# List of colonial governors of Rhode Island

This is a list of the judges, presidents, and governors of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from 1638 to 1776.

## Governor of Providence

* Roger Williams June 1636 - September 1644

## Judges of Portsmouth

* William Coddington 7 March 1638 - 28 April 1639
* William Hutchinson 28 April 1639 - 14 March 1640

## Judge of Newport

* William Coddington 28 April 1639 - 14 March 1640

## Governor of Rhode Island (Portsmouth and Newport)

* William Coddington 14 March 1640 - 21 May 1647

## Chief Officer under the Patent of 1643 (Providence and Warwick)

* Roger Williams September 1644 - 21 May 1647

## Presidents under the Patent of 1643

* 1st John Coggeshall of Newport; 21 May 1647 - 27 November 1647 (died in office)
* 2nd Jeremy Clarke of Newport; 16 May 1648 - 22 May 1649
* 3rd John Smith of Providence; 22 May 1649 - 23 May 1650
* 4th Nicholas Easton of Newport; 23 May 1650 - August 1651 (resigned)
* 5th Samuel Gorton of Warwick; October 1651 - 18 May 1652 (Providence and Warwick only)
* 6th John Smith of Providence; 18 May 1652 - 17 May 1653 (Providence and Warwick only)
* 7th Gregory Dexter of Providence; 17 May 1653 - 16 May 1654 (Providence and Warwick only)
* 8th Nicholas Easton of Newport; 16 May 1654 - 12 September 1654
* 9th Roger Williams of Providence; 12 September 1654 - 19 May 1657
* 10th Benedict Arnold of Newport; 19 May 1657 - 22 May 1660
* 11th William Brenton of Newport; 22 May 1660 - 22 May 1662
* 12th Benedict Arnold of Newport; 22 May 1662 - November 1663

## Governors of Newport and Portsmouth under the Coddington Commission

* William Coddington of Newport; 20 May 1651 - 17 May 1653
* John Sanford of Portsmouth; 17 May 1653 - 1653 (died in office between June and November 1653)

## Governors under the Royal Charter of 1663

* Benedict Arnold November 1663 - 2 May 1666
* William Brenton 2 May 1666 - 5 May 1669
* Benedict Arnold 5 May 1669 - 1 May 1672
* Nicholas Easton 1 May 1672 - 6 May 1674
* William Coddington 6 May 1674 - 3 May 1676
* Walter Clarke 3 May 1676 - 2 May 1677
* Benedict Arnold 2 May 1677 - 19 June 1678 (died in office)
* William Coddington 28 August 1678 - 1 November 1678 (died in office)
* John Cranston 8 November 1678 - 12 March 1680 (died in office)
* Peleg Sanford 16 March 1680 - 2 May 1683
* William Coddington Jr. 2 May 1683 - 6 May 1685
* Henry Bull 6 May 1685 - 5 May 1686
* Walter Clarke 5 May 1686 - 20 December 1686 (superseded by Governor Andros)

## Governor of the Dominion of New England

The Rhode Island Charter was suspended from 1686-1689. During this time, Sir Edmund Andros served as Governor of the Dominion of New England, which included Rhode Island. Andros was deposed on April 18, 1689.

## Colonial Governors under the Royal Charter of 1663

Vacant 20 December 1686 - 27 February 1690
* Henry Bull of Newport; 27 February 1690 - 7 May 1690
* John Easton of Newport; 7 May 1690 - 1 May 1695
* Caleb Carr of Jamestown; 1 May 1695 - 17 December 1695 (died in office)
* Walter Clarke of Newport; 6 May 1696 - circa March 1698 (resigned)
* Samuel Cranston of Newport; circa March 1698 - May 1727 (29 years 2 months.)
* Joseph Jenckes of Providence; May 1727 - May 1732
* William Wanton of Newport; May 1732 - between 3 December 1733 and 4 February 1734 (died in office)
* John Wanton of Newport; 5 May 1734 - 5 July 1740 (died in office)
* Richard Ward of Newport; 15 July 1740 - 4 May 1743
* William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1743 - 1 May 1745
* Gideon Wanton of Newport; 1 May 1745 - 7 May 1746
* William Greene of Warwick; 7 May 1746 - 6 May 1747
* Gideon Wanton of Newport; 6 May 1747 - 4 May 1748
* William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1748 - 7 May 1755
* Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 7 May 1755 - 4 May 1757
* William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1757 - 23 January 1758 (died in office)
* Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 13 March 1758 - 5 May 1762
* Samuel Ward of Newport; 5 May 1762 - 4 May 1763
* Stephen Hopkins of Providence; May 1763 - 3 May 1765
* Samuel Ward of Newport; 3 May 1765 - 1 May 1767
* Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 1 May 1767 - 4 May 1768
* Josias Lyndon of Newport; 4 May 1768 - 3 May 1769
* Joseph Wanton of Newport; 3 May 1769 - 7 November 1775 (removed from office)
* Nicholas Cooke of Providence; 7 November 1775 - 6 May 1778
Note - the Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663 remained in effect until the Constitution of Rhode Island was ratified in 1842. For a list of governors of Rhode Island from 1775 to the present see List of governors of Rhode Island.