USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > Governors for three hundred years, 1638-1959; Rhode Island and Providence Plantations > Part 7
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 (link on the Part 1 page).
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
*The name of the great Indian Sachem, Myantonomo, is spelled throughout the same text as Miantunnomu, Myan- tonomi, and Myantonomy.
1Perhaps Sowames is properly the name of the river, where the two Swanzey Rivers meet and run together for near a mile, when they empty themselves in the Narragansett Bay, or of a small island, where those two first rivers meet, at the bottom of New Meadow Neck, so called.
"Their names are as follows, William Coddington, John Clark, William Hutchinson, John Coggeshall, William Aspin- wall, Samuel Wilbore, John Porter, John Sanford, Edward Hutchinson, jun. Thomas Savage, William Dyre, William Freeborne, Philip Sherman, John Walker, Richard Carder, William Baulson, Edward Hutchinson, Henry Bull.
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
59
chusetts English and the Narragansetts in the Pequot War. This I mention, that as the truly noble Sir Henry Vane, hath been so great an instrument, in the Hand of God, for procuring this Island of the Barbarians, as also for the procuring and confirming the Charter, it may be with all thankful Acknowledgements recorded, and remember- ed by us, and ours who reap the sweet fruits of so great benefits, and such unheard of liberties among us." Mss. of R. W.
And in another Manuscript he tells us, the Indians were very shy and jealous of selling the Lands to any, and chose rather to make a Grant of them to such as they af- fected, but at the same Time, expected such Gratuities and Rewards as made an Indian Gift often times a very dear Bargain. And the Colony 70 years ago 1666 averred, that tho' the Favour Mr. Williams had with Myantonomy was the great means of procur- ing the Grants of the Land, yet the purchase had been dearer than of any Lands in New England. the season of which might be, partly. the English inhabited between two powerful Nations, the Wamponoags to the north and east, who had formerly possessed some part of their Grants, before they had surrendered it to the Narragansetts and tho' they freely own'd the submission, yet it was tho't best by Mr. Williams to make them easy by Gratuities, to the Sachem his counsellors and followers. On the other side the Narragansetts were very numerous, and the Natives inhabiting any spot the English sat down upon, or improved, were all to be bought off to their Content, and often times were to be paid over and over again.
On the 24th of March 1637,8, this Day an Hundred Years, the Indians Sachems signed the Deed or Grant of the Island Aquedneck. &c. and the English not only hon- estly paid the mentioned Gratuities, to the Sachems, but many more to the Inhabitants to remove off. as appears by the Receipts still extant. And afterwards, at a consider- able expence, they purchased Quit-Claims, of the Heirs and Successors of the Sachems; besides they were forced to buy over again, several parts of the first grant. So that they came very justly by the soil. And thus they described themselves twenty years after, in an address to the Supream Authority in England 1659; "This poor Colony (say they) mostly consists, of a Birth, and Breeding of the most High. We being an outcast peo- ple, formerly from our Mother Nation, in the Bishop Days, and since from the rest of the New-English over zealous colonies. Our whole frame, being much like the present Frame, and Constitution of our dearest Mother England: bearing with the several judg- ments, the consciences of each other, in all the Towns of the Colony; which our neighbor Colonies do not; and which is the only cause, of their great offence, against us."
The settlement began immediately. at the Eastward or Northward End of the Island, (then called Pocasset,) round the Cove, and the Town was laid out at the spring. And many of their friends following them that summer, their number was so considerably in- creased, that the next spring, some of the heads with others, came to the southern or western end of the Island. The Island was divided into two Townships, the eastern part called Portsmouth, and the other Newport; and 1644, they named the Island the Isle of Rhodes or Rhode Island. Thus began the settlement of this Island and colony, and thro' the good Hand of our God upon us, we have continued to this Day. God has blessed and preserved to them their privileges, for the sake of which they followed him into the Wilderness.
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
60
FRIENDS CEMETERY
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND
H
WHITE ST. AND FEKE ST.
