had a wonderful faculty of conciliating the affections of the Indians. He studied their language, their manners, their customs, and their [illegible] together, and no man of the age had such an influence over them.1 3 Probably anticipating the result of his difficulties with the people of Massachusetts, he visited Miantonomo and Conanicus, the Narragansett sachems, with whom, he tells us, he had several treaties" "in the yeare one thousand six-hundred and thirty-foure and in the yeare one thousand six-hundred and thirty-five," who assured him that he should not want land for a settlement; and on his coming to Moshassuck, in the year 1636, they gave him the neck of land, extending from Fox Point to Pawtucket, between the two rivers, Moshassuck and Seeconk, which he named Providence, (as he tells us in another of his manuscripts), "in a sense of God's merciful Providence unto me in my distresse.' He afterwards purchased of the Indians the principal part of the county of Prov 6 (1)See Ellis's The red man and the white man in North America," p. 422. (2) He here refers to the visits made to this region while a resident of Salem. Governor Winthrop, it will be remembered, wrote in January, 1636, of an intention which Mr. Williams was understood to have formed, "to erect a plantation about the Narragansett Bay." (Winthrop's Journal, I. 175). (3) "The Neck" is frequently applied in early accounts to the peninsula between the Seekonk and Moshassuck rivers. (4) It is noteworthy that he here gives the correct date. Compare pages 18, 26. (5) It was not a "gift." The sachems state that they "two yeares since sold" [it] "unto Roger Williams." (R. I. Col. Records, I. 18). See p. 168-69, post. (6) Besides this Neck, the sachems add that they "doe freely give unto him all that land from those rivers reaching to Pawtuxet river; as also the grass and meadowes upon ye said Pawtuxet river." And, May 9, 1639, it was added that "up the streams of Pautuckqut and Pawtuxet without limits" they "might have for use of cattle." (R. I. Col. Records, I. 18.) (R. I. Col. Records, I. 22). (7) See the "confirmatory deed" of Dec. 20, 1661. (8) This refers to the "Memorandum " of May 9, 1639. (R. I. Col. Records, I. 18). See also the confirmatory deeds of May 29, 1659. (R. I. Col. idence,' and called the purchase "Providence Plantations," and intended that should have been the name of the colony which he founded. But in this he was partly disappointed, as will be hereafter mentioned." The people of Providence and Rhode Island considered themselves as distinct and separate from each other, and acted for a considerable time as though they were two distinct governments. But at length, finding their sentiments and intentions respecting religion to be similar, they agreed to unite (1) All in fact, except what lies east of the Blackstone River and the Bay; and including on the south what is now a portion of Kent county. It is to be observed in this connection that the language "up the streams," "without limits," was used without an exact knowledge of the extent of the streams. To follow them to their sources would be to penetrate into the Massachusetts and Connecticut colonies. Compare with this the letter of Roger Williams, written Oct. 18, 1677. (Narragansett Club Pub., VI. 387-94). (2) The expression "The Towne " is used on the records so early as June 16, 1636; "The town of Providence," so early as August 20, 1636; "Our plantation or planting at Mooshausick or Providence," March 24, 1637; "Our situation or plantation of New Providence," in the "Initial deed," and also Oct. 8, 1638; the "plantation of Providence," Oct. 27, 1660, and May 18, 1647. The patent of 1643-4 names the whole colony, "The Incorporation of Providence Plantations, in the Narragansett-Bay, in New England." (R. I. Col. Records, I. 145). But the charter of 1663, after making a reference to "the purchases and free inhabitants of our island, called Rhode Island, and the rest of the colony of Providence Plantations, in the Narragansett Bay in New England," proceeds to name the colony officially "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." To this day this phraseology has remained unchanged. It may be added, however, that the language of the charter, not very carefully drawn in all respects, besides citing the name of the colony as above in two instances, speaks of it in two other cases as the "English colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in the Narragansett Bay, New England." The omission from the official records, of the words "English" and "in America" was in 1699 made the ground of a complaint against the colony by the Earl of Bellomont. (3) It appears that he did not find an opportunity of returning to this subject, and it is not "hereafter mentioned." (4) The fragment beginning at this point is found in the Foster Papers, IX. 30. (5) Compare Gov. Hopkins's account, p. 38, ante. and become one colony. To this end they jointly chose Mr. Roger Williams their agent, to go to England for a charter of incorporation. He obtained a charter' from the Earl of Warwick and other commissioners appointed by the parliament, dated March 14, 1643; granting the inhabitants of Providence (Warwick), Portsmouth, and Newport full power to form themselves into a body corporate, and to make all their own laws. It was some considerable time after Mr. Williams's return with this charter before a mode of government could be agreed upon by all the towns. At length they established this form of government: The freemen of the whole colony chose annually one chief officer whom they called president, and eight assistants, two in each town. Each of the four towns chose six representatives, then called commissioners. These had power to make laws, provided those laws were approved by the majority of the towns. 