm is made, that its against their conscience to bear arms at all, shall, on an alarm, appear at the Governor's or magistrate's, as aforesaid, either with horses (though without arms), to be em- ployed as scouts, messengers, watches, &c .; or else, if they ap- pear on foot, that they be divided into companies, and obey the Governor's or magistrate's order, to remove women and chil- dren, or sick persons out of immediate danger; or to watch against or extinguish any fires that may be kindled at such times, either by design or accident; and to do any other duty consistent with their religious principles ; and any person, as aforesaid, not appearing, shall be obliged to pay the sum of forty shillings for each day's neglect.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that one field officer, with the commissioned officers of each compa- ny, are appointed a court martial to punish or fine any soldier under arms, for any offence by him committed, agreeable to the nature and circumstances thereof.
Voted and resolved, that Col. John Cranston, Col. John Gardner and Major Hezekiah Carpenter, be, and they are hereby appointed a committee to consider in what manner two companies more be made in the town of Newport, and do what is necessary to be done at the fort, according to the afore-writ- ten act; and that Peter Bours, Esq., Messrs. William Ellery and Ezbon Sanford, he, and they are hereby appointed a com- mittee to build a magazine at Newport, and procure powder
6
RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND [1741.
and ball, agreeable to the said act ; and that the said commit- tee draw money out of the general treasury for the purposes aforesaid.
Voted and resolved, that the Honorable William Greene and Ezekiel Warner, Esqs., Messrs. Daniel Abbott, John Jenkins and Ishmael Spink, be, and they are hereby appointed a com- mittee, they, or the major part of them, to examine whether the boundary marks, in the line between this colony and the colo- ny of Connecticut, at, or near the south-west corner of War- wick Purchase, be removed, and make report to the next ses- sion of this Assembly.
Voted and resolved, that His Honor, the Governor, with those of his council, living upon Rhode Island, or the major part of them, procure a suitable vessel and send to Annapolis for the commissioners appointed to settle the boundaries be- tween this colony and the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, &c., in such manner as may be agreeable to the dignity of those gentlemen ; and for that purpose, that they draw money out of the general treasury.
Voted and resolved, that the committee appointed to take care of the colony sloop, procure the same to be rigged and graved, by the last day of March next ensuing.
Voted and resolved, that the account of James Martin, sec- retary, amounting to £40 10s. 10d., being for his time, trouble, horse-hire, expenses, &c., in going to Boston, to fetch the com- mission (and copies thereof ), for settling the boundaries between this colony and the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, be al- lowed, and paid out of the general treasury.
God save the King.
Letters from the Board of Trade, relative to paper money.
Whitehall, July 5, 1739.
Gentlemen : We send you, herewith, copies of two addresses from the House of Lords, and likewise two addresses* from the House of Commons, to His Majesty, of the 13th of the last month, and desire that you will forthwith prepare and trans-
* The addresses here referred to, are not among the public archives.
7
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
1741.]
mit to us, as soon as possible, the several accounts therein required, that the same may be laid before the respective Houses, at the next meeting of Parliament.
So we bid you heartily farewell ; and are
Your very loving friends and humble servants, MONSON, R. PLUMER,
EDWARD ASHE, M. BLADEN.
To the Governor and Company, of Rhode Island.
Whitehall, May 20, 1740.
Gentlemen : In pursuance of an address of the House of Commons, to His Maj- esty, on the 25th April, 1740, and of His Majesty's commands, signified to us by His Grace, the Duke of Newcastle, in his letter, dated the 30th April, you are im- mediately to prepare, and, as soon as possible, transmit to us, in order to be laid before the House of Commons, at their next meeting, an account of the tenour, and amount of the bills of credit which have been created and issued in your govern- ment, that are now outstanding, with their respective times when such bills, so out- standing, were issued; with the amount of said bills in money of Great Britain, both at the time such bills were issued, and at the time of preparing your account.
You are likewise to send therewith your opinion what will be the most easy and effectual manner of sinking and discharging all such bills of credit, with the least prejudice to the inhabitants of your government, and interruption of the commerce of this kingdom.
And we desire you will use all possible despatch in this matter, that we may have your returns early enough for us to consider thereof before the beginning of the next session. So we bid you heartily farewell ; and are
Your very loving friends, and humble servants, MONSON, R. PLUMER, EDW. ASHE,
M. BLADEN,
JA. BRUDENELL.
To the Governor and Company, of Rhode Island.
Whitehall, August 19, 1640.
