Richard Smith (settler)
Encyclopedia
Richard Smith was the first European settler in the Narragansett country (later Washington County, Rhode Island
) in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
. He established a trading post on the western side of the Narragansett Bay
at a place called Cocumscussoc, later to become the village of Wickford
in modern-day North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
The Narragansett lands, where Smith had his establishment, were highly contested by several colonies, and Smith wanted his properties to fall under the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Colony
. Conflicting claims to the area resulted in it being put directly under the governance of the English crown, and being called King's Province for a while, but this still didn't end the disputes. It wasn't until 1726 when, by royal decree, the Narragansett lands were put under the governance of the Rhode Island colony.
Despite Smith's desire to unite with Connecticut, Roger Williams, Smith's closest neighbor for several years, rememembered him very fondly in a deposition he made many years after Smith's death, indicating that Smith had lived a good, earnest, and peaceful life.
in England, according to Roger Williams
, where "he left a fair possession" because of his "conscience toward God." He arrived in New England
at an unknown date, where he settled for a while in Taunton
in the Plymouth Colony
, but soon established a trading post on the western side of the Narragansett Bay
, the year being about 1637 by Williams' recollection, but Francis Brinley puts the year closer to 1641. Here he built the first English house among the native Narragansett people, and though destroyed during King Philip's War
, another was built by his son, Richard, Jr., at the same location, and continues to stand as a local landmark called Smith's Castle
. Within a few years, by 1645, Roger Williams left Providence and built another trading post about a mile north of Smith's establishment, along the main road, called the Pequot Path or Post Road. This main road connected the New York colony to Boston
, and all travelers along the road passed Smith's and Williams' trading houses. Williams remained in the area until 1651, when he sold his property to Smith to generate funds for his proposed trip to England.
As Roger Williams later related, the wilderness arrangement in which Smith lived was suitable to him for being "instrumental under God in propagating the gospel among the natives, who knew not God as they ought to know him," and Smith took great pains in this regard until his dying day. Until Williams built his trading post nearby, the closest English settlers to where Smith built his home were at Pawtuxet, nearly 20 miles away.
Beginning in the 1650s, Smith, now with extensive land holdings, sought to have his lands put under the jurisdiction of either the Plymouth Colony
or the Connecticut Colony
. The lands on the west side of the Narragansett Bay
were in dispute, and would continue to be for more than half a century. Smith owned an island in the bay called Hog Island, and in 1659 sought to put it under Plymouth jurisdiction, but not without reaction from the Rhode Island General Assembly. In 1663 an agreement had been brokered by John Clarke of Rhode Island and Governor John Winthrop of Connecticut. Members of the Atherton Company
, which had extensive land holdings in the Narragansett country, were asked under whose jurisdiction they chose to be, and they promptly decided on Connecticut. This was accepted, and Richard Smith, Sr., Edward Hutchinson
, and John Hewes were made selectmen and Richard Smith, Jr. became constable. Public business was conducted at Smith's trading house, and the settlement was given the name of Wickford. Clarke and Winthrop agreed that other than this settlement, the western boundary of Rhode Island's claim to the territory would be the Pequot River, where the State of Rhode Island would eventually have its western boundary.
There were so many parties interested in the valuable Narragansett lands, that the fragile agreement made by Clarke and Winthrop did not hold, and disputes leading into violence erupted. The Crown, tired of dealing with the constant claims and counter claims, turned the Narragansett country into a separate royal province known as King's Province in March 1665. This lasted until King Philip's War
, when the territorial battle resumed once again, and it wasn't until 1726 (by royal decree) that the Narragansett lands were ultimately put into the hands of the Rhode Island colony, as spelled out in its Royal Charter of 1663
.
Smith wrote his will in 1664, and it was proven in late 1666. Following his death, Roger Williams
described Smith as "coming and going, himself, children, and servants; and he had quiet possessions of his housing, land and meadows, and there in his own house, with much serenity of soul and comfort, he yielded up his spirit to God (the Father of spirits) in peace."
]
Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington County, commonly known colloquially as South County, is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Washington County borders Kent County to the north, New London County in Connecticut to the west, Suffolk County in New York to the southwest, the Atlantic...
