# A History of Barrington, Rhode Island

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THOMAS WILLIAMS BICKNELL.
A HISTORY
OF
BARRINGTON
Rhode Island
BY
Thomas Williams Bicknell
Member of The Rhode Island Historical Society; The Sons of the American Revolution, R. I.; The Order of Patriots and Founders, New York, N. Y.; The Bostonian Society of Boston, Mass.; The American Historical Association, Washington, D. C; Honorary Member of The Weymouth Historical Society and The Pennsylvania Historical Society
Providence
Snow & Farnham, Printers
1898
Copyright, 1898
By Thomas Williams Bicknell
All rights reserved
Published by Subscription
Edition Limited
A Loyal Son of Barrington
Dedicates
This History to its Noble Founders
PREFACE
"Good old Barrington" extended from Narragansett Bay on the south, to Rehoboth on the north, and from Providence River on the west, to Palmer's and Warren Rivers on the east. The north line began at Providence River, near Silver Spring, and extended to a bound on Palmer's River, north of Barneysville. This volume tells the story of the men who have lived, and the events that have been enacted, in this territory. The sources of information have been so various and widespread that I cannot note them, except to say that the Records of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies, of Sowams, of Swansea, and of Barrington, and MSS. loaned me, and those in my possession, have been the chief. Thanks are expressed to the many friends who have supplied valuable papers and important facts. Especially do I gladly recognize the services of Ebenezer Tiffany, Jr., Esq, who has aided me in collecting the material for the chapter on "The War of the Revolution," and for other parts of the work. I acknowledge also the assistance of the accomplished Record Commissioner of Providence, Edward Field, Esq., whose rare historic spirit and judgment I admire. For encouragement in undertaking and carrying the work to completion, "The Barrington Rural Improvement Association" stands first; and foremost in the Association stood Irving M. Smith, Esq., who fell in the forefront of the active battle of life, while these pages existed only in the mind of the writer. Largely am I indebted to the good judgment and lively interest of a devoted wife, whose loving hopefulness was not permitted the satisfaction of seeing the work completed.
​As appears, this volume covers the history of Barrington from 1621 to 1898, with the biographies of leading citizens, and brief outlines of genealogy. The actors and their acts constitute the warp and woof of the town's life, and few of the old towns, outside of Plymouth, have so worthy a record. Four governors of the Colony, Bradford, Prince, the two Winslows, father and son, and two of her military leaders, Capt. Myles Standish and Capt. Thomas Willett, were the founders of the Plantation which preceded the town. Massasoit, "the great and good sachem" of the Wampanoags, was their friend, and deeded them the territory, "the garden of the Colony." The founders of the first Baptist church at Swansea, in Massachusetts, Myles, Willett, Brown, Butterworth, Tanner, Carpenter, Kingsly, and Albee, were moral heroes, whose noble stand for conscience changed the character of our colonial life. The same men, with others of like spirit, founded the town government on the basis of civil and religious freedom. Throughout these chapters will be found constant evidences of an honest yeomanry, "a nation's pride," liberty loving, God-fearing, working out in their individual, social, town, and church life, the problems of builders on new foundations. The Barrington of to-day, with its intelligent, prosperous, and happy people, its excellent schools, and its churches of a true and exalting faith, is not the growth of a day, but the product of, the generous, sacrificing life and labors of three centuries in America. While I have sought diligently for the truth as to our ancestry, and have aimed to present their deeds and principles conscientiously and accurately, I am more conscious than others can be of the possibility of errors and imperfections of human judgment, to cover which I invoke the indulgent charity of the present and coming time.
Thomas Williams Bicknell.
Providence, R, I.,
June 17, 1898.