Sir : We send you, herewith enclosed, the copy of an address to the House of Commons, to His Majesty, in the last session of Parliament, by which you will per- ceive how much they apprehend the commerce of Great Britain to have been af- fected by the large and frequent emissions of paper currency in His Majesty's colo- nies, in America, in which Rhode Island has had too large a share. And His Maj- esty, in pursuance of said address, having sent circular instructions to the several colonies more immediately under his government, not to pass any more bills for the issuing of paper money, without a clause therein, as proposed by the said addresss, to suspend the execution till His Majesty's pleasure shall be signified thereupon. We think proper to acquaint you therewith, and at the same time to admonish and advise you to pay all due regard to His Majesty's intentions, and to the sense of the House of Commons, upon this occasion.
So we bid you heartily farewell ; and are
Your very loving friends, and humble servants, MONSON, CROFT,
M. BLADEN, JA. BRUDENELL.
John Wanton, Esq., Governor of Rhode Island.
S
RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND [1741.
Report of Governor Ward, to the Board of Trade, on paper money.
Newport, January, the 9th, 1740.
To the Right Honorable the Lords and Commissioners of Trade for the Foreign Plantations :
May it please your Lordships : We have received your Lordships's letter of the 20th of May, with the votes of the Honorable House of Commons, of the 25th of April last, respecting the emission of paper money in the plantations, and now transmit your Lordships an account of the several emissions made by this colony ; but before we enter on that business, we humbly ask leave to premise to your Lordships, that it is now but an hundred years since the English came into this colony, then a hideous wilderness, and inhabited by Indians only; of whom the land was purchased from time to time, as opportunity and circumstances would permit.
And as the first settlers were not of the wealthiest sort, nor overstocked with ser- vants, the greatest part of their money was unavoidably swallowed up in procuring provision, clothing and utensils for husbandry and labor, to subdue and cultivate the soil ; whence it came to pass, that although there be several commodious har- bors within this colony, and a part of the Atlantic ocean makes our southern bonn- dary, yet little or no navigation was carried on till about the beginning of the present century ; necessity engaging the inhabitants to employ the whole of their time and care-some to bring to, and manure the land, others to follow such trades and occupations as they were most capable of, for the support of themselves and those who depended on them. Indeed, they had a small matter of money, but that was chiefly the remains of what they and their fathers had brought into the country.
In the year 1710, we had orders from Her Majesty, the late Queen Ann, to raise and equip a number of soldiers, to assist in an expedition designed against the French and Indian enemies, which we cheerfully performed, but could not effect, without striking off a quantity of paper money, to supply the want of silver and gold (then exceeding searee). Seven thousand pounds in bills, were therefore emitted, and put into the treasury, for discharging the debts that the government had contracted, by raising aud equipping those soldiers. These bills amounted to about £4,593 15s., and passed equal to silver at eight shillings per ounce, and were to remain outstanding for the space of five years.
Anno 1711, the war continning, and the government too plainly seeing the afore- said £7,000 were not sufficient to answer the bonds for which they were emitted, added £6,300 to the former emission, which likewise passed equal to silver at eight shillings per ounce, and amounted to about £4,134 7s. 6d.
We have already observed to your Lordships, that husbandry and mechanical arts were the only employ of the inhabitants of this colony, till about the beginning of the present century ; in consequence of which, a small medium of exchange was sufficient till other emergencies required a larger. The colony had been obliged to assist in sundry expeditions, for reducing Port Royal and Canada ; and were un-
9
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
1741.]
der an inevitable necessity of frequently taking the merchants' vessels and fitting them out at the public charge, to defend us against the insults and depredations threatened by the enemy, who were almost every year, during the last war, hover- ing about our coast ; by which means, the government was greatly involved, and much in debt, notwithstanding the aforesaid emissions.
The fort, likewise, which we had built at our own expense, was very much out of repair, and destitute of stores and ammunition. And there being also a necessi- ty of a public jail in Newport, the metropolis of the colony, we were compelled to make an emission of £40,000 in bills of credit, Anno 1715, which was issued on loan, at five per cent., to the inhabitants, for ten years, upon land security, taken to double the value of the money hired by each particular person ; the interest thereof, was applied, part to sink the two former banks, part to pay off the public debts, part to defray the expenses of repairing the fort and furnishing it with stores and the other part to the building and support of the jail, and to defray the other incidental charges of the government.
Silver was worth twelve shillings per ounce at the time of making these last bills, and their whole amount was about £17,500.
1721. As the little trade of our colony (which was almost stagnated in the long war with France), had begun to revive upon the peace made at Utrecht, the merchants found themselves in a capacity of rendering it more extensive, through the assistance of that medium they were furnished with, by the emission of paper bills, Anno 1715, they accordingly built more vessels, and generously advanced into a much larger trade, and every thing among us seemed to be in flourishing circum- stances.
