USA > Rhode Island > A short history of Rhode Island > Part 23
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332
HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND.
The justices of the. peace thus elected shall hold office for the remain- der of the political year, or until the second annual election of justices of the peace to be held on such day as may be prescribed by the Gen- eral Assembly.
15. The justices of the peace elected in pursuance of the provisions of this article may be engaged by the persons acting as moderators of the town and ward meetings as herein provided; and said justices after obtaining their certificates of election, may discharge the duties of their office for a time not exceeding twenty days, without a com- mission from the governor.
16. Nothing contained in this article, inconsistent with any of the provisions of other articles of the constitution shall continue in force for a longer period than the first political year under the same.
17. The present government shall exercise all the powers with which it is now clothed, until the said first Tuesday in May, one thou- sand eight hundred and forty-two, and until their successors under this constitution shall be duly elected and qualified.
18. All civil, judicial and military officers now elected, or who shall hereafter be elected by the General Assembly or other competent authority, before the said first Tuesday of May, shall hold their offices and may exercise their powers until that time.
19. All laws and statutes, public and private, now in force and not repugnant to this constitution, shall continue in force until they ex- pire by their own limitation, or are repealed by the General Assembly. All contracts, judgments, actions, and rights of action, shall be as valid as if this constitution had not been made. All debts contracted, and engagements entered into before the adoption of this constitution, shall be as valid against the state as if this constitution had not been made.
20. The supreme court established by this constitution shall have the same jurisdiction as the supreme judicial court at present estab- lished; and shall have jurisdiction of all causes which may be appealed to or pending in the same; and shall be held in the same times and places in each county as the present supreme judicial court until the General Assembly shall otherwise prescribe.
21. The citizens of the town of New Shoreham shall be hereafter exempted from military duty and the duty of serving as jurors in the courts of this state. The citizens of the town of Jamestown shall be forever hereafter exempted from military field duty.
22. The General Assembly shall, at their first session after the adoption of this constitution, propose to the electors the question, whether the word " white," in the first line of the first section of Ar- ticle II. of the constitution shall be stricken out. The question shall be voted upon at the succeeding annual election; and if a majority of the electors voting shall vote to strike out the word aforesaid, it shall be stricken from the constitution; otherwise not. If the word afore- said shall be stricken out, section third of Article II. shall cease to be a part of the constitution.
23. The president, vice-president and secretaries shall certify and sign this constitution, and cause the same to be published.
Done in convention at Providence, on the eighteenth day of No- vember, in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, and of American Independence the sixty-sixth.
JOSEPH JOSLIN, President of the Convention. WAGER WEEDEN, SAMUEL H. WALES, Vice Presidents.
Attest :
WILLIAM H. SMITH, } JOHN S. HARRIS Secretarics.
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The State Seal.
THE coat of arms of the State is familiar to every citizen, for it is im- pressed on public documents and meets the eye on monuments and in newspapers. Its simplicity and its significance, as well as its correct heraldry render it superior to that of any of the other states; and the words by which it is described in our statute book, have a singular force and beauty. "There shall continue to be one seal for the public use of the State; the form of an anchor shall be engraven thereon, and the motto thereof shall be the word HOPE."
This has been the seal of the State ever since the adoption of the charter, in May, 1664. Previous to that time the seal consisted of an anchor only, on a shield, without the motto " Hope." At the first meeting of the General Assembly under the "parliamentary patent," in 1647, it was "ordered that the seal of the province shall be an anchor," and on the margin of the original manuscript, now preserved in the office of the secretary of state, is simply an anchor upon a shield, drawn by the pen of the writer.
But this was not the first seal the State may claim to have possessed. At a meeting of the Newport Colony at Portsmouth, in 1641, six years before the establishment of the anchor as the seal, it was " ordered, that a manual seale shall be provided for the State, and that the signett or engraving thereof, shall be a sheaf of arrows bound up, and on the liass or band, this motto: Amor omnia vincit."