) in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
. He established a trading post on the western side of the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
at a place called Cocumscussoc, later to become the village of Wickford
Wickford, Rhode Island
Wickford is a small village in the town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, which is named after Wickford in Essex, England. Wickford is located on the west side of Narragansett Bay, just about a 20 minute drive across two bridges from Newport, Rhode Island...
in modern-day North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
The Narragansett lands, where Smith had his establishment, were highly contested by several colonies, and Smith wanted his properties to fall under the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
. Conflicting claims to the area resulted in it being put directly under the governance of the English crown, and being called King's Province for a while, but this still didn't end the disputes. It wasn't until 1726 when, by royal decree, the Narragansett lands were put under the governance of the Rhode Island colony.
Despite Smith's desire to unite with Connecticut, Roger Williams, Smith's closest neighbor for several years, rememembered him very fondly in a deposition he made many years after Smith's death, indicating that Smith had lived a good, earnest, and peaceful life.
Life
Richard Smith had come from GloucestershireGloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
in England, according to Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
, where "he left a fair possession" because of his "conscience toward God." He arrived in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
at an unknown date, where he settled for a while in Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
in the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
, but soon established a trading post on the western side of the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
, the year being about 1637 by Williams' recollection, but Francis Brinley puts the year closer to 1641. Here he built the first English house among the native Narragansett people, and though destroyed during King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, another was built by his son, Richard, Jr., at the same location, and continues to stand as a local landmark called Smith's Castle
Smith's Castle
Smith's Castle, built in 1678, is a house museum on Cocumscussoc near Wickford, a village in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States. Smith's Castle is one of the oldest houses in the state. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993 as Cocumscussoc Archeological Site, due to the...
. Within a few years, by 1645, Roger Williams left Providence and built another trading post about a mile north of Smith's establishment, along the main road, called the Pequot Path or Post Road. This main road connected the New York colony to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and all travelers along the road passed Smith's and Williams' trading houses. Williams remained in the area until 1651, when he sold his property to Smith to generate funds for his proposed trip to England.
Beginning in the 1650s, Smith, now with extensive land holdings, sought to have his lands put under the jurisdiction of either the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
or the Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
. The lands on the west side of the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
were in dispute, and would continue to be for more than half a century. Smith owned an island in the bay called Hog Island, and in 1659 sought to put it under Plymouth jurisdiction, but not without reaction from the Rhode Island General Assembly. In 1663 an agreement had been brokered by John Clarke of Rhode Island and Governor John Winthrop of Connecticut. Members of the Atherton Company
Humphrey Atherton
Major-General Humphrey Atherton, an early settler of Dorchester, Massachusetts, held the highest military rank in colonial New England. He first appeared in the records of Dorchester on March 18, 1637 and made freeman May 2, 1638. He became deputy governor, a representative in the General Court,...
, which had extensive land holdings in the Narragansett country, were asked under whose jurisdiction they chose to be, and they promptly decided on Connecticut. This was accepted, and Richard Smith, Sr., Edward Hutchinson
Edward Hutchinson (captain)
Edward Hutchinson was the oldest son of the founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony William Hutchinson and the dissident minister Anne Hutchinson...
, and John Hewes were made selectmen and Richard Smith, Jr. became constable. Public business was conducted at Smith's trading house, and the settlement was given the name of Wickford. Clarke and Winthrop agreed that other than this settlement, the western boundary of Rhode Island's claim to the territory would be the Pequot River, where the State of Rhode Island would eventually have its western boundary.
There were so many parties interested in the valuable Narragansett lands, that the fragile agreement made by Clarke and Winthrop did not hold, and disputes leading into violence erupted. The Crown, tired of dealing with the constant claims and counter claims, turned the Narragansett country into a separate royal province known as King's Province in March 1665. This lasted until King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, when the territorial battle resumed once again, and it wasn't until 1726 (by royal decree) that the Narragansett lands were ultimately put into the hands of the Rhode Island colony, as spelled out in its Royal Charter of 1663
Royal Charter of 1663
The Royal Charter of 1663 was a colonial charter giving English royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, providing a foundation for the government, and outlining broad freedoms for the inhabitants of that colony...
.
Smith wrote his will in 1664, and it was proven in late 1666. Following his death, Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
described Smith as "coming and going, himself, children, and servants; and he had quiet possessions of his housing, land and meadows, and there in his own house, with much serenity of soul and comfort, he yielded up his spirit to God (the Father of spirits) in peace."
See also
- List of early settlers of Rhode Island
- Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsColony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsThe Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
External links
- Rhode Island History from the State of Rhode Island General Assembly website. See Chapter 2, Colonial Era.
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