But the merchants of Boston, annually receiving vast quantities of goods from Great Britain, and not having a sufficiency of the product of this country to make proper remittances home, bought up all the gold and silver they could lay their hands upon, in this and the neighboring governments, in order to pay their debts in England. 'This rendered those commodities very searee, and our bills having ob- tained a currency amongst our neighbors in the adjacent governments, became scarce likewise.
Our trade was nevertheless still increasing, and the fort wanted a further repair ; all which obliged ns to emit another £40,000, A. D. 1721, which was let out upon loan, at five per cent., on land security (as the bills in 1715 had been), for the term of five years. And that the industrious might have a suitable encouragement, the treasurer was ordered to receive the interest thereof in good merchantable hemp and flax, from such persons as should tender it, at such prices as should from time to time be set by the General Assembly ; which interest hath been appropriated to the use of the public. Silver was worth about sixteen shillings per ounce at the time of making those bills; and their whole amount was about £13,125.
The time fixed for paying in the £40,000 of 1715, being come, the government were made sensible that many people who had taken those bills, having laid out the greatest part thereof in building houses, and otherwise improving their estates, were not in a capacity of paying the same in one entire sum as they had received it ; and considering they had all along punctually paid their interest, to prevent the utter ruin and destruction of many industrious families, continued that bank, out upon in- terest, for three years further, viz. : until the year 1728, at which time, the same was ordered to be sunk by ten annual payments of one tenth part of the whole, which hath been done accordingly.
VOL. V. 2
10
RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND
[1741.
The surprising growth of our commerce, occasioned in a great measure by the mer- chants' being supplied with a medium of exchange, from the emissions of paper bills in 1715 and 1721, invited people of all sorts and conditions to come from all parts and settle among ns. This made our colony populous, furnished us with mechan- ics of everykind, and helped us to make a further progress in trade and navi- gation, which required a larger medium than we had.
Therefore, Anno 1728, seeing that the merchants of Boston still persisted in buy- ing up the silver and gokl, that £4,000 of the bills then extant, were to be sunk annually, and that the fort was so far gone to decay, that to build a new one more regular, strong and larger, was conceived to be most advantageous and beneficial, the General Assembly emitted £40,000 more, in bills of publie credit, which was hired out upon the same loan, for thirteen years, upon the like good security, with the bills formerly emitted ; the interest whereof, hath been appropriated to the building of a new fort and other public uses. Silver was at eighteen shillings per ounce at the striking off of these bills, and their total amount about £11,666 13s. 4d.
Frequent experiments had convineed several of our farmers and husbandmen that the soil of the colony was very suitable for the production of hemp ; but it be- ing a new undertaking, they petitioned the General Assembly that proper en- couragement might be given them to raise a commodity which would not only be very serviceable to us, but might in time, prove of advantage to Great Britain itself.
It was also considered that the Provinces of the Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire had been very successful, and served themselves in an eminent manner, by the whale and cod fishery ; and that this colony was well situated to carry on so valuable a branch of trade.
The General Assembly thereupon, Anno 1731, passed an act for the emitting of $60,000 in bills of publie credit, of the same tenor and on the same establishment with the former banks; the interest whereof, to be applied to the following uses : a premium or bounty was granted of nine pence per pound, on all good water-rotted, well manufactured hemp that should be raised within this colony ; five shillings per barrel on whale oil, one penny per pound on whale bone, and five shillings per quintal on good merchantable cod fish, taken in any vessels belonging to this colony. Silver was worth twenty-two shillings per ounee, when these bills were emitted, and their amount was about £14,218 38, 7d.
In the year 1733, the colony having made some progress in the fishing business, perecived all their endeavors that way would certainly prove ineffectual, unless a convenient harbor, nearer the fishing ground, than that of Newport (being the nighest), were found out. They therefore formed a scheme of making an harbor on Block Island, fit to receive our fishing vessels and the coasters of this and the neighboring governments. At the same time, we had just finished a very handsome, regular fort of stone and mortar, and as this fort is much larger than the former, and hath a large battery on the west side more than the other had, a number of can- non, carriages, &e., were wanting, and could not be obtained without money.
On this, therefore, and the aforementioned occasion, the General Assembly made another bank of £ 104,000 in bills of public credit, part of which was expended in pur- chasing cannons, carriages and other military stores for the fort, and the remiander exhibited upon loan in the same manner, and on the like good security with the for- mer banks ; part of the interest money arising thereon appropriated to build a pier
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.