William Coddington was an early magistrate of the
Massachusetts Bay ColonyThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, and later of the
Colony 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...
, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire (four-town) colony, and then Governor of the colony. Born and raised in
LincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England, he accompanied the
Winthrop FleetThe Winthrop Fleet was a group of eleven sailing ships under the leadership of John Winthrop that carried approximately 700 Puritans plus livestock and provisions from England to New England over the summer of 1630.-Motivation:...
in its voyage to
New EnglandNew 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...
in 1630, becoming an early leader in
BostonBoston 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...
. Here he built the first brick house, and became heavily involved in the local government as an assistant, treasurer, and magistrate.
Being fairly liberal in his political and religious views, he supported the dissident minister,
Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, whose religious opinions led to her banishment from the Massachusetts colony. Being politely dismissed from the colony, he was the lead signer of a
compactThe Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
to form a Christian based government away from Massachusetts. Encouraged by
Roger WilliamsRoger 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,...
to settle on the
Narragansett BayNarragansett 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...
, he and other supporters of Hutchinson bought
Aquidneck IslandAquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
of the Indians, and settled there, establishing the town of Pocasset, later named
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
. He was named the first "Judge" of the colony, a Biblical term for Governor. A division in the leadership of this town occurred within a year, and he left with several others to establish the town of
NewportNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
at the south end of the island.
In short time, the towns of Portsmouth and Newport united, and Coddington was made, by continuous election, the governor of the island towns from 1640 to 1647. During this period, Roger Williams had gone to England to obtain a patent to bring the four Narragansett towns of Providence, Warwick, Portsmouth, and Newport under one government. Done without the consent of the island towns, these two towns resisted joining the mainland towns until 1647. Though Coddington was elected President of the united colony in 1648, he would not attend the meeting, and complaints against him prompted the presidency to go to
Jeremy ClarkeJeremy Clarke was an early colonial settler and President of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
. Very unhappy with Williams' patent, Coddington returned to England where he was eventually able to obtain a commission, separating the island from the mainland towns, and making him governor of the island for an indefinite period. While initially welcomed as governor, complaints from both the mainland towns and members of the island towns prompted Roger Williams, John Clarke and
William DyerMary Baker Dyer was an English Puritan turned Quaker who was hanged in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony , for repeatedly defying a Puritan law banning Quakers from the colony...
to go to England to have Coddington's commission revoked. Being successful, Dyer returned with the news in 1653, but disagreements kept the four towns from re-uniting until the following year.
With the revocation of his commission, Coddington withdrew from public life, focusing on his mercantile interests, and becoming a member of the
Religious Society of FriendsThe Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
. After nearly two decades away from politics, he was elected Deputy Governor in 1673, then Governor the following year, serving two one-year terms. The relative calm of this period was shattered during his second year as governor of the colony, when
King Philip's WarKing 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...
erupted in June 1675, becoming the most catastrophic event in Rhode Island's colonial history. Though not re-elected in 1676, he was elected to a final term as governor of the colony in 1678 following the death of Governor
Benedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold was president and then governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for a total of 11 years in these roles. Coming from Somerset, England, he was born and raised in the town of Ilchester, likely attending school in Limington, nearby...
. He died just a few months into this term, and was buried in the
Coddington CemeteryThe Coddington Cemetery is an early colonial cemetery located in Newport, Rhode Island. It is sometimes called the Friends' Burial Ground, and has more colonial governors buried in it than any other cemetery in the state.- Description :...
on Farewell Street in Newport.
While criticized as being self-centered, and putting personal desires ahead of public concerns, Coddington was an able and competent administrator, and frequently the elected choice of the colony's freemen. Only a small number of governors and magistrates served for a comparable amount of time as the leader of the Rhode Island colony.
England and Massachusetts
Born in
LincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England, Coddington was likely the son of Robert and Margaret Coddington of
MarstonMarston is a village in Lincolnshire, England, just north of the A1 near Long Bennington.There is a church dedicated to St Mary, a Hall , a Fishery Marston is a village in Lincolnshire, England, just north of the A1 near Long Bennington.There is a church dedicated to St Mary, a Hall (Marston Hall),...
. His presumed father was a prosperous
yeomanYeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...
