page_title: Benedict Arnold (governor)
section_title: Death and legacy
hierarchical_section_title: Benedict Arnold (governor) / Death and legacy
caption_attribution_description: en:Newport Tower (Rhode Island) © 2004 Matthew Trump
context_page_description: 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 age 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 they put themselves and their lands under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, a situation which lasted for 16 years.
  Arnold learned the Indian languages at an early age and became one of the two leading interpreters in the Rhode Island colony, Roger Williams being the other.
context_section_description: Arnold wrote his will on 24 December 1677, during his last full term as governor. A codicil to the will was written the following February, and the governor died in June while still in office.  On 29 June, Samuel Hubbard of Newport wrote to Dr. Edward Stennett of London, "Our Governor died the 19th day of June, 1678, buried 20th day, all this island was invited, many others was there, judged near a thousand people, brother Hiscox spoke there excellently led forth, I praise God." In his will, Governor Arnold gave land to his wife with mansion house and "stone built wind mill."  There are romantic legends of early Norsemen coming to Newport and building the stone structure that continues to stand in the city, but the strongest evidence suggests that the structure was the base of Arnold's windmill mentioned in his will.
  Benedict Arnold, his wife, and many of his family are buried in the Arnold Burying Ground located on Pelham Street in Newport.  For many years, the cemetery was buried under a garden in the back yard of a residence, but a major renovation began in 1949 whereby all the stones were unearthed, cleaned, and returned to their original positions.  There is no inscription on the slabs covering the graves of the governor and his wife, but his grave is marked with a governor's medallion.
  Lieutenant Governor and Rhode Island historian Samuel G. Arnold wrote of him:
  That he was no friend of the doctrines, or advocate of the conduct of the followers of Fox [Quakers] is evident from his writings; but that like Williams, he recognized the distinction between persecution and opposition, between legal force and moral suasion as applied to matters of opinion, is equally apparent.  In politics and in theology he was alike the opponent of Coddington and the friend of John Clarke and throughout his long and useful life he displayed talents of a brilliant order which were ever employed for the welfare of his fellow men.
caption: The Newport Tower which Arnold called his "stone built wind mill"
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