The seal of the anchor with the motto " Hope," was surrounded by a circle, in which was inscribed the words COLONIE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS, and several impressions of it may be found among the old records of the State. This seal Andros broke, at the time of his usurpation in 1686-7. But after his expulsion, and on the reorganization of the General Assembly, 1689-90, a new seal was ordered, precisely like the old seal, except that the words "Colonie of Rhode Island and Providence' Plantations " were omitted; nor did these words ever again form a part of the seal until this year, (1875), when they were restored by an act of the General Assembly, in Janu- ary last, and the date 1636 added. Of course the word " Colonie " was altered to the word " State."
No impression of the Newport seal-the sheaf of arrows; nor of the seal under the parliamentary patent-the anchor alone-exists among the archives of the State. Perhaps some of the antiquarian readers of the Journal may know where such impressions may be found. And perhaps also some one may know why the anchor originally came to be chosen as the device of the seal. Was this the "bearing" of the shield of the family of Roger Williams, or of any of the families who accompanied him ? Did the idea arise from the depressing circum- stances of the time ? If so, why was the word HOPE not added until seventeen years afterwards, and in comparatively prosperous times ? Was there any reason why the legend "Colonie of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations " was omitted after the expulsion of Andros ? Whence came the cable now surrounding the shank, and thus con- verting the anchor into a " foul anchor" ? And whence the rock and the waves, with light-house and ship in the distance, as is now fre- quently seen ? And how came the shield altered into unmeaning scroll-work ? Is there any more authority for these changes than the ill-informed fancy of the seal-engravers from time to time ?
NOTE .- For this excellent dissertation on the seal of Rhode Island, I am indebted to my friend, the Hon. T. P. Shepard.
Governors of Rhode Island.
The State originally consisted of four towns: Providence, settled in 1636; Portsmouth, in 1638; Newport, in 1639; and Warwick, in 1642. Each town was governed independently until 1647. Providence and Warwick had no executive head till 1647.
PORTSMOUTH.
JUDGES.
William Coddington,
William Hutchinson,
March 7, 1638 to April 30. 1639. April 30, 1639 to March 12, 1640.
NEWPORT.
JUDGE.
William Coddington,
.
April 28, 1639 to March 12, 1640.
PORTSMOUTH AND NEWPORT .*
GOVERNOR.
William Coddington, March 12, 1640 to May 19, 1647. In 1647 the four towns were united under a charter or patent, granted in 1643, by Parliament.
PRESIDENTS UNDER THE PATENT.
John Coggeshall,
William Coddington,
. May, 1647 to May, 1648. May, 1648 to May, 1649.
John Smith, . . May, 1649 to May, 1650. Nicholas Easton, May, 1650 to Aug., 1651.
In 1651 a separation occurred between the towns of Providence and Warwick on the one side, and Portsmouth and Newport on the other.
PROVIDENCE AND WARWICK.
PRESIDENTS.
Samuel Gorton, John Smith,
Gregory Dexter,
. Oct., 1651 to May, 1652. May, 1652 to May, 1653. May, 1653 to May, 1654.
PORTSMOUTH AND NEWPORT.
PRESIDENT.
John Sandford, Senior. .
May, 1653 to May, 1654.
In 1654 the union of the four towns was reestablished.
* United in 1640.
Nich Roge Ben Will Ben
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APPENDIX.
335
PRESIDENTS.
Nicholas Easton, Roger Williams, Benedict Arnold, William Brenton, . Benedict Arnold,
May, 1654 to Sept. 12, 1654. Sept., 1654 to May. 1657. May, 1657 to May. 1660. May, 1660 to May, 1662. May, 1662 to Nov. 25, 1663.
ROYAL CHARTER.
GOVERNORS.
Benedict Arnold, William Brenton, Benedict Arnold,
Nicholas Easton, William Coddington,
Walter Clarke, Benedict Arnold, . William Coddington. .