GOVERNOR GIDEON WANTON IS BURIED HERE See Pages 174-175
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
61
THE FOUR WANTONS
Wanton Arms
JOHN WANTON 1734-1740
GOVERNOR
JOSEPH WANTON 1769-1775 DEPOSED
Mantou
WILLIAM WANTON 1732-1733
GOVERNOR
GIDEON WANTON 1745-1746 1747-1748
62
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
THE FOUR WANTONS
The name which stands forth most prominently as I peruse the records of yester- year, is that of Wanton. Four of the family-William, John, Gideon, and Joseph- were at different times elected governor of the Colony; another, Joseph, Jr., held for two years the office of deputy-governor. The Wantons were shipwrights when they took up their abode upon Aquidneck. Edward Wanton, first of the name in America, was an officer of the guard at Boston when Mary Dyer (wife of the first secretary of Newport) suffered death because guilty of the unpardonable crime of being a Quaker. The un- shaken firmness with which she submitted to her fate moved Wanton greatly. "Alas! Mother!" said he, as he went into his house after the execution. "We have been mur- dering the Lord's people;" and, taking off his sword, he made a solemn vow never to wear it again. Not long afterward he became a member of the society of Friends, and. moving to Scituate, Mass., established a shipyard in that town. Like their father, the sons were also members of the society of Friends, but the spirit sometimes moved them to deeds their quiet sire by no means approved. For resenting an insult to their father they were forced to flee from Scituate.
This is the story of one of their exploits after they had taken up their abode upon Rhode Island. It won them fame not only throughout the length and breadth of the American Colonies, but in England as well. "A piratical ship, of three hundred tons, mounting twenty cannon, appeared off the harbor of Newport, cruising between Block Island and Point Judith, interrupting every vessel that attempted to pass, capturing property, and treating the officers and crews with great severity. To remove an annoy- ance so injurious to the comfort and prosperity of the inhabitants of Newport, two young men, William and John Wanton, sons of the first Edward, determined to at- tempt her capture, and the means they resorted to were as novel as the success was glorious. No sooner had they made known their intention than they were joined by about thirty young men of their acquaintance, and a sloop of thirty tons was engaged for the enterprise. The brave fellows went on board with only their small-arms to de- fend themselves, and sailed out of the harbor, apparently on a little coasting excursion, every person being concealed below except the few required to navigate the vessel.
After cruising a few days they espied the object of their search. As they drew near the piratical vessel, with the intention, apparently, to pass, the pirate fired a shot at them. This was what they desired, in order to give them an opportunity to approach the pirate. The sloop immediately lowered the peak of her mainsail and luffed up for the pirate, but instead of going alongside they came directly under her stern. Her men at once sprang upon deck, and, with irons prepared for the purpose, grappled their sloop to the ship and wedged her rudder to the sternpost so as to render it unmanageable. Having so far succeeded in their purpose without alarming the piratical crew, or lead- ing them to suppose they were approached by anything but a little coaster, each man seized a musket, and taking deliberate aim, shot every pirate as he appeared on deck.
After making great efforts to disengage themselves, and finding it impossible so to do, the rest surrendered, and were taken into the harbor of Newport by their brave and gallant captors, and turned over to the authorities, where, after a trial, they suffered the penalty of their crimes by being hanged. When this affair took place William Wan- ton was but twenty-four, and John twenty-two years of age." Many like stories might
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
63
be told concerning these brothers. They were fit leaders for the adventure-loving young men who thronged the streets of Newport. In 1702, they went to London, and were received at court with other heroes who had contributed to swell the renown of the English navy. Queen Anne granted them an addition to their coat-of-arms, and pre- sented them each with two pieces of plate. A complimentary inscription (in Latin, of course) adorned each silver vessel.
William Wanton did not long remain a Quaker. When he was twenty-one years old he married Ruth, the beautiful daughter of Deacon John Bryant, of Scituate. There was much opposition to the match from both their families. Deacon Bryant was a rigid Presbyterian. He detested Quakers. The Wanton family, on the other hand, frowned whenever the idea of a Presbyterian daughter-in-low was brought forward. The eager lover quickly cut the Gordian knot. "Ruth," said he to the maiden one day, as they were standing in the spacious "sitting-room" of her father's house, "let us break from this unreasonable bondage. I will give up my religion, and thou shalt thine we will both go to the Church of England and to the devil together." A happy marriage it proved to be.
Joseph Wanton was the last of his race to hold the office of governor. The Rev- olution terminated his political life. He was a Tory, and his large estates were there- fore confiscated and sold. But though he was thus despoiled of his property, he never lost the respect of his fellow-townsmen. During the British occupation he remained in Newport, living very quietly and unostentationsly. After the departure of the troops he was not molested by the patriot party, but continued to reside until his death in the town of which, for almost a century, his ancestors had been the most conspicuous citi- zens.
