Joseph Arnold (Rhode Island)

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Joseph Arnold
Born 16 September 1710
possibly Newport, Rhode Island
Died 29 August 1776
probably Exeter, Rhode Island
Occupation Deacon
Spouse(s) (1) Patience Gifford
(2) Hannah Gifford
Children Abigail, Josiah, Joseph, Stephen, Samuel, Josiah, Patience, Mary, Peleg, Oliver, John, Caleb, Anna, Edmund, Dorcas, Hannah
Parent(s) Samuel Arnold and Mary Sheffield
Relatives Grandfather: Attorney General Joseph Sheffield; great grandfather: Governor Benedict Arnold; great great grandson: Senator Stephen A. Douglas

Joseph Arnold (1710–1776) was a pre-revolutionary resident of North Kingstown and Exeter in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He is most noted for having a very large progeny, having had 16 children of whom 15 grew to maturity, married, and had children of their own, giving him at least 89 grandchildren. He was the great great grandfather of presidential hopeful Stephen Arnold Douglas who debated Abraham Lincoln in 1858, and lost to him in the 1860 presidential election. He was an ancestral link between Douglas and many prominent early Rhode Islanders such as Governor Benedict Arnold and two founders of the Rhode Island colony, Samuel Wilbore and John Porter.

Exeter, Rhode Island Town in Rhode Island, United States

Exeter is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Exeter extends east from the Connecticut border to the town of North Kingstown. It is bordered to the north by West Greenwich and East Greenwich, and to the south by Hopkinton, Richmond, and South Kingstown. Exeter's postal code is 02822, although small parts of the town have the mailing address West Kingston (02892) or Saunderstown (02874). The population was 6,425 at the 2010 census.

Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations English, from 1707, British, possession in North America between 1636 and 1776

The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was an English colony from 1636 until the American Revolution in 1776, when it became the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

Abraham Lincoln 16th president of the United States

Abraham Lincoln was an American statesman, politician, and lawyer who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. He preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the U.S. economy.

Contents

Life

Born 16 September 1710, possibly in Newport in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Joseph Arnold was the son of Samuel Arnold and Mary Sheffield who were married in Newport in 1708. [1] The birth year of 1712 often ascribed to Arnold was likely from a confusion of dates created by some early writers. [2] His father was a physician, as was his paternal grandfather, Caleb Arnold; his great grandfather, Benedict Arnold, became the first governor of the Rhode Island colony under the Royal Charter of 1663. [3] His maternal grandfather was Rhode Island Attorney General Joseph Sheffield, for whom Arnold was undoubtedly named. [3] Arnold's mother likely died at an early age, since she had only three children, and never cosigned any land records with her husband.

Newport, Rhode Island City in Rhode Island, United States

Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, located approximately 33 miles (53 km) southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, 20 miles (32 km) south of Fall River, Massachusetts, 73 miles (117 km) south of Boston, and 180 miles (290 km) northeast of New York City. It is known as a New England summer resort and is famous for its historic mansions and its rich sailing history. It was the location of the first U.S. Open tournaments in both tennis and golf, as well as every challenge to the America's Cup between 1930 and 1983. It is also the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport, which houses the United States Naval War College, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and an important Navy training center. It was a major 18th-century port city and also contains a high number of buildings from the Colonial era.

Benedict Arnold (governor) Rhode Island colonial governor

Benedict 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. He was born and raised in the town of Ilchester, Somerset, England, likely attending school in Limington nearby. In 1635 at the age of 19, he accompanied his parents, siblings, and other family members on a voyage from England to New England, where they first settled in Hingham in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In less than a year, they moved to Providence Plantation at the head of the Narragansett Bay at the request of Roger Williams. In about 1638, they moved once again, about five miles south to the Pawtuxet River, settling on the north side at a place commonly called Pawtuxet. Here they had serious disputes with their neighbors, particularly Samuel Gorton, and as a result put themselves and their lands under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, a situation which lasted for 16 years.

Joseph Sheffield was an inhabitant of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations during the last half of the 17th century. He held a number of important offices within the colony, including Deputy, Assistant and Attorney General. He is most noted for being selected as Rhode Island's agent to England on two occasions, but never appears to have served in that role due to the indecision of the General Assembly. He played a prominent role in the affairs of the colony during an extremely turbulent time, when Rhode Island was threatened with losing its charter due to "irregularities" perceived by the English Board of Trade. Sheffield died at the age of 44, leaving a widow and several minor children.