1677 to June 20, 1678. Died. Aug. 28. 1678 to Nov. 1, 1678. Died. Nov., 1678 to March 12, 1680. Died. March 16, 1680 to May, 1683. May, 1683 to May, 1685. May, 1685 to May, 1686.
John Cranston,
Peleg Sandford,
William Coddington, Jr ..
Henry Bull, Walter Clarke,* Henry Bull, John Easton, Caleb Carr,
Walter Clarke,
Samuel Cranston, Joseph Jenckes,
. May, 1686 to June 29, 1686. Feb. 27, to May 7, 1690. May, 1690 to May, 1695. May, 1695 to Dec. 17, 1695. Died. Jan., 1696 to March, 1698. ., 1698 to April 26, 1727. Died. May, 1727 to May, 1732. May, 1732 to Dec., 1733. Died. May, 1734 to July 5, 1740. Died. . July 15, 1740 to May, 1743. . May, 1743 to May, 1745. May, 1745 to May, 1746. . May, 1746 to May, 1747. May, 1747 to May, 1748. . May, 1748 to May, 1755. May, 1755 to May, 1757. May, 1757 to Feb. 22, 1758. Died. March 14, 1758 to May, 1762.
William Wanton, John Wanton, . Richard Ward, William Greene, Gideon Wanton, William Greene, Gideon Wanton, William Greene, Stephen Hopkins, William Greene, Stephen Hopkins, Samuel Ward, Stephen Hopkins, Samuel Ward, Stephen Hopkins, Josi is Lyndon, Joseph Wanton, . Nicholas Cooke,
. May, 1762 to May, 1763. May, 1763 to May, 1765.
. May, 1765 to May, 1767. May, 1767 to May, 1768.
. May, 1768 to May, 1769. 1769 to Nov. 7, 1775. Deposed. . Nov., 1775 to May, 1778.
Nov., 1663 to May, 1666. May, 1666 to May, 1669. May, 1669 to May, 1672. May, 1672 to May, 1674. May, 1674 to May, 1676. May, 1676 to May, 1677.
* The charter was suspended till 1689. The Deputy-Governor, John Coggeshall, acted as Governor during the interval, Governor Clarke refusing to serve.
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336
HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND.
William Greene, John Collins, Arthur Fenner,*
May, 1778 to 1786. May, 1786 to 1790.
1790 to 1805. Died.
May, 1807 to 1811.
May, 1811 to 1817.
-
James Fenner, William Jones, Nehemiah R. Knight,t William C. Gibbs, James Fenner, Lemuel H. Arnold,
May, 1817 to Jan. 9, 1821. May, 1821 to 1824. May, 1824 to 1831.
1831 to 1833.
John Brown Francis,
1833 to 1838.
William Sprague,#
1838 to 1839.
Samuel Ward King,
1840 to 1843.
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. (Adopted in 1842.)
James Fenner,
1843 to 1845.
Charles Jackson,
1845 to 1846.
Byron Diman.
1846 to· 1847.
Elisha Harris,
1847 to 1849.
Henry B. Anthony,
1849 to 1851.
Philip Allen, §
1851 to 1853.
William Warner Hoppin,
1854 to 1857.
Elisha Dyer,
1857 to 1859.
· Thomas G. Turner,
1859 to 1860.
William Sprague,
1860 to March 3, 1863. Resigned. March 3, 1863 to May, 1863.
James Y. Smith,
1863 to 1866.
Ambrose E. Burnside.
1866 to 1869.
Seth Padelford,
1869 to 1873.
Henry Howard,
1873 to 1875.
Henry Lippitt,
1875 to --
* Paul Mumford, Deputy-Governor, died. Henry Smith, First Senator, officiated as Governor. In 1806, no election ; Isaac Wilbour, Lieutenant-Governor, officiated. t Elected United States Senator January 9, 1821, for unexpired term of James Burrill, Jr., deceased.