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
64
ISLAND CEMETERY
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND
About 1830, the town purchased a tract of land called the Townsend Lot, east of the Common ground, and adjoining it and sold lots, in perpetuity, to individuals, for bur- ial purposes. After a term of years an arrangement was made, by which the town or city gave up the control of this purchase, to the holders of lots, and they became a corpora- tion, under the name of the Island Cemetery.
Several Governors are Buried here.
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
65
SIR EDMUND ANDROS
SIR EDMUND ANDROS
1686 - 1689
--
Painting by F. S. Batcheler Northwest Corridor, Second Floor of State House
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
66
SIR EDMUND ANDROS
Governor: 1686-1689.
Born: December 6, 1637 London, England.
Died: February, 1714 in London England.
Buried: London, England, St. Anne's, Soho, London.
ANDROS, SIR EDMUND (1637-1714), colonial governor, was the second son of a Guernsey gentleman belonging to Charles I's household. He was appointed gentleman in ordinary to the Queen of Bohemia in 1660, served in the regiment of foot sent to America in 1666, was major. in Rupert's dragoons in 1672, and succeeded his father as bailiff of Guernsey in 1674. The same year he was appointed by James, duke of York, to be governor of the province of New York, which had been granted to the duke by Charles II. In 1678, he was knighted. He was engaged in some disputes with the authorities of the neighboring colonies, and in 1681 was recalled to England. On the accession of James II to the throne, Andros was appointed governor of the various colo- nies consolidated to form the dominion of New England, which included all the English North America settlements, except Pennsylvania, between Maryland and Canada. In this position Andros made himself very unpopular with the colonists by his energy in carrying out James's instructions. Acting under the king's directions, he proclaimed lib- erty of conscience, put restrictions on the freedom of the press, and appointed a general council, by whose advice he was to carry on all government and legislation.
It was James's policy and that of his able deputy to break down the power of the puritan oligarchies which ruled in the New England provinces, and to weld them into one strongly governed state such as should be able to show a firm front to the encroach- ments of the French. The charters of Massachusetts and the other colonies were re- voked. There is a well-known story to the effect that Andros appeared in the council- chamber at Hartford at the head of an armed guard, and demanded the charter of Con- necticut, which could not be found, as it had been concealed in the famous 'Charter Oak'. It is probable, however, that Andros really did get possession of the charter, and that only a duplicate was concealed.
Even greater resentment was aroused by his interference with the settlers' lands, and his attempts to collect rents from them. All this time he was constantly engaged in successful military operations against the Indians, and in repressing the pirates who were the scourge of the New England coast. His unpopularity, however, continued to increase; and on 18 April 1689 the people of Boston suddenly seized the governor with some of his subordinates and imprisoned them. Sir Edmund was sent over to England, with a committee of accusers, to be put on his trial, but was examined by the lords of the committee for trade and plantations, and released without being formally tried.
In July 1692 he was returned to America as governor of Virginia. Here he en-
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
67
couraged education, founded William and Mary College, promoted manufactures and agriculture, and made himself generally popular. He, however, quarrelled with the colonial church authorities, and through the influence of Dr. Blair, the Bishop of Lon- don's commissary in Virginia, was recalled in 1698. In 1704 he was appointed governor of Jersey, which office he held until 1706. The remainder of his life seems to have been passed in London, where he died 27 Feb. 1713-14, and was buried at St. Anne's, Soho. Andros was an active and capable administrator, and scarcely deserves the evil reputa- tion which his unpopular government left behind him in New England.
S. J. I ..
GOVERNOR CALEB CARR JAMESTOWN, RHODE ISLAND
68
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
A Tribute to the Honorable WILLIAM CODDINGTON
written October 27, 1738, 100 years after his first term of office, serving as the first Judge of Portsmouth (March 7, 1638), that office being comparable lo that of Governor.
To the Honourable
William Coddington, Efq;
SIR,
T is not barely to give you a publick I Teftimony of my Gratitude for ma- ny perfonal Favours, nor yet of that Efteem and Re- fpect which all Men bear you, for your fingular Equi- ty and Benevolence, not on- A 2 ly
2 DEDICATION.
ly in private Life, but in all the various Offices, in which you haveferved and adorned your Country ; that I prefix your Name to thefe Papers : But becaufe an Attempt to re- cover fome Account of this happy Ifland,and to makea re- ligious Improvement of the merciful Providences of God towards it, is juftly due to the lineal Reprefentative of that worthy Gentleman, who was the great Inftrument of it's original Settlement.