, and when in Rhode Island the younger Coddington possessed a seal with the initials "R.C.," likely that of his father. The source of his education is not known, but that he was well educated is apparent from his correspondence, and from his considerable command of English law. As a young man he married by about 1626, and had two sons baptized at St. Botolph's Church in
Boston, LincolnshireBoston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
, but both died in infancy and were buried at the same church. His first wife was Mary, and speculation exists that she was Mary Burt, because Coddngton once mentioned his "cousin Burt" in a letter. Also in 1626 he was one who resisted the royal loan, called the Forced Loan, and his name was recorded on a list for doing so the following winter.
Coddington was elected as a
Massachusetts BayThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
Assistant on 18 March 1629/30, while still in England, and sailed to
New EnglandNew 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...
the following month with the
Winthrop FleetThe Winthrop Fleet was a group of eleven sailing ships under the leadership of John Winthrop that carried approximately 700 Puritans plus livestock and provisions from England to New England over the summer of 1630.-Motivation:...
. His first wife died during their first winter in Massachusetts, and he returned to England aboard the
Lion in 1631, remaining there for two years. During this visit to England he married in
TerlingTerling is a village in the county of Essex, England, between the town of Witham and the villages of Great Leighs and Hatfield Peverel. The village was mentioned in the Domesday book...
,
EssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Mary Moseley who came back to New England with him in 1633, and who was admitted to the
BostonBoston 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...
church that summer.
Coddington was a leading merchant in Boston, and built the first brick house there. He was elected a Boston Assistant on multiple occasions from 1632 to 1636, was the colony's treasurer from 1634 to 1636, and a Deputy for Boston in 1637. He was also a Boston selectman in 1634, and was on several committees overseeing land transactions in 1636 and 1637.
Rhode Island
The first government established in what would become Rhode Island occurred in 1638 when on 7 March of that year a group of 23 individuals, while still in the Boston area, formed a "Bodie Politick" based on Christian principles. Coddington's name appears first on the list of signers of the resulting document, sometimes called the
Portsmouth CompactThe Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
. The signers, largely supporters of
Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
who was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for her religious opinions, elected Coddington as their "Judge," using this Biblical name for their ruler or governor. Not sure where to establish their new government,
Roger WilliamsRoger 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,...
persuaded the group to purchase land of the Indians along the
Narragansett BayNarragansett 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...
. This they did, and established their new colony on
Aquidneck IslandAquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
, naming the settlement Pocasset, which was soon renamed
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
.
Within a year of the founding of this settlement, there was dissension among the leaders, and Coddington, with three elders and other inhabitants, moved to the south end of the island, establishing the town of
NewportNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. In 1640 the two towns of Portsmouth and Newport united, and the name of the chief officer was changed to Governor, with Coddington elected to that position. The two island towns grew and prospered at a much greater rate than the mainland settlements of
ProvidenceProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and newly established Shawomet (later
WarwickWarwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
). Roger Williams, who envisioned a union of all four settlements on the Narragansett Bay,
went to England to obtain a patent bringing all four towns under one government. Williams was successful in obtaining this document late in 1643, and it was brought from England and read to representatives of the four towns in 1644.
Coddington was opposed to the Williams patent. As the chief magistrate of the island he had a well organized and thoroughly equipped government which had little in common with the unorganized, discordant elements of Providence. The Patent of 1643 would bring the island towns into civil union with another class of inhabitants with little education, property, or law and order. Because of this, the island towns ignored the 1643 patent, and on 13 April 1644 the General Assembly of the two towns renamed the island from Aquidneck to the "Isle of Rhodes" or Rhode Island. So unhappy was Coddington over uniting with the mainland towns that in August 1644 he wrote a letter to Governor
John WinthropJohn Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
in Massachusetts, letting it be known that he would rather have an alliance with
MassachusettsThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
or
PlymouthPlymouth 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...
than with Providence. Though this did not happen, Coddington managed to resist union with Providence until 1647 when representatives of the four towns ultimately met and adopted the Williams patent of 1643. This is also the year that Coddington's second wife, Mary, died in Newport.
