This is a collection of lists of early settlers (before 1700) in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Most of the lists are of the earliest inhabitants of a particular town or area.

Native American tribes and leaders

The following people lived in Rhode Island prior to Colonial settlement:

Wampanoag people lived throughout Plymouth Colony and around Mount Hope Bay in Bristol, Rhode Island

Massasoit, tribal leader, met the Pilgrims at Plymouth Wamsutta, son of Massasoit, renamed Alexander; became tribal leader upon father's death but died shortly after Metacomet, son of Massasoit, renamed Philip; succeeded his brother as tribal leader; instigated King Philip's War

Narragansett people lived throughout the Rhode Island colony

Canonicus, chief sachem, deeded land to Roger Williams on which he established Providence Plantations Miantonomo, nephew of Canonicus, sold Samuel Gorton and others the land to establish Warwick, Rhode Island Canonchet, son of Miantonomo, led Narragansets during the Great Swamp Fight and accepted his own death at the end of King Philip's War Pumham, lesser sachem of Kent County, Rhode Island Soconoco, lesser sachem of the same area as Pumham

Niantic people lived around the Pawcatuck River in the southwestern corner of Rhode Island

Ninigret, kept the Niantics neutral during King Philip's War Harman Garrett, Indian governor and nephew of Ninigret Nipmuc people wandered within Rhode Island Colony, mostly from the north

First European settler

William Blackstone, settled along the Blackstone River in Cumberland, Rhode Island (1634–35), part of the Plymouth Colony at the timeArnold, 98-9

First settlers of Providence

Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in October 1635 but was allowed to remain at his home in Salem, Massachusetts until the end of winter, provided that he did not preach. However, his followers visited him at his home in sizable numbers, and the authorities deemed this to be preaching. They planned to apprehend him by force and put him on a ship for England in January 1636, but magistrate John Winthrop warned him privately, and he slipped away from Salem in the dead of winter to find shelter with the Wampanoags. He bought a parcel of land in Seekonk from Wampanoag sachem Massasoit which was at the western edge of the Plymouth Colony (now Rehoboth, Massachusetts). In a 1677 statement, Williams mentioned the four who were with him at Seekonk. The five members of the group were:Arnold, 97Bicknell, 1:158

Roger Williams William Harris John Smith (miller) Francis Wickes (a minor) Thomas Angell (a minor)

In the spring of 1636, Williams and his company planted crops at Seekonk but were informed in a gentle letter from Governor Edward Winslow of Plymouth that they were within Plymouth's jurisdiction, and this fact would cause difficulties with the Massachusetts authorities. Without urgency, Winslow suggested that Williams and his group move across the Seekonk River into the territory of the Narragansetts, where no colony had any claim. Joshua Verin wrote a statement in 1650 mentioning "we six which came first to Providence", suggesting that he was the next to join the original five.Chapin, 11 Also, Benedict Arnold later wrote, "We came to Providence to Dwell the 20th of April, 1636". The traditional date of the settlement of Providence has been given as about June 20, 1636, but this does not take into account the Arnold record. More recent analysis of the settling of Providence suggests that Williams likely negotiated with the Narragansetts for land in March 1636, and that he and his party actually settled the land in April 1636 along with the Arnold family. It is likely that the following people were the original settlers in the Narragansett territory at Providence Plantations:Chapin, 17

Roger Williams (his wife Mary and daughters Mary and Freeborn likely came later) William Harris (his wife Susannah and son Andrew likely came later) John Smith (his wife Alice and children John Jr. and Elizabeth likely came later) Francis Wickes (a minor) Thomas Angell (a minor) Joshua Verin (his wife Jane Verin may have come later); The Arnold party, including: William Arnold with wife Christian, daughter Joanne, and sons Stephen and Benedict William Carpenter with wife Elizabeth (the daughter of William Arnold) William Mann with wife Frances Hopkins (the niece of William Arnold) Thomas Hopkins, still a minor, nephew of William Arnold (and ancestor of Governor Stephen Hopkins)

Providence civil compact, 1637

The 1637 Providence Civil Compact (sometimes referred to as the "Scott Petition") was a foundational agreement signed by thirteen settlers of the Towne of Providence in which they pledged obedience to the decisions of local government—but only in "civil things." The text of the resolution is as follows: We, whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active or passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of our body, in an orderly way, by the major assent of the present inhabitants, master of families, incorporated together into a town fellowship, and others whom they shall admit unto them only in civil things.

Richard Scott William Reynolds X his mark John Field X his mark Chad Browne John Warner George Richard Edward Cope Thomas Angell X his mark (now an adult) Thomas Harris Francis Wickes X his mark (now an adult) Benedict Arnold (now an adult) Joshua Winsor William Wickenden

Original proprietors of Providence

Those named in a deed from Roger Williams, dated about October 8, 1638:Arnold, 100

Roger Williams Stukely Westcott (left Salem about March 1638) William Arnold Thomas James (was minister at Charlestown; Providence by June 1637; left for New Haven in 1639) Robert Coles (was earlier at Roxbury, Ipswich, and Salem)Austin, 50 John Greene (had departed Boston by March 1636) John Throckmorton (was at Salem earlier)Austin, 200 John Sweet and wife Mary (received grant of land in 1637, was at Sweet's Cove, Salem; their lot became Court Street; their son John Sweet was a settler of Warwick Colony) William Harris William Carpenter Thomas Olney (left Salem about March 1638) Francis Weston (left Salem about March 1638)Anderson (1995), p. 1967 Richard Waterman (left Salem about March 1638)Anderson (1995), p. 1943 Ezekiel Holyman (left Salem about March 1638)Austin, 102

