Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-09-13
Thursday Sept. l3.

H-We take the following commun ica,ion
from the Mercury of Saturday. and commend
it to the consideration OF those who are most
Immediately interested in it. The Coggeshall
family is very large one, and from the earli-
est settlement Of this Island has been one Of
the most valuable and respectable in the com
munty. The different branches are now
widely scattered, and it would be an exceed
ingly Interesting occasion 10 see them gather
ed as suggested in the communication -
A SUGGESTION.
MEssRs EDIToRs.-.Tohn Coegeshall, one
OF the original founders OF Rhode Island, was
from an ancient and respectable English fam.
lily, which derived their name from marke t
town in the county OF Essex, which was
built by Stephen, the grandson of William
the conqueror, in the twelfth century and near
which the family held their seat. lie was
from kinerbrshire, and was horn about 500,
in the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth, two
years after the destruction Of the great Arma-
der. He came TO Boston with Winthrop,
Johnson, Coddngton, and others, in the great
fleet Of the summer of 1850. lie was Sc
lectman of the town of Boston, and member
Of the General Court for several terms
When the persecution arose against Mrs.
Ann Hutchinson for certain Of her religious
opinions and practices, the same earnest and
lndomstabe spirit which led him from his ma
tive land TO settle in the western wilderness
to avoid the " lord bishops of Charles |, now
led him to espousc the cause OF this persccu.
ted lIdy, and to oppose the tyrany of ,ho
" lords brethren" Finding that his opposi-
ton to religions persecution in Massachusetts
Bay rendered his situation in Boston as ua-
confortable as his opposition to the spiritual
oppression Of Lard and his party hal previous
Iy received it in England, in connection with
his friends he resolved to make another move
In accordance with the advice OF Roger Viii
liams who was then at the head o. the party
OF rel gous freedom in New England, at that
time, and whom they consulted on the subject,
they purchased Rhode Island, then called
Aquidneck by the Ind ans, and removed thilh-
er in the spring of 1898. Here they planted
a town which in commerce, wealth and pros
peri,y, soon became the lival of Boston, and
where every man was permitted to worship
God, aud 10 hold whatever religious opinions
he pleased, with none to molest or make him
afraid" for as. umIng this simple and natural
right. Here he became the first President of
the Colony under the charter obtained from
Cromwell, and the earl Ct Warwick, and the
committee of the House of Commons in 1911;
and having thus well served his generation, he
died in November l6i7, while in this office
and was buried on his farm, about two miles
sJuth Of the town, where he still lies, sur
rounded by many Of his descendants and fam
lily. among which, is the famous Redwood
then the Astor of the Co'2ny, and the mvnlii-
cent founder Of the Library which bears his
name. stone with one inscription nak.
his resting place.
John Coggcshal and his associates in their
notions Of political and religious freedom were
a century and half in advance Of their time.
And now, after Rhode Island in relative
wealth, IN intelligence, in manual WORTH and
in general prosperity, has become second to
none Of the States OF this flourish ng UniGn.
save old Massachusetts herself " lille now her.
early opinions of religious liberty, which were
then her standing reproach, have become the
glorious basis Of the settled policy of the ma
lion and now while all Chrs,iandom is up
hcaved from the very foundations, for the very
purpose of practically asserting the principles
which John Coggeshall and his compecrs So
quietly established in Rhode Island, more than
two centuries ago, j, seems becoming and
proper that some notice should be taken OF the
memory of. this distinguished man, and that
the deeds Of himself and other early founders
of Rhode Island should come up in rcmem.
brance before this generation.
or the descendants of Co1dngton, Clarke,
Easton, and others OF the early settlers of the
Island, those Of John Coggeshal if am
rightly Informed, alone are numerous. They
arc found, not only on the Island and through
out the State, but also in The roulhcrn and
eastern parts Of Massachusetts,, in Maine
Connecticut, New York, and If mistake not
there are also a few al the South ard West
Now what propose is, tina, his desccndais
notice the memory Of this great ancestor, and
Of The founders Of the State, by a suitable celc
bratop, as has lately oeen done by the Leland
family, and is about TO be done by the Haven
family Of Massachusetts Let there be an
Grafton, poem, with suitable religious ser.
vices, and dinner, At which all the membci.
Of The family that can possibly be collected