In May 1648, when the General Court (later the General Assembly) met in Providence, Coddington was elected President of the entire colony. He did not attend the meeting, however, probably because he did not support the patent, nor would he make a pretense of supporting it. Charges were subsequently brought against him, though the nature of them was not recorded, and he was replaced as Governor by
Jeremy ClarkeJeremy Clarke was an early colonial settler and President of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
. The 1643 patent created little more than a confederation of independent governments. In September 1648 Coddington made application for admission of the two island towns into the
New England ConfederationThe United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a short-lived military alliance of the English colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven. Established in 1643, its primary purpose was to unite the Puritan colonies against the Native...
. The ensuing reply let him know that the island would have to submit to the
PlymouthPlymouth 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...
government to be considered. This was unacceptable to Coddington who wanted colonial independence for the two island towns. They had a well organized government in which civil and religious liberty had been clearly defined and fully recognized, and these liberties would be lost in a government under Plymouth.
Coddington commission
Exasperated by the existing situation, Coddington decided to go to England and present his case to the Colonial Commissioners in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He left his farm and business interests in the hands of an agent, and left on a mission to save his island colony to which he had devoted much of his fortune and energy. On arriving in England, he found the country in the midst of a
civil warThe Second English Civil War was the second of three wars known as the English Civil War which refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652 and also include the First English Civil War and the...
, and he was delayed in getting the attention of the proper authorities. He eventually met with his old friend and associate from the Boston government, Sir Harry Vane. Vane had helped Roger Williams obtain his patent, and was now being called upon to advise Coddington as to a course of action. Governor
Josiah WinslowJosiah Winslow was an American Pilgrim leader. He served as governor of Plymouth Colony from 1673 to 1680.Born in Plymouth Colony , he was son of Edward Winslow and Susanna White. In 1651 in London, with his father, he married Penelope Pelham, daughter of Herbert Pelham, the first treasurer of...
of the
Plymouth ColonyPlymouth 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...
was also in London at the same time, urging Plymouth's claims to the two island towns.
On 6 March 1650 Coddington presented his petition for an independent colonial government on Aquidneck Island, free from the claims of Plymouth and free from union with Providence. A year later, in April 1651, the Council of State of England gave Coddington the commission of a separate government for the island of Aquidneck and for the smaller neighboring island of Conanicut (later
Jamestown, Rhode IslandJamestown is a town located in Newport County, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 5,405 at the 2010 census. Jamestown is situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island, the second largest island in Narragansett Bay.-History:...
), with him as governor. Vane gave his consent to this, thus annulling the patent given to Roger Williams several years earlier. Vane recognized Coddington as a wise and effective chief magistrate, and allowed for him to serve in his new role as governor for an indefinite period, subject to the will of Parliament. To complete the government, Coddington was to have a council of six men, elected by popular vote of the freemen.
Coddington spent nearly three years in England, and while there he met and married Ane Brinley, the daughter of Thomas Brinley, and sister of Francis Brinley who settled in Newport in 1652 and built a large structure that later became the White Horse Tavern. In August 1651 Coddington returned to the island.
Henry BullHenry Bull was an early colonial Governor of Rhode Island, serving for two separate terms, one before and one after the tenure of Edmund Andros under the Dominion of New England...
of Newport said that Coddington was welcomed upon his return from England, and that the majority of people accepted him as governor.
With his new commission, Coddington once again unsuccessfully sought a place for Aquidneck Island in the
New England ConfederationThe United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a short-lived military alliance of the English colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven. Established in 1643, its primary purpose was to unite the Puritan colonies against the Native...
, consisting of the colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven. Many writers and historians, particularly those sympathetic to the Providence and Warwick settlers, including
Samuel G. ArnoldSamuel Greene Arnold, Jr. was a United States Senator from Rhode Island. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he received his early education under private tutors, and graduated from Brown University in 1841 and, in 1845, the law department of Harvard University, gaining admission to the bar that year...
, considered Coddington's commission and desire to join in the confederation to be treasonous. Historian Thomas Bicknell, on the other hand, found Coddington's actions to be totally justified, accusing Roger Williams of usurping Coddington's successful island government with the Patent of 1643. After all, Bicknell asserted, Coddington had been the chief magistrate of a flourishing island of nearly 1000 inhabitants, while the combined population of Providence and Warwick was about 200. In 1643 Roger Williams went to London without advice or instructions and returned in September 1644 with a patent for the colony, without the knowledge or consent of the island population. The island government resisted the patent for several years until 1647, when they yielded to the experiment of the patent and merged with the mainland government.