Arnold was a farmer and landowner who lived in Exeter, and this is where the births of many of his children were recorded. [4] He left behind few records other than land transactions, but was called a Deacon in a family record, and was given the title of Esquire in his obituary. [1] [5] He is most noted for his very large progeny of 16 children, and at least 89 grand children. [6] His first wife was Patience Gifford, the daughter of Yelverton Gifford and Ann Northup, who bore two children, and then died, possibly in childbirth with her second child who did not survive. [4] Arnold then married Hannah Gifford, the sister of Patience, and with her had 14 children, and all 15 of his surviving children married and had offspring. [6] His second child with his second wife, Stephen Arnold, moved from Rhode Island to Stephentown, New York, and became the great grandfather of Stephen Arnold Douglas, who became famous as the leader of the Northern Democrats before the Civil War, sparring with Abraham Lincoln in a series of famed debates prior to a U.S. Senate contest in 1858, and later losing to Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election. [7]

Deacon ministry in the Christian Church

A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Some Christian churches, such as the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican church, view the diaconate as part of the clerical state; in others, the deacon remains a layperson.

Esquire is usually a courtesy title.

Stephentown, New York Town in New York, United States

Stephentown is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 2,903 at the 2010 census. The town, which was originally Jericho Hallow in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was renamed for Stephen Van Rensselaer. The town is in the southeast corner of the county, and has a sign proclaiming it to be the only Stephentown on Earth.

Arnold died on 29 August 1776 "of camp fever while visiting his sons in camp with his sister Mary." [1] His death was recorded in the diary of Jeffrey Watson, one of his contemporaries. [5] Two of his sons, Caleb and Edmund, served in the military during the American Revolutionary War. [1]

American Revolutionary War War between Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies, which won independence as the United States of America

The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was an 18th-century war between Great Britain and its Thirteen Colonies which declared independence as the United States of America.

Ancestry of Joseph Arnold

The three early generations of Joseph Arnold's ancestry are documented in John O. Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island. [8] The connection between the Arnolds and the Sheffields was published by Katharine Waterman in 1953. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

William Arnold was one of the founding settlers of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and he and his sons were among the wealthiest people in the colony. He was raised and educated in England where he was the warden of St. Mary's, the parish church of Ilchester in southeastern Somerset. He emigrated to New England with family and associates in 1635. He initially settled in Hingham in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but he soon relocated to the new settlement of Providence Plantation with Roger Williams. He was one of the 13 original proprietors of Providence, appearing on the deed signed by Roger Williams in 1638, and was one of the 12 founding members of the first Baptist church to be established in America.

Pardon Tillinghast (1625–1718) was an early settler of Providence, Rhode Island, a public official there, and a pastor of the Baptist Church of Providence. A cooper by profession, he immigrated to New England about 1645, and became a successful merchant. Later in life he became a clergyman, serving without compensation for nearly four decades. He died in 1718 aged about 96, and was buried in a family cemetery on Benefit Street in Providence that remains extant. Among his thousands of descendants are many of great prominence, including Continental Congress delegate Samuel Ward; Julia Ward Howe who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic; and Stephen Arnold Douglas who was involved in a series of famed debates with Abraham Lincoln in 1858, prior to a Senate race, and later lost to him in the 1860 presidential election.

Col. Joseph Whipple Sr. was a wealthy merchant in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and active in the civil affairs of the colony during the first half of the 18th century. The son of John Whipple and Sarah Whipple, who were early settlers of Dorchester in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and later of Providence, Whipple was born in Providence, the 10th of 11 children. He began his public service to the colony in 1698, selected as a Deputy from Providence, and served in that capacity for a majority of the years until 1728. He also served on the Providence Town Council for 15 years between 1703 and 1729, and was an Assistant in 1714. From 1719 to 1720 he was Colonel of the regiment of militia for the mainland. In 1696 he and others were granted a lot on which to build a schoolhouse, and in 1710 he was licensed to keep a public house, paying 20 shillings for the privilege. Whipple died in 1746, leaving a sizable estate to his children and grandchildren. He was buried in the North Burial Ground in Providence.

Stukely Westcott was one of the founding settlers of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and one of the original members of the first Baptist Church in America, established by Roger Williams in 1638. He came to New England from the town of Yeovil in Somerset, England and first settled in Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but difficulties with the authorities prompted him to join Roger Williams in settling near the Narragansett Bay in 1638 at Providence Plantations. He remained there for a few years, but he was recorded as an inhabitant of Warwick in 1648, probably having settled there several years earlier. He was most active in colonial affairs from 1650 to 1660 when he was a commissioner, surveyor of highways, and the keeper of a house of entertainment. His highest offices were as an Assistant in 1653 and much later as a deputy to the General Court in 1671 when he was almost 80 years old. He made his will on January 12, 1677 but died the same day with it unsigned, leaving his affairs in limbo for the following two decades.

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Samuel Wilbore was one of the founding settlers of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He emigrated from Essex, England to Boston with his wife and three sons in 1633. He and his wife both joined the Boston church, but a theological controversy began to cause dissension in the church and community in 1636, and Wilbore aligned himself with John Wheelwright and Anne Hutchinson, signing a petition in support of dissident minister Wheelwright. In so doing, he and many others were disarmed and dismissed from the Boston church. In March 1638, he was one of 23 individuals who signed a compact to establish a new government, and this group purchased Rhode Island from the Narragansett Indians at the urging of Roger Williams, establishing the settlement of Portsmouth.