Your honoured Grandfa- ther William Coddington, Efq; was chofen in England to be an
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
69
DEDICATION. 3
an Affiftant of the Colony of the Maffachufetts Bay, A. D. 1629, and in 1620 came o- ver to New England with the Governour and the Charter, &c. after which he was feve- ral Times rechofen to that honourable and important Office. He was for fome Time Treafurer of the Colo- ny. He was with the Chief- eft in all publick Charges, 'and a principal Merchant in Bofton', where he built the firft Brick Houfe.
In the Year 1637, when the Contentions ran fo high in the Country, he was grieved at
4 DEDICATION
at the Proceedings of the Court, againft Mr. Wheel- wright and Others. And when he found that his Op- pofitions to thofe Meafures was ineffectual, he entred his Proteft, 'that his Diffent might appear to fucceeding Times'; and though he was in the faireft Way to be Great, in the Maffachufetts as to outward Things, yet he voluntarily quitted his Ad- vantageousSituation at Boston, his largePropriety and Im- provements at Braintree, for Peace fake, and that he might befriend, protect, and affift the pious People, who were medi-
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
70
DEDICATION. 5
meditating a Removal from that Colony, on account of their religious Differences.
Here when the People firft incorporated them- felves a Body politick on this Ifland, they chofe him to be their Judge or chief Ruler, and continued to elect him annually to be their Gover- nour for feven Years toge- ther, 'till the Patent took Place, and the Ifland was in- corporated with Providence- Plantations.
In the Year 1647, he af- fifted in forming the Body of
6 DEDICATION.
of Laws, which has been the Bafis of our Conftitution andGovernment ever fince ; and the next Year being chofen Governour of the Colony, declined the Of- fice.
In 1651, he had a Com- miffion from the fupream Authority then in England, to be Governour of the If- land, purfuant to a Power referved in the Patent : But the People being jealous ' the Commiffion might af- fect their Lands and Liber- ties as feemed to them by the Patent', he readily laid it
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
71
DEDICATION. 7
it down on the firft Notice from England that he might do fo ; & for their further Sa- tisfaction and Contentment, he, by a Writing under his Hand, obliged himfelf to make a formal Surrender of allRight and Title to any of the Lands, more than his Pro- portion in common with the other Inhabitants, whenever it fhould be demanded.
After that hefeemsto have retired much from publick Bufinefs, till toward the latter End of his Days, when he was again divers Times prevailed with to take theGovernment upon him; as he did particu- B larly
8 DEDICATION.
larly 1678, when he died Nov. I.in the 7 8th Year of his Age, a good Manfullof Days. Thus after he had the Honour to be the firftJudge and Governour of this Ifland, 'after he had fpent much of his Eftate and thePrime of hisLife in propa- gating Plantations', he died Governour of the Colony -- in promoting the Welfare and the Profperity of the lit- tle Common-Wealth, which he had in a manner founded.
If there was any Oppcfition at any Time to any ofhis Mea- fures, or ifhe met withany in" grateful Returnsfromany he hid ferved, it was no more than
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
72
DEDICATION. 9
than what feveral of the other firft excellent Governours of the other New- English Co- lonies met with, from a People made froward by theCircum- ftances of a Wildernefs, and over jealous of their Privi- ledges. A free People will always be jealous of their Priviledges, and Hiftory a- bounds with Examples of the Miftakes and Ingratitude oc- cafioned by that Jealoufy.
If the following Difcourfe has done any Juftice to the Memory and Character of the pious People who firft fetled thisColony, or if it has any Tendency to promote the
IO DEDICATION.
the true original Ends of this Plantation, I am fure of your Patronage. And as to what relates to fome Articles, dif- ferent from your Judgment and Practice in religious Mat- ters, theGenerofity and Can- dour you inherit from your great Anceftors, will eafily bear with me, endeavouring to vindicate my own Opini- ons on fuch an Occafion.
I hope there are few orno Errors in the Matters of Fact related, or the Dates that are affigned ; to prevent any Miftakes, I have carefully re- viewed the publick Records, and my other Materials ; this Review
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
73
DEDICATION. II
Review has bro't to my Know- ledge orRemembrance many Things, that were not menti- oned in the Pulpit, which however it feemed ought not to be omitted.
