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

See also

• List of Governors of Rhode Island
• List of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island

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.