Gov Benedict ARNOLD^[1]

1615 - 1678  (62 years)

• Name	Benedict ARNOLD  [2]
  Prefix	Gov
  Born	21 Dec 1615	Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England   [2]
  Christened	22 Dec 1615	Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England   [2]
  Gender	Male
  FamilySearch ID	LBW4-N7J
  Immigration	24 Jun 1635	Hingham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America   [3]
  	Left Dartmouth, England 1 May 1635
  Occupation	[3]
  	Governor of Rhode Island 1663-1666, 1669-1672, and 1677-1678
  Buried	1678	Arnold Burying Ground, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America   [2]
  Died	20 Jun 1678	Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America   [2]
  Person ID	I594766958	Carney Wehofer Feb 2024 Genealogy
  Last Modified	2 Jan 2023

  
  

  Father	William ARNOLD,   b. 24 Jun 1587, Ilchester, Somerset, England ,   d. 3 Nov 1676, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, British Colonial America  (Age 89 years)
  Mother	Christian PEAKE,   b. 15 Feb 1583, Muchelney, Somerset, England ,   d. 15 Apr 1659, West Pawtucket, Rhode Island, British Colonial America  (Age 76 years)
  Married	1614	Muchelney, Somerset, England   [2]
  Family ID	F536728805	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Damaris WESTCOTT,   b. 27 Jan 1621, Yeovil, Somerset, England ,   d. 19 Jun 1678, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America  (Age 57 years)
  Married	17 Dec 1640	Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America   [3]
  Children	1. Benedict ARNOLD, II,   b. 10 Feb 1642, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America ,   d. 4 Jul 1727, West Pawtucket, Rhode Island, British Colonial America  (Age 85 years)   2. Freelove ARNOLD,   b. 1643, Ilchester, Somerset, , England ,   d. 8 Sep 1711, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island  (Age 68 years)   3. Caleb ARNOLD,   b. 19 Dec 1644, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America ,   d. 9 Feb 1719, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, British Colonial America  (Age 74 years)   4. Josiah ARNOLD,   b. 22 Dec 1645, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America ,   d. 26 Dec 1724, Jamestown, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, British Colonial America  (Age 79 years)   5. Damaris ARNOLD,   b. 23 Feb 1648, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America ,   d. 1720, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, British Colonial America  (Age 71 years)
  Last Modified	2 Jan 2023
  Family ID	F536728807	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  British Colonial Governor. After coming with his father to New England, in 1637, in Rhode Island, he signed a "compact as one of thirteen to any agreements made by the masters of families." He mastered the native languages and became a negotiator with the Indians in 1645. In 1653 he moved to Newport and was elected Assistant. In 1657 he was one of the purchasers of the island of Conanicut. On May 19,1657, after Roger Williams retired from the office of President of the Colony, he was elected to that office. In 1660 he was elected Assistant again. On May 22, 1663, he was elected as the first Governor of Rhode Island. He was re-elected in 1664, 1669, 1677 and 1678, and helped bring about the union of the Rhode Island and Providence Plantations into one colony. " After accompanying his parents to Hingham, MA and then to Providence, RI, where he remained until November 1651 or 1653, Benedict removed to Newport, RI. He is said to have been one of the wealthiest men in the colony, as well as one of its most eminent citizens. He owned large tracts of land in and around Newport, also owned the southern part of the large island in Narragansett Bay(Quonaniquot) Canonicut, now forming the town of Jamestown and 1/7 part of Pettiquanscut purchase, now South Kingstown, RI. In 1645, having acquired a knowledge of the Indian language, he was employed by the colony as its interpreter in its negotiations with the Indian tribes. In 1670, he was chosen by the General Assembly as the agent of the colony to go to England, to protest its rights under the Charter against the claims of Connecticut. In 1654 and 1660, he was chosen one of the Governor's Assistants. After serving as Governor from 1663 to 1678, he died in that office. Nearly 1,000 persons were present at his funeral. The original seal of Gov. Arnold, with a mahogany handle, gearing the letters B.A. and an anchor, is now in the archives of the R.I. Historical Society. The official chair he occupied when, in 1663, he received the Royal Charter from England, is in possession of the Redwood Library at Newport." (History and Genealogy of Stukely Westcott,Vol. 1, pg.127, 1932) Personal records of Virginia May Brown Allen and submitted by Eloise A. Scott

  
  

• Sources

  [SAuth] Jim Carney, compiled by James H Carney [(E-ADDRESS), & MAILING ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Buderim, Queensland 4556 AUSTRALIA. [S1160] FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 2 Jan 2023), entry for William Arnold, person ID MYYN-4MJ. (Reliability: 3). [S1160] FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 2 Jan 2023), entry for Benedict Arnold, person ID LBW4-N7J. (Reliability: 3).