# In 1839 no choice ; Samuel Ward King was First Senator and Acting-Governor.
§ Resigned July 20, 1853, having been elected United States Senator May 4, 1853. Lieu- tenant-Governor, F. M. Dimond, officiated.
Il Governor Sprague resigned March 3, 1863, and Lieutenant-Governor Arnold having been elected to the Senate Mr. Cozzens became Governor by virtue of his office as President of the Senate.
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Willis Nich John Nicho John Job Willi John John Jam Wa Job
Fro ants,
William
Jo Jo
William C. Cozzens, Il
Deputy Governors.
William Brenton, . . March 12, 1640 to May 19, 1647. From 1647 to 1663 the Colony was governed by a president, with four assist- ants.
William Brenton,
1663 to 1666. 1666 to 1669.
Nicholas Easton,
1669 to 1670.
Nicholas Easton,
1670 to 1671.
John Clarke,
1671 to 1672. .
John Cranston,
1672 to 1673.
William Coddington,
1673 to 1674.
John Easton,
1674 to 1676.
John Cranston,
1676 to 1678.
James Barker.
1678 to 1679.
Walter Clarke,
1679 to 1686.
John Coggeshall,
May to June, 1686.
(Charter suspended, 1686 to 1690.)
John Coggeshall,
1690
John Greene,
Walter Clarke,
1690 to 1700. 1700 to 1714. Died. 1714 to 1715. 1715 to 1721.
Henry Tew,
Joseph Jencks,
1721 to 1722. 1722 to 1727.
Jonathan Nicholls,
May to August, 1727. Died.
Thomas Frye,
1727 to 1729.
John Wanton, George Hassard,
1734 to 1738. Died. 1738 to 1740. May to July, 1740.
William Greene,
1743 to 1745.
Joseph Whipple, William Robinson, Joseph Whipple,
1745 to 1746.
William Robinson,
1748 to 1750.
William Ellery,
1750 to 1751.
Robért Haszard,
1751 to 1753. 1753 to 1754. 1754 to 1755.
Jonathan Nichols, John Gardner,
1756 to 1764.
Joseph Wanton, Jr.,
1764 to 1765. 1765 to 1767. 1767 to 1768.
Nicholas Cooke,
1768 to 1769. 1769 to 1775.
Darius Sessions,
Nicholas Cooke, .
May to November, 1775. 1775 to 1778.
William Bradford,
22
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John Clarke,
.
John Wanton,
Joseph Jencks,
1729 to 1734.
Daniel Abbott,
Richard Ward,
1740 to 1743.
1746 to 1747. 1747 to 1748.
Joseph Whipple, . Jonathan Nichols, John Gardner,
1755 to 1756.
Elisha Brown, Joseph Wanton, Jr.,
338
HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND.
Jabez Bowen, William West, Jabez Bowen, Daniel Owen,
1778 to 1780.
1780 to 1781.
1781 to 1786. .
1786 to 1790.
Samuel J. Potter,
1790 to 1799.
The title was now changed to lieutenant-governor.
LIEUTENANT-GOVERNORS.
Samuel J. Potter,
Feb., 1799 to May, 1799.
George Brown,
1799 to 1800.
Samuel J. Potter,
1800 to 1803.
Paul Mumford,
1803 to 1806.
Isaac Wilbour, Constant Taber, Simeon Martin,
1807 to 1808.
1808 to 1810.
Isaac Wilbour,
1810 to 1811.
Simeon Martin,
1811 to 1816.
Jeremiah Thurston,
1816 to 1817.
Edward Wilcox,
1817 to 1821.
Caleb Earle,
1821 to 1824.
Charles Collins,
1824 to 1833.
Jeffrey Hazard,
1833 to 1835. 1835 to 1836.
Jeffrey Hazard, .
1836 to 1837.
Benjamin B. Thurston,
1837 to 1838.
Joseph Childs,
1838 to 1840. 1840 to 1842.
Nathaniel Bullock,
1842 to 1843.
Byron Diman,
1843 to 1846.
