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 time
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:
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. 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:
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 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)