List of colonial governors of Rhode Island

This is a list of the "judges," presidents, and governors of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from 1638 to 1776.

Judges of Portsmouth

William Coddington 1638-1639
William Hutchinson 1639 - March 1640

Judge of Newport

Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island colony

William Coddington 1639-1640

Governor of Rhode Island (Portsmouth and Newport)

William Coddington 1640 - 1647

Chief Officer under the Patent of 1643 (Providence and Warwick)

Roger Williams September 1644-May 1647

Presidents under the Patent of 1643

Joseph Jenckes

Richard Ward

William Greene

1st John Coggeshall May-1647-November 1647 (died in office)
2nd Jeremy Clarke May 1648-May 1649
3rd John Smith May 1649-May 1650
4th Nicholas Easton May 1650-August 1651
5th Samuel Gorton October 1651-May 1652 (Providence and Warwick only)
6th John Smith May 1652-May 1653 (Providence and Warwick only)
7th Gregory Dexter May 1653-May 1654 (Providence and Warwick only)
8th Nicholas Easton May 1654-September 1654
9th Roger Williams September 1654-May 1657
10th Benedict Arnold May 1657-May 1660
11th William Brenton May 1660-May 1662
12th Benedict Arnold May 1662-November 1663

Governors of Newport and Portsmouth under the Coddington Commission

William Coddington May 1651-May 1653
John Sanford May 1653 – 1653 (died in office between June and November 1653)

Governors under the Royal Charter of 1663

Benedict Arnold November 1663-May 1666
William Brenton May 1666 – 1669
Benedict Arnold 1669-1672
Nicholas Easton 1672-1674
William Coddington 1674-1676
Walter Clarke 1676-1677
Benedict Arnold 1677-1678 (died in office)
William Coddington 1678 (died in office)
John Cranston 1678-1680 (died in office)
Peleg Sanford 1680-1683
William Coddington, Jr. 1683-1685
Henry Bull 1685-1686
Walter Clarke 1686

The Rhode Island Charter was suspended from 1686-1689. During this time, Sir Edmund Andros served as Governor of the Dominion of New England, which included Rhode Island.

Governors

Joseph Wanton

Nicholas Cooke

Vacant May 1689-February 1690

Henry Bull February 1690-May 1690
John Easton May 1690-May 1695
Caleb Carr May 1695-December 1695 (died in office)
Walter Clarke 1696-1698 (resigned from office)
Samuel Cranston 1698-1727
Joseph Jenckes 1727-1732
William Wanton 1732-1733 (died in office)
John Wanton 1734-1740 (died in office)
Richard Ward 1740-1743
William Greene 1743-1745
Gideon Wanton 1745-1746
William Greene 1746-1747
Gideon Wanton 1747-1748
William Greene 1748-1755
Stephen Hopkins 1755-1757
William Greene 1757-1758 (died in office)
Stephen Hopkins 1758-1762
Samuel Ward 1762-1763
Stephen Hopkins 1763-1765
Samuel Ward 1765-1767
Stephen Hopkins 1767-1768
Josias Lyndon 1768-1769
Joseph Wanton 1769-1775 (removed from office)
Nicholas Cooke 1775-1778

External links

Chronological list of Rhode Island leaders

Colonial Governors of Rhode Island

Judges of Portsmouth (1638–40)	Coddington Hutchinson

Judge of Newport (1639–40)	Coddington

Governor of Newport and Portsmouth (1640–47)	Coddington

Chief Officer (Providence and Warwick) (1644–47)	Williams

Presidents of Rhode Island (Patent of 1644) (1647–63)	Coggeshall J. Clarke Smith N. Easton Gorton Smith Dexter N. Easton Williams Arnold Brenton Arnold

Governors of Newport and Portsmouth (Coddington Commission) (1651–54)	Coddington J. Sanford

Governors of Rhode Island (Royal Charter of 1663) (1663–86)	Arnold Brenton Arnold N. Easton Coddington W. Clarke Arnold Coddington J. Cranston P. Sanford Coddington Jr. Bull W. Clarke

Governors under Dominion of New England (1686–89)	Dudley Andros

Governors of Rhode Island (Royal Charter of 1663) (1690–1776)	Bull J. Easton Carr W. Clarke S. Cranston Jenckes W. Wanton John Wanton R. Ward Greene G. Wanton Greene G. Wanton Greene Hopkins Greene Hopkins S. Ward Hopkins S. Ward Hopkins Lyndon Joseph Wanton Cooke

Italics Gorton, Smith and Dexter were presidents of Providence and Warwick only, since Coddington had received a commission to remove Newport and Portsmouth from their jurisdiction, valid from 1651 to 1654; before and after these dates the President presided over all four towns of the colony. Dudley presided over the "Narragansett Country" only, later to become Washington County, Rhode Island; Andros subsequently presided over the entire colony.

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