Elisha Harris,*
1846 to 1847.
Edward W. Lawton,
1847 to 1849. 1849 to 1851.
William Beach Lawrence,
1851 to 1852.
Samuel G. Arnold,
1852 to 1853.
Francis M. Dimond,
1853 to 1854.
John J. Reynolds,
1854 to 1855.
Anderson C. Rose,
Nicholas Brown,
1855 to 1856. 1856 to 1857. 1857 to 1859. 1859 to 1860. 1860 to 1861.
J. Russell Bullock,
Samuel G. Arnold,
1861 to 1863.
Seth Padelford,
1865 to 1866.
Duncan C. Pell, William Greene,
1866 to 1868.
Pardon W. Stevens,
1868 to 1872.
Charles R. Cutler,
1872 to 1873.
Charles C. Van Zandt,*
1873 to 1875.
Henry T. Sisson,*
1875 to
" Elected by the Assembly : no choice by the people.
J S I
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George Engs,
Byron Diman,
'Thomas Whipple,
Thomas G. Turner,
Isaac Saunders,
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1863 to 1865.
Jo P J
1806 to 1807.
MEMBERS
OF THE
Continental Congress
FROM RHODE ISLAND.
Jonathan Arnold, . Peleg Arnold,
1787 to 1789.
John Collins,
1778 to 1782.
Ezekiel Cornell,
1780 to 1782.
William Ellery.
1776 to 1784.
Jonathan J. Hazard.
1787 to 1789.
Stephen Hopkins, .
1774 to 1779. 1782 to 1784.
David Howell,
Feb., 1786. .
Henry Marchant,
Feb., 1777 to 1784.
Nathan Miller,
Feb., 1786. 1780 to 1781.
James M, Varnum, .
1780, '81, '86.
Samuel Ward,
John Gardner,
William Bradford,*
John Brown,*
1774 to 1775. 1788 to 1789. Oct., 1776. . 1785. 1785 to 1786.
George Champlin,*
Paul Mumford,*
1785.
Peter Phillips,*
1785.
Sylvester Gardner,*
1787.
Thomas Holden,*
1788 to 1789.
* Duly elected, but their names are not in the Journals of Congress.
1782 to 1783.
James Manning,
Daniel Mowry,
Towns in Rhode Island,
DATE OF INCORPORATION, ETC.
COUNTIES AND . TOWNS.
DATE OF INCORPORATION.
FROM WHAT TAKEN, ORIGINAL NAMES, CHANGES OF BOUNDARIES, &C.
BRISTOL CO
Feb'y 17, 1746-47 ...
Incorporated with same county limits as at present. Originally the county consisted of two towns, Bristol and Warren. Afterwards, June, 1770, War- ren was divided, and the Town of Barrington was incorporated.
Barrington
June 16, 1770
Taken from Warren, which see.
Bristol
Jan'y 27, 1746-47 ..
Five towns received from Massachusetts this date. A portion of Bristol an- nexed to Warren, May 30, 1873.
Warren.
Jan'y 27, 1746-47. . . .
See Bristol. The territory of the Town of Warren, when admitted to the State, included the Town of. Barrington, and a portion of the towns of Swanzey and Rehoboth, in Massachusetts. In 1770 Warren was divided. and one of the original names (Barrington) was given to the new town.
KENT CO.
June 15, 1750.
Taken from Providence County. In- corporated with the same county limits as at present, and same towns.
Coventry
August 21, 1741
Taken from Warwick.
East Greenwich.
October 31. 1677
Incorporated as the Town of East Green- wich. Name changed to Dedford, June 23, 1686, The original name restored in 1689. The town divided in 1741.
West Greenwich .... April 6, 1741.
Taken from East Greenwich, which see.
.
341
APPENDIX.
COUNTIES AND TOWNS.
DATE OF INCORPORATION.
FROM WHAT TAKEN, ORIGINAL NAMES, CHANGES OF BOUNDARIES, &c.
