Peleg Sanford

Peleg Sanford (10 May 1639 - 1701)^[1] was an early governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving three consecutive terms from 1680 to 1683. He was the son of John Sanford by his second wife, Bridget Hutchinson. His father had been the cannoneer at the fort in Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but was forced to leave Boston in 1637 when Peleg's grandmother, the famed Anne Hutchinson, was evicted for her religious views, having, in the words of John Winthrop, "seduced and led into dangerous errors many of the people...in New England.".^[1] With Anne Hutchinson and her followers, the Sanfords established themselves in Portsmouth in the Rhode Island colony, and Peleg's father, John, was briefly the governor of the two towns of Newport and Portsmouth, which were separated from Providence and Warwick for a short time.^[1]

Sanford grew up in Newport, and as a young man was appointed as a Captain of a troop of horse there.^[1] Following the events of King Phillips War, he and Captain Goulding informed Captain Church of the hiding location of the Indian warrior King Phillip, and the following day the Indian was found and killed.^[2] In 1677 he and Richard Bailey were chosen as agents to go to England to deal with incursions made by the neighboring colony of Connecticut.^[2] In 1679 he became a major, and in 1687 he was given the rank of lieutenant colonel.^[2]

In 1667, at the age of 28, Sanford began his political life and became an assistant, serving for three years, then was deputy for seven years, after which he once again served as assistant for another two years, ending in 1679. In 1680 he was elected governor of the colony, and served three consecutive terms, ending in 1683.^[2] During the period from 1686 to 1689 when the New England colonies had their charters revoked, and their governments fell under the Dominion of New England, Sanford served as a member on the council of Sir Edmund Andros, the governor of the dominion.^[2] Sanford wrote his will in 1701, and it was proved on 1 September of that year.^[2]

Sanford had no children with his first wife, but had seven with his second wife who was a daughter of William Coddington, many times governor of the colony.^[1] His granddaughter, Margaret Sanford, married Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson, a great great grandson of William and Anne Hutchinson.^[3] Sanford was succeeded as governor by his brother-in-law, William Coddington, Jr..

See also

• List of colonial governors of Rhode Island
• Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

References

Bibliography

• Austin, John Osborne (1887). Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island. pp. 171–2. ISBN 978-0-8063-0006-1. 

External links

• Chronological list of Rhode Island leaders

Colonial Governors of Rhode Island Judges of Portsmouth (1638–1640) Coddington Hutchinson Judge of Newport (1639–1640) Coddington Governor of Newport and Portsmouth (1640–1647) Coddington Chief Officer (Providence and Warwick) (1644–1647) Williams Presidents of Rhode Island (Patent of 1644) (1647–1663) Coggeshall J. Clarke Smith N. Easton Gorton Smith Dexter N. Easton Williams Arnold Brenton Arnold Governors of Newport and Portsmouth (Coddington Commission) (1651–1654) Coddington J. Sanford Governors of Rhode Island (Royal Charter of 1663) (1663–1686) 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 (1686–1689) 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.