Pawtuxet settlers

Those settlers who left Providence to settle on the north side of the Pawtuxet River about 1638, putting themselves under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1642 to 1658:Arnold, 102Bicknell, 1:143Moriarty, 20:227

William Arnold Benedict Arnold, moved to Newport in 1651 William Carpenter Thomas Hopkins, did not stay long William Mann, did not stay long Robert Coles William Harris, did not stay long Zachariah Rhodes (married Joanna, daughter of William Arnold), did not stay long William Field, did not stay long Stukely Westcott, moved to Warwick about 1643

Signers of Providence agreement for a government, 1640

Those 39 Providence settlers who signed the Providence Combination of 1640, an agreement created on July 27, 1640:

Chad Brown Robert Coles William Harris John Throckmorton Stukely Westcott Benedict Arnold William Carpenter Richard Scott Thomas Harris Francis Wickes X his mark Thomas Angell X his mark Adam Goodwin X his mark William Burrows X his mark Roger Williams Robert West Joshua Winsor Robert Williams Mathew Waller Gregory Dexter John Lippitt X his mark John Warner John Field William Arnold William Field Edward Cope Edward Manton X his mark William Man Nicholas Power William Reynolds X his mark Thomas Olney Richard Waterman William Wickenden Edward Hart Hugh Bewit Thomas Hopkins X his mark Joan Tiler (widow) Jane Sears X her mark (widow) Christopher Unthank William Hawkins X his mark

Settlers of Cocumscussoc (Wickford) area

Those early settlers who had trading posts in the area of Wickford in what was then the "Narragansett country" and later a part of North Kingstown, Rhode Island:Arnold, 195

Richard Smith, built a trading post established about 1637 where his house Smith's Castle still stands, rebuilt by Richard, Jr. after King Philip's War Roger Williams, built his trading post about a mile north from Smith's post along the Pequot Path (or Post Road) and occupied it from about 1644 to 1651 and then sold it to Smith to get funds for his proposed errand to England Mr. Wilcox (possibly Edward or John), built his trading post in the early 1640s in the same general area

Founders of Portsmouth

Supporters of Anne Hutchinson who signed the Portsmouth Compact, dated March 7, 1638:

William Coddington John Clarke William Hutchinson, husband of Anne Hutchinson John Coggeshall William Aspinwall Samuel Wilbore John Porter John Sanford Edward Hutchinson, Jr., oldest son of William and Anne Hutchinson Thomas Savage William Dyer, husband of Mary Dyer William Freeborn Philip Shearman John Walker Richard Carder William Baulston Edward Hutchinson, Sr., brother of William Hutchinson Henry Bull (signed with a mark) Randall Holden Thomas Clarke John Johnson William Hall John Brightman

The last four names on the list were crossed out, but these men nevertheless came to Portsmouth or Newport.

Inhabitants of Aquidneck Island (1638)

The following individuals were among the earliest settlers of Aquidneck Island in the Narragansett Bay; the island was officially named Rhode Island by 1644,Office of the Secretary of State: A. Ralph Mollis: State Library Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State, archived November 17, 2010 from the original from which the entire colony eventually took its name. The first group of 58 names appears to be settlers of Pocasset (later Portsmouth), while the second group of 42 appears to be settlers of Newport. These two lists come from Bartlett's Records of the Colony of Rhode Island, and apparently they were compiled and incorporated into the town records of Newport on November 25, 1639. The actual arrival dates of the individuals likely span over several months during 1638; a few individuals have legible dates next to their names, while several others have illegible dates.

A Catalogue of such who, by the Generall consent of the Company were admitted to be Inhabytants of the Island now called Aqueedneck, having submitted themselves to the Government that is or shall be established, according to the word of God therein

Samuel Hutchinson Thomas Emons Richard Awards Edward Willcoks George Gardiner William Witherington Mr. Samuel Gorton John Wickes Ralph Earle Nicholas Browne Richard Burden [Borden] Richard Maxon Mr. Nicholas Esson Thomas Spicer Robert Potter William Nedham Sampson Shatton Adam Mott John Mott Mr. Robert Jefferyes Thomas Hitt James Tarr John Roome Robert Gilham Jeremy Clarke Nicholas Davis Wm. Baker John More Anthony Pain George Potter Wm. Richardson Wm. Quick Thomas Clarke John Johnson William Hall John Briggs James Davis George Parker Erasmus Bullock George Cleer Thomas Hazard William Cowlie Jeffery Champlin Richard Sarle John Sloff Thomas Beeder John Tripp Osamund Doutch John Marshall Robert Stanton Joseph Clarke Robert Carr George Layton John Arnold William Havens Thomas Layton Edward Poole Mathew Sutherland

"Inhabitants admitted at the Town of Nieu-port since the 20th of the 3:1638" (since 20 May 1638)

Marmaduke Ward Robert Field Thomas Stafford Job Tyler Thomas Sauorie Hugh Durdall William Baker John Layton Mr. Will Foster John Hall Tobye Knight John Peckum Michel Williamson Mr. Robert Lintell Richard Smith James Rogers John Smith Wm. Parker John Grinman Edward Rero John Macummore Robert Root Ezekiah Meritt James Burt John Bartlett Edward _________ Sampson Salter Nicholas Cottrell John Vaughan John Smith John Merchant (2 July) Jeremy Gould Enoch Hunt Nathaniel Adams Samuel Allen George Allen Ralph Allen Mr. Thomas Burton