Warwick.
Original town
First settled January. 1642-43. Named from Earl of Warwick, who signed the Patent of Providence Plantations, March 14, 1643. The first action of the inhabitants as a town was August 8, 1647. Indian name, Shawomet.
NEWPORT CO.
June 22, 1703.
Originally incorporated as Rhode Island County, June 16, 1729, incorporated as Newport County, and included New- port, Portsmouth, Jamestown and New Shoreham.
Fall River.
October 6, 1856
Taken from Tiverton. Ceded to Massa- chusetts in the settlement of the boun- dary question, March 1, 1862. See Pawtucket and East Providence.
Jamestown.
November 4, 1678. .
Named in honor of King James. Indian name Quononoqutt (Conanicut).
Little Compton ..
Jan'y 27, 1746-47 .. .
One of the five towns received from Massachusetts. Annexed to Newport County February 17, 1746-47. Indian name, Seaconnet.
Middletown
June 16, 1743
Town in the "middle" of the island. Taken from Newport.
Newport
Original tow
Settled in 1639. Line between Newport and Portsmouth established Septem- ber 14, 1640. Incorporated as a city June 1, 1784. City charter given up March 27, 1787. City incorporated the second time at the May session, 1853, and the charter accepted May 20, 1853.
New Shoreham.
.. November 6, 1672. .
Admitted to Colony as Block Island, May 4, 1664. When incorporated in 1672, name changed to New Shoreham "as signes of our unity and likeness to many parts of our native country." Indian name Mannasses or Manisses.
Portsmouth.
Original town.
Settled in 1638. Indian name Pocasset. "At a quarter meeting of the first of ye 5th month 1639, it is agreed upon to call this town Portsmouth." At the "Generall Courte " at "Nieuport" 12th of 1st month, 1640, the name of Portsmouth was confirmed.
Tiverton
Jan'y 27, 1746-47. .
One of the five towns received this date from Massachusetts. See Bristol, Warren, &c. Indian name Pocasset. Annexed to Newport County, February 17, 1746-47.
342
HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND.
COUNTIES AND TOWNS.
DATE OF INCORPORATION.
FROM WHAT TAKEN, ORIGINAL NAMES, CHANGES OF BOUNDARIES, &c.
PROVIDENCE Co .... June 22, 1703
Originally incorporated as the County of Providence Plantations, and included the present territory of Providence, Kent and Washington counties, ex- cepting the present towns of Cumber- land, Pawtucket and East Providence. The name was changed to Providence County June 16, 1729. See Kent and Washington counties.
Burrillville
October 29, 1806
Taken from Glocester. The town was first authorized to meet to elect offi- cers, Nov. 17, 1806. Named from Hon. James Burrill.
Cranston
. June 14, 1754
Taken from Providence. Probably named from Samuel Cranston, who was Gov- ernor of Rhode Island from March, 1698, to April 26, 1727, when he died. A portion re-united to Providence, June 10, 1868, and March 28, 1873.
Cumberland
Jan'y 27, 1746-47 ...
One of the five towns received this date See Tiverton, Bristol, &c. Until incorporated in Rhode Island it wasknown as Attleboro Gore. Named from Cumberland, England. Annexed to Providence County, February 17, 1746-47. A portion of Cumberland was incorporated as the Town of Woon- socket, January 31, 1867.
East Providence
.... March 1, 1862.
The westerly part of Rehoboth, Massa- chusetts, was incorporated as See- konk, February 26, 1812. The west- erly part of Seekonk was annexed to Rhode Island, incorporated as a town, and named East Providence in the settlement of the boundary question in 1862. See Pawtucket and Fall River.
Foster
August 24, 1781 ..
Taken from Scituate. Named probably from Hon. Theodore Foster.
Glocester
Feb'y 20, 1730-31 ...
Taken from Providence. At this date an act was passed " for erecting and incorporating the outlands of the Town of Providence into three towns." These towns were Scituate, Glocester and Smithfield.