Revocation of commission
For reasons that are not clear in existing records, criticism of Coddington soon arose. The venerable Dr. John Clarke voiced his opposition to the island governor, and he and
William DyerWilliam Dyer was an early settler of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and a founding settler of both Portsmouth and Newport. He is best known for being the husband of the Quaker martyr, Mary Dyer, who was executed for her beliefs in Boston...
were sent to England as agents of the discontents to get the Coddington commission revoked. Simultaneously, the mainland towns of Providence and Warwick sent Roger Williams on a similar errand, and the three men sailed for England in November 1651. Because of recent hostilities between the English and the Dutch, the men did not meet with the Council of State on New England until April 1652. Whether true or not, Coddington was accused of taking sides with the Dutch on matters of colonial trade, and in October 1652 his commission for the island government was revoked. Dyer was the messenger who returned to Rhode island the following February, bringing the news of the return of the colony to the Williams Patent of 1643. The reunion of the colony was to take place that spring, but the mainland commissioners refused to come to the island to meet, and the separation of mainland from island was extended for another year. During this interim period,
John SanfordJohn Sanford , was an early settler of Boston, Massachusetts, an original settler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and a governor of the combined towns of Portsmouth and Newport, in the Rhode Island colony, dying in office after serving for less than a full term...
was elected as governor of the island towns, while
Gregory DexterGregory Dexter was a printer, Baptist minister, and early President of the combined towns of Providence and Warwick in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was in New England as early as 1638 when he had a five-acre lot assigned to him in Providence...
became president of the mainland towns.
The powerless Coddington withdrew from public life to tend to his business affairs. The four towns eventually united in 1654, with
Nicholas EastonNicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony towns of Ipswich,...
of Newport chosen as president. A general court of elections was then held in September 1654, and Roger Williams was elected president of the united colony, a position he held for nearly three years. In time, Coddington briefly re-entered public life, and became a Newport commissioner on the General Court of Trials. A committee was appointed to investigate Coddington's right to a seat, and sent a letter to the Council of State in England asking for a full accounting of all complaints entered against him. The reply fully vindicated Coddington, and an investigation back home in Newport cleared him of all charges brought against him. Finally able to accept the united government of the four towns, Coddington made the following oath in March 1656, "I William Coddington doe hereby submit to ye authoritie of His Highness in this Colonie as it is now united, and that with all my heart."
Later career
Sometime in the early 1660s Coddington joined Governor
Nicholas EastonNicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony towns of Ipswich,...
and many other prominent citizens in becoming members of the
Religious Society of FriendsThe Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, commonly known as Quakers. In March 1665 Coddington sent a paper to the Newport commissioners concerning Quaker matters. He, and later his widow, often hosted Quaker meetings in their home in Newport, where the Quaker founder,
George FoxGeorge Fox was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends.The son of a Leicestershire weaver, Fox lived in a time of great social upheaval and war...
, visited in 1672.
For most of the two decades following the demise of his commission to govern Aquidneck Island, Coddington remained out of public office, but returned in May 1673 when he was elected as Deputy Governor of the colony under Governor
Nicholas EastonNicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony towns of Ipswich,...
. At the general election a year later he was chosen as Governor, with Easton's son,
John EastonJohn Easton was a political leader in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, devoting decades to public service before eventually becoming Governor of the colony. Born in Hampshire, England, he sailed to New England with his widowed father and older brother, settling in Ipswich...
elected as Deputy Governor. Little of note occurred during this administration, other than the establishment of peace between England and Holland, removing a large source of tension in the colonies. Also, the township of
KingstonKingston is a village and a census-designated place in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. Much of the village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kingston Village Historic...
was established in the Narragansett country, and became incorporated as the seventh town of the colony.