5 The presidents chosen under the charter [patent] were as follows: For the year 1647, Mr. John Coggeshall, president; 1648, Mr. Jeremiah Clarke, president; 1649, Mr. John Smith, president; 1650, Mr. Nicholas Easton, president;" In the year 1651 William Coddington went to England and procured from the council of state a commission constituting him governor of Rhode Island and the islands belong [ing to] the same; with which he returned in the fall of the year 1651. This caused great uneasiness in the (1) Usually designated the "patent" of 1643-4. It is printed at p. 40-44, ante. (2) "Warwick" is in the manuscript: It was not named in the patent; but was represented in the original organization under it. (3) See Gov. Hopkins's account, p. 45-46, ante. (4) It is more correct to write these dates 1647-48, 1648-49, etc.; as the political year was from May to May. (5) May 16, 1648, "Mr. William Coddington was elected president;" and "Mr. Jeremy Clarke, assistant." But Mr. Coddington failed to attend, and it was ordered that "Mr. Jeremy Clarke shall supply ye place of the president." (R. I. Col. Records, I. 208, 209, 211). (6) The manuscript has "ditto," for 1651. But Mr. Easton, as appears by the proceedings of the "Generall sessions of the committee at Providence," Nov. 4, 1651, had "deserted his office." R. I. Col. Records, I. 233. colony. The colony then appointed Mr Roger Williams and John Clarke to go to the court of London, to procure Coddington's commission to be vacated, which they effected in the year 1653. Mr. Williams returned, and on the 12th day of September, 1654, was chosen president,' agreeably to the charter and the laws of the colony; leaving Mr. Clarke (in England). [He] remained in England as the colony's agent, until he procured the present charter from Charles the 2d, 1663. This year, (1663) on the 8th day of July, the present charter of the colony was signed. By this charter Benedict Arnold was constituted first governor, and William Brenton deputy governor.® [KING PHILIP'S WAR.'] The noted and warlike Indian, King Philip, having excited throughout New England an universal confederacy against the English, the inhabitants on the main land of this state felt its severe effects. The people who came with Roger Williams settled pretty much together on the Neck3 of (1) The true date of this "order of council" is Oct. 2, 1652. (Arnold's "Rhode Island," I. 242. (2) R. I. Col. Records, I. 282. (3) From Foster Papers, IX. 27. (4) R. I. Col. Records, II. 1-21. In these printed records there is an error in the date printed at the head of the column, at pages 17-21. (5) R. I. Col. Records, II. 22. (6) This last paragraph is in the Foster Papers, IX. 27. Then follows a list of the governors and deputies, 1647-1711. (Foster Papers IX. 27-28.) There is also a list, 1663-1775, in the Foster Papers, X. 20. Brief biographical sketches are given, (Foster Papers, IX. 165-69.), of five of the incorporators named in this charter of 1663. These are William Coddington, John Clarke, William Brenton, John Porter, and Samuel Wilbore. Also of these three Providence proprietors,-Chad Brown, Richard Scott, and Hugh Bewit. (7) From the Foster Papers, (beginning at IX. 313). This note is added: "From the information of the Hon'bl Gov. Hopkins, Friday, Oct. 12, 1771." A gap here occurs of twelve years, 1663-75. (8) This term "The Neck" is frequently used before 1730, to denote the land upon the eastward side of the river where Providence is now built. The free toleration allowed equally [to] every sect of Christians, and the moderation and equity of the government established, soon procured a great accession of inhabitants who generally chose to settle in and near the compact part of the new town; so that when the war of 1675 broke out, there were near an hundred houses in Providence ;-which were destroyed (except five which were garrisoned),' when the town was burnt, in the war, on the 29th day of March, 1676.3 Rehoboth, a considerable town in the Massachusetts state, was burnt the day before. This obliged many of the inhabitants of Providence to remove to Rhode Island, which, in a great measure, was secure from the attacks of the Indians. This dreadful stroke upon Providence prevented in a great degree its being rebuilt while there was any apprehension of danger from the Indians, and served to give Newport that ascendency which it has always" since had as the metropolis of the state. And it [is] very probable that if Providence had not been destroyed as it was, considering its inland situation upon the head of a beautiful river, (that) at this day it would have been the capital town of the state. As this war was pursued with unremitted ardour by the na compactly settled part of the town of Providence, in distinction from the rest. (1) This is by far the largest estimate of houses made by any writer. Compare the note in Arnold's "Rhode Island," I. 409. See also the late Zachariah Allen's "Bi-centennial of the burning of Providence." (2) There is a difference of one day also in the date of this assault. The 29th and 30th of March are both assigned by different writers. (Arnold's "Rhode Island" I. 409). (3) "A list of the inhabitants who tarried in Providence during Philip's war is in the Foster Papers, I. 3. The names are printed in Staples's "Annals," p. 164-65. (4) March 28, 1675-76. Bliss's "History of Rehoboth." (5) The Island of course is meant ;-not the colony. (6) This was written in 1771. It was not until 1800 that even in population Newport was surpassed by Providence. (7) From the Foster Papers, IX. 315. |