CONTENTS
| Chapter. | | Page. |
| I. | Barrington, its Geography and Geology | 1 |
| II. | The Northmen in Narragansett Bay | 17 |
| III. | Verrazzano's Visit to the Wampanoags | 23 |
| IV. | The Wampanoags | 30 |
| V. | Winslow's Visits to Massassoit at Sowams | 47 |
| VI. | The Sowams Plantation | 58 |
| VII. | Sowams Records | 75 |
| VIII. | Sowams and Barrington | 90 |
| IX. | The First Baptist Church in Massachusetts | 112 |
| X. | The Incorporation of Swansea | 136 |
| XI. | Early Education in Swansea | 147 |
| XII. | Swansea Ranks | 157 |
| XIII. | Philip's War | 162 |
| XIV. | From Plymouth to Massachusetts Bay Colony | 168 |
| XV. | Gleanings from Town and Plymouth Court Legislation | 172 |
| XVI. | Incorporation of Barrington | 183 |
| XVII. | The Congregational Church | 199 |
| XVIII. | Barrington Legislation from 1717 to 1747 | 245 |
| XIX. | From Massachusetts Bay to Rhode Island | 277 |
| XX. | Barrington with Parts Adjacent Incorporated as Warren | 284 |
| XXI. | Barrington Restored in 1770 | 292 |
| XXII. | Town Census and Valuation | 301 |
| XXIII. | Barrington Taverns and Stage Coaches | 307 |
| XXIV. | Barrington in the Revolution | 322 |
| XXV. | Domestic Slavery and Slaves | 402 |
| XXVI. | Barrington Legislation | 411 |
| XXVII. | The United Congregational Society | 432 |
| XXVIII. | Highways, Ferries, and Bridges | 446 |
| XXIX. | Cemeteries | 464 |
| XXX. | Barrington Militia and the Dorr War | 488 |
| XXXI. | Barrington in the Civil War | 498 |
| XXXII. | New Barrington | 512 |
| XXXIII. | Education, Public and Private Schools | 524 |
| XXXIV. | St. John's Episcopal Church | 543 |
| XXXV. | The Methodist Episcopal Church | 549 |
| XXXVI. | Public Buildings and Societies | 551 |
| XXXVII. | Barrington Industries | 555 |
| XXXVIII. | Barrington Centennials | 562 |
| XXXIX. | Census Returns | 565 |
| XL. | Biographies and Genealogies | 566 |
ILLUSTRATIONS
| Thomas Williams Bicknell | Facing title. | Facing title. | Facing title. |
| Ancient Stone House at Barneysville | Facing | page | 8 |
| William Allin Residence, 1670 | " | " | 16 |
| John Jenckes Residence | " | " | 24 |
| View of Town Beach and Rumstick | " | " | 32 |
| G. Howard Smith Residence | " | " | 40 |
| View from Princes Hill, looking north | " | " | 48 |
| James Bowen Residence | " | " | 56 |
| George Lewis Smith Residence | " | " | 64 |
| Capt. Thomas Willett Chimney | " | " | 72 |
| View at Nayatt, looking south | " | " | 88 |
| John Jenckes | " | " | 104 |
| Maj.-Gen. Nelson A. Miles, U. S. A. | " | " | 120 |
| James Bowen | " | " | 128 |
| William H. Smith | " | " | 136 |
| School and Schoolhouse, Dist. No. 1, Barrington | " | " | 152 |
| Town Hall, exterior | " | " | 168 |
| Town Hall, interior | " | " | 176 |
| Joseph Mauran | " | " | 192 |
| John J. Allin Summer Cottage at Annawomscutt | " | " | 200 |
| Joshua Mauran | " | " | 208 |
| Congregational Meeting-House, exterior and interior | " | " | 216 |
| Matthew Watson Residence | " | " | 224 |
| Congregational Meeting-House and Parsonage | " | " | 232 |
| Lewis B. Smith | " | " | 240 |
| Carlo Mauran | " | " | 248 |
| School and Schoolhouse, Dist. No. 3, New Meadow Neck | " | " | 256 |
| Kent Brown Residence | " | " | 264 |
| Rockedge, South Lawn, Annawomscutt | " | " | 272 |
| Ancient Map of Wampanoag Lands | " | " | 280 |
| Map of Original Town of Barrington | " | " | 280 |
| Centennial Committee | " | " | 296 ​ |
| View of Barrington Centre, looking south | " | " | 304 |
| View from Central Bridge, looking west | " | " | 312 |
| Royal D. Horton Residence | " | " | 320 |
| Lewis B. Smith Residence | " | " | 328 |
| Elizabeth W. Bicknell | " | " | 336 |
| Gen. Thomas Allin Residence | " | " | 344 |
| Paul Mumford | " | " | 352 |
| Amy Horn | " | " | 360 |
| Suchet Mauran | " | " | 368 |
| Leonard Bosworth | " | " | 376 |
| Alfred Drown | " | " | 384 |
| William R. Martin | " | " | 392 |
| Hessian Musket | " | " | 396 |
| School and Schoolhouse, Dist. No. 4, Drownville | " | " | 408 |
| Driveway to Rockedge, Annawomscutt | " | " | 424 |
| New England Steam Brick Works | " | " | 452 |
| Ancient Training Field and Cemetery, Tyler's Point | " | " | 464 |
| Allin Bicknell | " | " | 488 |
| Charles F. Anthony Residence | " | " | 496 |
| George Lewis Smith | " | " | 504 |
| Nathaniel C. Smith | " | " | 512 |
| School and Schoolhouse, Dist. No. 2, Nayatt | " | " | 520 |
| High School and Schoolroom | " | " | 528 |
| St. Andrew's Industrial School | " | " | 536 |
| St. John's Episcopal Church | " | " | 544 |
| Irving M. Smith | " | " | 552 |
| Joseph U. Starkweather | " | " | 560 |
| George T. Baker | " | " | 568 |
| William E. Colley | " | " | 576 |
| View at Drownville, looking north | " | " | 584 |
| Mr. Bicknell in his Library | " | " | 592 |
| Autographs | " | " | 600 |