John Porter was an early colonist in New England and a signer of the Portsmouth Compact, establishing the first government in what became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He joined the Roxbury church with his wife Margaret in 1633, but few other records are found of him while in the Massachusetts Bay Colony until he became involved with John Wheelwright and Anne Hutchinson during what is known as the Antinomian Controversy. He and many others were disarmed for signing a petition in support of Wheelwright and were compelled to leave the colony. Porter joined a group of more than 20 men in signing the Portsmouth Compact for a new government, and they settled on Rhode Island where they established the town of Portsmouth. Here Porter became very active in civic affairs, serving on numerous committees over a period of two decades and being elected for several terms as Assistant, Selectman, and Commissioner. He was named in Rhode Island's Royal Charter of 1663 as one of the ten Assistants to the Governor.

Thomas Angell (c.1616–1694) was one of the four men who wintered with Roger Williams at Seekonk, Plymouth Colony in early 1636, and then joined him in founding the settlement of Providence Plantation in what became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was a minor at the time of his arrival, but his name appears on several of the early documents related to the settlement of Providence. In the early 1650s, he became active in the affairs of the town, serving as commissioner, juryman, and constable. In 1658, he began his service as the Providence Town Clerk and held this position for 17 years. He wrote his will in 1685, dying almost a decade later in 1694, leaving a widow and many grown children. Angell Street on Providence's East Side is named for him.

George Gardiner, sometimes spelled Gardner, was an early inhabitant of Newport in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and one of the original settlers of Aquidneck Island. He held some minor offices within the colony in the early 1640s, shortly after which he began a common-law marriage with Herodias (Long) Hicks, who came to live with him after separating from her first husband. This relationship lasted for nearly 20 years, after which Herodias petitioned the court to have Gardiner leave her alone, and she left Newport to go west of the Narragansett Bay and live with John Porter, a land-rich settler who was one of the original purchasers of the Pettaquamscutt lands.

Thomas Hopkins (1616–1684) was an early settler of Providence Plantations and the great grandfather of Stephen Hopkins who was many times colonial governor of Rhode Island and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Samuel Wilbur Jr. was an early settler of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and one of seven original purchasers of the Pettaquamscutt lands which would later become South Kingstown, Rhode Island. His father, Samuel Wilbore, had been an early settler in Boston who was dismissed from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for supporting the dissident ministers Anne Hutchinson and John Wheelwright, becoming one of the signers of the compact that established the town of Portsmouth. The subject Samuel was willed his father's Rhode Island lands, and appears to have lived in Portsmouth most of his life. He married Hannah Porter, the daughter of another signer of the Portsmouth Compact, John Porter. Beginning in 1656 Wilbur held a number of important positions within the colony, including Commissioner, Deputy to the General Assembly, Assistant to the Governor, and Captain in a Troop of Horse. He wrote his will in August 1678, though it was not probated until more than three decades later. Wilbur was held in high esteem within the colony and was one of a small group of men named in the Royal Charter of 1663, signed by King Charles II of England, and becoming the guiding document of Rhode Island's government for nearly two centuries.

Stephen A. Douglas ancestry

Stephen Arnold Douglas, the presidential aspirant who ran against Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election, was born in Vermont and has an immediate ancestry that is almost entirely from New England. His Douglas ancestors, upon emigrating from England in the early 1600s, settled in Connecticut where they lived for several generations until his grandfather, Benajah Douglas, moved to Stephentown, New York. From there the family moved to Brandon, Vermont, where Stephen A. Douglas was born.

Stephen Northup was an early settler of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and built what may be the oldest house still standing in Rhode Island. Northup was a fairly early settler of Providence in the Rhode Island colony, but accounts claiming that he settled the area with Roger Williams are inaccurate, since Northup was an infant or child when Williams first came to Providence in the spring of 1636. Northup lived in Providence from 1655 to 1666, after which he moved to the Narragansett country, which land was claimed by both the Rhode Island and Connecticut colonies. He may have owned or operated a grist mill, and is credited with building a house that still stands and is used as a private residence. Northup was married, had six known children, and lived until at least 1687, when he was taxed. He was the great grandfather of Capt. Henry Northup who left Rhode Island to settle in Hoosick, New York, and took his slave Mintus who was manumitted in 1797. Mintus assumed the surname Northup, and had a free-born son, Solomon Northup, the subject of the Academy Award winning film 12 Years a Slave.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Waterman 1953, p. 81.
  2. ↑ Waterman 1953, p. 78.
  3. 1 2 Waterman 1953, pp. 80-1.
  4. 1 2 Arnold 1935, p. 106.
  5. 1 2 Schunke 1980, p. 8.
  6. 1 2 Arnold 1935, pp. 106,133-6.
  7. ↑ Arnold 1935, pp. 221-3.
  8. ↑ Austin 1887, pp. 242–245.
  9. ↑ Waterman 1953, pp. 1–8.

Bibliography

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