In May 1675 the same officers were elected in the colony, tasked to handle the issue of weights and measures being brought into conformity with the English standards. While a calm greeted this administration, the storms of war had been brewing for years, even decades. In June 1675 the peace was shattered when an Indian massacre at
SwanseaSwansea is a town in Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts.It is located at the mouth of the Taunton River, just west of Fall River, 47 miles south of Boston; and 12 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island....
startled the colonies. This began
King Philip's WarKing 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...
, the most devastating event to visit the colony of Rhode Island prior to the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. The mainland settlements of Warwick and Pawtuxet were totally destroyed during the war, and much of Providence was ruined as well. The island towns of Newport and Portsmouth had to be protected with a fleet of armed vessels.
During the 1676 election,
Walter ClarkeWalter Clarke was an early Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and the first native-born governor of the colony. The son of colonial President Jeremy Clarke, he was a Quaker like his father. While in his late 20s, he was elected as a Deputy from Newport, and in 1673...
was elected governor, and this administration saw the end of the war. However, the experience of the venerated elders of the colony was still sought, so in 1677
Benedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold was president and then governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for a total of 11 years in these roles. Coming from Somerset, England, he was born and raised in the town of Ilchester, likely attending school in Limington, nearby...
was elected governor, and upon his death a year later, Coddington was elected to his final term as governor. He was in office only a few months, dying at the beginning of November in 1678.
Death, family and legacy
Coddington died in office on 1 November 1678 and is buried in the
Coddington CemeteryThe Coddington Cemetery is an early colonial cemetery located in Newport, Rhode Island. It is sometimes called the Friends' Burial Ground, and has more colonial governors buried in it than any other cemetery in the state.- Description :...
, Rhode Island Historic Cemetery, Newport #9, on Farewell Street in Newport, where several other colonial governors are also buried. His grave is marked not only with the original marker, but a taller monument erected some years after his death. His oldest son by his third marriage,
William Coddington, Jr.William Coddington Jr. was an early governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving two consecutive terms from 1683 to 1685...
was the governor of the colony for two terms from 1683 to 1685. His son, Nathaniel, married Susanna Hutchinson, a daughter of
Edward HutchinsonEdward Hutchinson was the oldest son of the founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony William Hutchinson and the dissident minister Anne Hutchinson...
and a granddaughter of William and
Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
. His daughter, Mary, married
Peleg SanfordPeleg Sanford 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...
, a colonial governor from 1680 to 1683, and the son of an earlier governor,
John SanfordJohn Sanford , was an early settler of Boston, Massachusetts, an original settler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and a governor of the combined towns of Portsmouth and Newport, in the Rhode Island colony, dying in office after serving for less than a full term...
. His grandson William Coddington, the son of Nathaniel, married Content Arnold, the daughter of Benedict and Mary (Turner) Arnold, and granddaughter of Governor
Benedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold was president and then governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for a total of 11 years in these roles. Coming from Somerset, England, he was born and raised in the town of Ilchester, likely attending school in Limington, nearby...
. The portrait often ascribed to Coddington actually portrays this grandson, who was very active in colonial affairs, but never a governor.
Coddington was usually at odds with Roger Williams, who described him in a letter, several years after the founding of Portsmouth (1638) as, "...a worldly man, a selfish man, nothing for public, but all for himself and private..." While highly critical of Coddington for obtaining a commission to govern Aquidneck Island separately from Providence and Warwick, Rhode Island historian and Lieutenant Governor
Samuel G. ArnoldSamuel Greene Arnold, Jr. was a United States Senator from Rhode Island. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he received his early education under private tutors, and graduated from Brown University in 1841 and, in 1845, the law department of Harvard University, gaining admission to the bar that year...
had this to say of him: "He was a man of vigorous intellect, of strong passions, earnest in whatever he undertood, and self-reliant in all his actions." Historian Thomas Bicknell wrote, "...he rose to the achievement of a great personal and political victory, when foes became friends, his policy of statecraft vindicated, and Rhode Island Colony on Aquidneck assumed the position for which he had so stoutly contended and so shamefully suffered." A harbor, street, cemetery, and apartment complex in Newport bear his name, and a restaurant in
Middletown, Rhode IslandMiddletown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,150 at the 2010 census. It lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport on Aquidneck Island, hence the name "Middletown."-Geography:...
, the Coddington Brewery, is named for him.
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