List of colonial governors of Rhode Island facts for kids

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

Governor of Providence

• Roger Williams June 1636 - September 1644

Judges of Portsmouth

• William Coddington 7 March 1638 - 28 April 1639
• William Hutchinson 28 April 1639 - 14 March 1640

Judge of Newport

Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island colony

• William Coddington 28 April 1639 - 14 March 1640

Governor of Rhode Island (Portsmouth and Newport)

• William Coddington 14 March 1640 - 21 May 1647

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

• Roger Williams September 1644 - 21 May 1647

Presidents under the Patent of 1643

Joseph Jenckes

Richard Ward

William Greene

• 1st John Coggeshall of Newport; 21 May 1647 - 27 November 1647 (died in office)
• 2nd Jeremy Clarke of Newport; 16 May 1648 - 22 May 1649
• 3rd John Smith of Providence; 22 May 1649 - 23 May 1650
• 4th Nicholas Easton of Newport; 23 May 1650 - August 1651 (resigned)
• 5th Samuel Gorton of Warwick; October 1651 - 18 May 1652 (Providence and Warwick only)
• 6th John Smith of Providence; 18 May 1652 - 17 May 1653 (Providence and Warwick only)
• 7th Gregory Dexter of Providence; 17 May 1653 - 16 May 1654 (Providence and Warwick only)
• 8th Nicholas Easton of Newport; 16 May 1654 - 12 September 1654
• 9th Roger Williams of Providence; 12 September 1654 - 19 May 1657
• 10th Benedict Arnold of Newport; 19 May 1657 - 22 May 1660
• 11th William Brenton of Newport; 22 May 1660 - 22 May 1662
• 12th Benedict Arnold of Newport; 22 May 1662 - November 1663

Governors of Newport and Portsmouth under the Coddington Commission

• William Coddington of Newport; 20 May 1651 - 17 May 1653
• John Sanford of Portsmouth; 17 May 1653 - 1653 (died in office between June and November 1653)

Governors under the Royal Charter of 1663

• Benedict Arnold November 1663 - 2 May 1666
• William Brenton 2 May 1666 - 5 May 1669
• Benedict Arnold 5 May 1669 - 1 May 1672
• Nicholas Easton 1 May 1672 - 6 May 1674
• William Coddington 6 May 1674 - 3 May 1676
• Walter Clarke 3 May 1676 - 2 May 1677
• Benedict Arnold 2 May 1677 - 19 June 1678 (died in office)
• William Coddington 28 August 1678 - 1 November 1678 (died in office)
• John Cranston 8 November 1678 - 12 March 1680 (died in office)
• Peleg Sanford 16 March 1680 - 2 May 1683
• William Coddington Jr. 2 May 1683 - 6 May 1685
• Henry Bull 6 May 1685 - 5 May 1686
• Walter Clarke 5 May 1686 - 20 December 1686 (superseded by Governor Andros)

Governor of the Dominion of New England

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. Andros was deposed on April 18, 1689.

Colonial Governors under the Royal Charter of 1663

Joseph Wanton

Nicholas Cooke

Vacant 20 December 1686 - 27 February 1690

• Henry Bull of Newport; 27 February 1690 - 7 May 1690
• John Easton of Newport; 7 May 1690 - 1 May 1695
• Caleb Carr of Jamestown; 1 May 1695 - 17 December 1695 (died in office)
• Walter Clarke of Newport; 6 May 1696 - circa March 1698 (resigned)
• Samuel Cranston of Newport; circa March 1698 - May 1727 (29 years 2 months.)
• Joseph Jenckes of Providence; May 1727 - May 1732
• William Wanton of Newport; May 1732 - between 3 December 1733 and 4 February 1734 (died in office)
• John Wanton of Newport; 5 May 1734 - 5 July 1740 (died in office)
• Richard Ward of Newport; 15 July 1740 - 4 May 1743
• William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1743 - 1 May 1745
• Gideon Wanton of Newport; 1 May 1745 - 7 May 1746
• William Greene of Warwick; 7 May 1746 - 6 May 1747
• Gideon Wanton of Newport; 6 May 1747 - 4 May 1748
• William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1748 - 7 May 1755
• Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 7 May 1755 - 4 May 1757
• William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1757 - 23 January 1758 (died in office)
• Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 13 March 1758 - 5 May 1762
• Samuel Ward of Newport; 5 May 1762 - 4 May 1763
• Stephen Hopkins of Providence; May 1763 - 3 May 1765
• Samuel Ward of Newport; 3 May 1765 - 1 May 1767
• Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 1 May 1767 - 4 May 1768
• Josias Lyndon of Newport; 4 May 1768 - 3 May 1769
• Joseph Wanton of Newport; 3 May 1769 - 7 November 1775 (removed from office)
• Nicholas Cooke of Providence; 7 November 1775 - 6 May 1778

Note - the Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663 remained in effect until the Constitution of Rhode Island was ratified in 1842. For a list of governors of Rhode Island from 1775 to the present see List of governors of Rhode Island.

See also

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