Johnston
March 6, 1759
Taken from Providence; and named in honor of Augustus Johnston, Esq., the attorney-general of the Colony at that time.
Lincoln.
March 8, 1871.
Taken from Smithfield, and named in honor of Abraham Lincoln, late Presi- dent of the United States.
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343
APPENDIX.
COUNTIES AND TOWNS.
DATE OF INCORPORATION.
FROM WHAT TAKEN, ORIGINAL NAMES, CHANGES OF BOUNDARIES, &c.
Korth Providence. .. June 13, 1765
Taken from Providence. A small por- tion reunited to Providence June 29, 1767, and March 28, 1873. The town was divided March 27, 1874, a portion was annexed to the City of Providence and a portion to the Town of Pawtucket. The act went into effect May 1, 1874.
North Smithfield .... March 8, 1871.
Taken from Smithfield, and incorpor- ated as the Town of Slater. Name changed to .North Smithfield, March 24, 1871.
Pawtucket
March 1, 1862.
Name of Indian origin. Part of Seekonk, Mass., was incorporated as the Town of Pawtucket, March 1, 1828. The whole Town of Pawtucket except a small portion lying easterly of Seven Mile River was annexed to Rhode Island, with East Providence, which see. A portion of the Town of North Provi- dence annexed to Pawtucket, May 1, 1874.
Providence. ..
Original town
Settled in 1636. Named Providence by Roger Williams, " in gratitude to his supreme deliverer." Originally com- prised the whole county. City incor- porated in 1832. Portions of the Town of Cranston were re-annexed to Prov- idence June 10, 1768, and March 28, 1873. Portions of North Providence were re-annexed June 29, 1767, March 28, 1873, and May 1, 1874.
Scituate.
Feb'y 20, 1730-31. ...
Taken from Providence. See Glocester
Smithfield
Feb'y 20, 1730-31. ..
Taken from Providence. See Glocester. The town was divided March 8, 1871, a portion being annexed to Woon- socket, and the remainder divided into three towns. See Lincoln and North Smithfield.
Woonsocket.
Jan'y 31, 1867
Name of Indian origin. Taken from Cumberland. A portion of Smithfield was annexed to Woonsocket March 8, 1871.
WASHINGTON CO. ..
June 16, 1729.
Originally called the "Narragansett country." Named King's Province, March 20, 1654. Boundaries estab- lished May 21, 1669. Incorporated June, 1729, as King's County, with three towns and same territory as at present. Name changed to Washing- ton County, October 29, 1781.
Charlestown
August 22, 1738.
Taken from Westerly.
Exeter
March 8, 1742-43
Taken from North Kingstown.
344
HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND.
COUNTIES AND TOWNS.
DATE OF INCORPORATION.
FROM WHAT TAKEN, ORIGINAL NAMES, CHANGES OF BOUNDARIES, &c.
Hopkinton.
March 19, 1757
Taken from Westerly.
North Kingstown ...
October 28, 1674
First settlement, 1641. Incorporated in 1674, under the name of King's Towne, as the seventh town in the Colony. Incorporation reaffirmed in 1679. Name changed to Rochester June 23, 1686. Name restored in 1689; see East Greenwich. Kings- town, divided into North and South Kingstown, February. 1722. The act provided that North Kingstown should be the oldest town.
South Kingstown. .
Feb'y 26, 1722-23. . .
See North Kingstown. Pettiquamscut settled January 20, 1657-58.
Taken from Charlestown.
Richmond. . Westerly
August 18, 1747
May 14, 1669.
Original name Misquamicut. Incorpo- rated in May, 1669. under the name of Westerly, as the fifth town in the Col- @ny. Name of Westerly changed to Haversham, June 23, 1686, but soon restored.
NOTE .- In several cases the exact date of the passage of the act of incorporation of towns cannot be ascertained. In such cases the date of the meeting of the General Assembly at which the act was passed is given.
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