Nicholas Easton

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Nicholas Easton (1593 - 1675) was an early political and religious leader in Rhode Island

[edit] Early Life

Easton was born in 1593 in Lymington, England. His parents were listed as John and Elizabeth Easton. Easton was brought up to be tanner, an important, but dirty profession in 17th century England. At he grew into an adult, Easton was drawn into the Puritan movement. This was certainly the main reason why he chose to emigrate with his two sons, Peter and John to Massachusetts in 1634.

[edit] Massachusetts

Arriving in 1634 with his two sons (it is to be assumed his wife, whose name is lost to history, was already dead), Easton set up a tanner shop in Ipswich and later moving to Newbury. Like many early colonists, Easton and his family moved around a few times, going wherever there was employment. Easton and his sons finally settled in Boston. In Boston, Easton became a follower of Anne Hutchinson. Easton, along with William Coddington and John Coggeshall become the most devoted and well known of Hutchinson's followers. When Hutchinson was expelled from Massachusetts in 1637, Easton's time in Boston was limited.

[edit] Rhode Island

In the spring of 1638, Easton was formally banished from Massachusetts. Easton headed south to Providence where with fellow exiles Roger Williams, Coddington, Coggshall, and John Clarke purchased Aquidneck Island. On the northern end of the island, Easton joined the Hutchinson family, the Coggeshalls, and other exiles from Massachusetts; there they founded Portsmouth. However, a nasty fallout occurred, and in order to keep the peace Coddington and Clarke moved to the southern end of the island. Coggeshall and Easton joined with them and in 1639 founded Newport. Easton was named an "elder" of the community. In December of that year Easton was fined 5 shillings for coming to a public meeting without any weapons. However, this incident did not cause long lasting damage to his reputation because the following year, Easton, with the consent of the town residents, was granted 389 acres of land. The location of this land includes the site of Easton's Beach, which is sometimes known as First Beach.

During this whole period, Easton had taking up preaching, though it appears that he had no formal study or training. He came up with a very interesting theology. According to Easton, all believing Christians had both God and the Devil dwelling within them, and because of this, the physical body of Christians became a battleground between the forces of good and evil. When the Puritans heard of this, they became horrified because of its unchristian theology, and because Easton, being a tanner, (an occupation that only those from the lowest levels of society worked in), was now taking up the important role of preaching (which the Puritans believed only the rich and educated could do).

Over time, Easton would modify his teachings and would later join the Quakers.

During the 1640's, Easton was a community leader on Aquidneck Island. When the towns of Newport, Portsmouth, Providence and Warwick were unified into the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Easton became a colonial leader. In 1650, Easton was elected "President" of the colony, and was elected for two more terms, one in 1651 and in 1654. Later beginning in 1666, Easton became the deputy governor of the colony. He held that post until 1672, when he was elected governor of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. In keeping with the belief that officeholders should not stay in power for long, (a common belief in 17th century Rhode Island), Easton stayed in power only until 1674.

Nicholas Easton died in Newport on August 15, 1675. He was buried at the Friends Burial Ground in Newport. His son John later served as governor of Rhode Island.