I defigned to have put all the Additions and Enlarge- ments, in the Form of Notes for my own Eafe, but have been perfwaded to weave as many of them as were pro- per into the Body of the Difcourfe, as what is general- ly moft pleafing to the Rea- der. I am very fenfible, fe- veral Things will be tho't too minute or perfonal by Stran- gers, but the Defcendents of
B 2 the
12 DEDICATION.
the Perfons concerned, and theInhabitants of the Colony, will readily pardon me. And fome other Things which are familiarly known among our felves, will be neceffary to Others.
It is much to be lamented that many valuable Manu- fcripts of fome of the firftSet- lers here, are fo foon embez- led and loft. And it is much to be withed, that fomeGen- tlemen of Ingenuity andLei fure, would take Pains to col- le&t as many ofthefe old Papers as can be found difperfed a- bout. I am apt to think, that thefe, with the publick Records,
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
74
DEDICATION. 13 Records, would furnifh Ma- terials for a just History of the Colony.
What is here prefented to your View, will by noMeans fuperfede fuch a Defign ; I rather hope it will ftimulate Gentlemen in every Part of theColony, to make a Search after fuch Papers, and more efpecially now, while the New- England Chronology is in Hand, compofing by a Gentleman , above allExceptions univer- fally acknowledged the beft verfed in the Hiftory of the Country, and the moft ca. pable to give the World a juft and clear Idea of all our civil
14 DEDICATION.
civil and religous Affairs,and who is already fo well fur- nifhed with Materials from every other Part of theCoun- try.
That the moft High would be pleafed to blefs you with all the Bleffings of Grace and Providence, to- gether with your pious Lady and numerous Offspring, is the Prayer of
Your Honour's most olliged humble Servant,
Newport on Rhode Island, Otto. 27th 1738.
John Callender.
GOVERNORS OF RHODE ISLAND
75
CODDINGTON CEMETERY
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND
FAREWELL STREET
In front of the Second Baptist Church, is the very ancient burial place called the Coddington ground; it was a part of Gov. Coddington's original assignment of land, and was formerly in control of the Friends Meeting. who gave it up to the City, not very many years ago. In it are many ancient and prominent persons, several Governors among them. and probably many stones have been broken and wasted, in the days when such matters were regarded as of second rate importance.
76
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF
WILLIAM CODDINGTON, SR.
Governor: 1638-39-40; 1640 to 1647; 1651 to 1653; 1674 to 1676; 1678.
Born: 1601 in Lincolnshire, England.
Died: November 1, 1678 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Buried: Newport, Rhode Island. Coddington Cemetery.
CODDINGTON, WILLIAM, Governor of Rhode Island, including Newport and Ports- mouth, was a native of Lincolnshire, England, and was born in the year 1601. He ar- rived at Salem, Massachusetts, June 12, 1630, having been sent to this country as an as- sistant, or one of the magistrates of Massachusetts. We find him acting in this capacity in the records that have come down to us of the doings of this "Court of Assistants." On March 4, 1631, such a court was held in Boston, and the name of William Codding- ton appears in the list of the names of the judges.
Party politics were as exciting on a small scale then as they are on a larger scale now. In 1637 Governor Winthrop was chosen in the place of Mr. Vane, to whose in- terests Mr. Coddington was attached, and he was not elected to the magistracy. In the excitement which attended the trial of Mrs. Ann Hutchinson, Mr. Coddington threw the weight of his influence on the side of the accused, and was opposed to Governor Winthrop and the ministers of Boston. His efforts to vindicate this woman against the charges that were laid to her account, and his want of success in some other positions which he took, so dissatisfied him that he abandoned a lucrative business in Boston, sold out his real estate in the town of Braintree, and joined the company of emigrants who left Massachusetts to make for themselves a home on the beautiful island of Rhode Island.
In his History of Boston, Drake says, referring to the date of April 26, 1638: "Mr. Coddington removed with his family to Rhode Island. He had been an assistant from the first coming over of the Boston colony. Thus another excellent and valuable mnan was lost to Boston." He had already visited the place which he was to make his fu- ture residence, for we find his name standing first on the covenant which eighteen per- sons had signed at Aquidneck, or Rhode Island, March 7, 1638, forming themselves into a body politic, "to be governed by the laws of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings." As there was something indefinite in this statement of the authority by which they pro- posed to be governed, it was found necessary to have something a little more explicit.
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.