William Arnold (1587 - bef. 1677)

Born 24 Jun 1587 in Ilchester, Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Christian (Peake) Arnold — married before 1611 in England

Descendants

Died before 3 Nov 1677 before age 90 in Pawtucket, Providence, Rhode Island

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William Arnold migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 1, p. 84) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

False Pedigree

Horatio G. Somersby compiled a false genealogy of the Arnold family, which was published in NEHGR, vol. 33, pp. 432-38, immediately after a better-sourced article entitled "Early Records of the Arnold Family." NEHGR 33: 427, was published. Somersby's errors (intentional or otherwise) are discussed in "The Parentage of William Arnold and Thomas Arnold of Providence, R.I.," in NEHGR, vol. 69 (1915), pp. 64-69: William Arnold's father is proven to be Nicholas Arnold, not Thomas (as Somersby claimed).

Biography

William Arnold, son of Nicholas and Alice (Gully) Arnold was born 24 June 1587.^[1][2] in the vicinity of Ilchester Parish, Somerset, England.

William married by 1611 Christian Peak, baptized 15 Feb 1583, daughter of Thomas Peak.^[1][2]

William and Christian Arnold and their family set sail 1 May 1635 on an unidentified ship from Dartmouth in Devonshire, England to New England. On June 24, 1635, they arrived in Massachusetts Bay^[3] with a group of neighbors, nearly all related either by blood or marriage. William Carpenter was the only one of the party who was not originally from Ilchester or within about five miles of that place, a town in southern Somersetshire, England. The leader of the party was William Arnold, aged 48, son of Nicholas and Alice (Gully) Arnold of Ilchester; his wife, Christian Peak, aged 51, daughter of Thomas Peak of Muchelney, England; their children Elizabeth Arnold, aged 23, Benedict Arnold, aged 19, Joane Arnold 17, and Stephen Arnold 13; With them came Thomas and Frances Hopkins, the children of William Arnold's sister Joan (Arnold) Hopkins.^[4][5][6]

William Arnold settled first at Hingham, Massachusetts, where he was granted a houselot on 18 September 1635. Around 20 April 1636, the family moved to Providence, Rhode Island where he was assigned a home lot in the row of lots on North Main St. from Cove to Hill Fort. Finally, in 1638 Roger Williams sold to William Arnold and others the land on 8 of the 8th month 1638 (8 Oct 1838).

"Memorandum yt I Roger Williams haveing formerly purchassed | of | Caunounicus, & Miantenomue this our scituation, or plantation of New providence, viz the Two ffresh Rivers Wanasquatuckett & Mooshausick, and ye ground & Meadowes thereupon; Jn Consideration of Thirtie poundes received from the Jnhabetantes of the saide place, doe freely, & ffully passe grant & make over Equall Right and power of Enjoyeing & dispossing the same groundes & Landes unto my Lo: ffriends & neighbors Stukley Westcoot; Wm Arnold; Thomas James; Robert Cole: John Greene; John Throckmorton: Wm Harris: Wm Carpenter: Tho: Olney, ffrancis Weston, Rich: Waterman: Ezechiell Holliman: and such others as the Major part of us shall admitt into the same ffelloshipp of Voate with us. "^[7]

The initial deed of 1637, made him one of 13 proprietors of the new town of Providence, followed by another which divided all the meadow ground on the Pawtuxet river between the same 13 persons. About 1638 William Arnold and William Carpenter with their families settled here at the ford or Indian wading place, where the Pequot trail crossed the Pawtuxet river. ^[8] William Arnold was the first Englishman to settle what is now Cranston, Rhode Island, where he erected his home about a mile north of the Pawtuxet Falls. He was quickly followed by others who also settled in the fertile meadows of the Pawtuxet River.^[9] The Arnolds at one time owned about 10,000 acres of land and William Arnold along with William Carpenter were described as "most ruthless of the Pawtuxet Proprietors, inordinately ambitions" involved in various landgrabbing schemes and political maneuverings.^[10]

William Arnold not only had an excellent education in England, but in America acquired the Indian language and acted as interpreter many times. On one occasion he was allowed, together with the Sachems Pomham and Watapumkeen, twenty six shillings because he acted as interpreter for them in the case brought against them by Ninicraft, another Sachem.^[11]

William died sometime between 24 May 1675, when he drew a second division lot and 3 November 1677, when his son Benedict was eldest son and heir of William Arnold late of Pautuxett in the said Colony was listed as deceased.^[1]

Children:

1. Elizabeth b. 23 Nov 1611;^[2][1] m. William Carpenter.^[1]
2. Benedict b. 21 Dec 1615;^[2][1] m Stukely Westcott.^[1] He became the Governor of Rhode Island.^[1]
3. Joanna b. 27 Feb 1617;^[2][1] m. (1) Zachariah Rhodes;^[1] m. (2) Samuel Reape^[1]
4. Stephen b. 22 Dec 1622;^[2][1] b. Ilchester, Somerset 26 Dec 1622;^[6][1] m. Sarah Smith^[1]

Research Notes

in All Saints Cemetery, Barbados William Arnold | "First" English Settler | to step ashore from | William and John | At Holetown | 17th February 1627 | headstone

this william may be the father of constant and Nathaniel Sylvester, who owned shelter Island, New York. They were involved in trade of rum and slaves.

There is more information on William the immigrant. Information can be found in Anderson's Great Migration^[1] and Wikipedia has an article.^[12] There are probably other books such as The Arnold Record written on the family.

Notable Descendants

Presidents James A. Garfield, George H. W. and George W. Bush, Sen. Stephen A. Douglas, Commodores Oliver Hazard Perry and Matthew Calbraith Perry, Gen. Benedict Arnold, social reformer Rev. Adin Ballou, and Gail Borden (founder of Borden Inc.) are descendants.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14} Anderson, Rober Charles, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B, . Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999. pp 84-91. link at American Ancestors (pay site).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Hubbard, Edwin. “Early Records of the Arnold Family.” New England Historical and Genealogical Register Vol. 33(1879): 427.-
3. ↑ Quotation from Williams son Benedict quoted in “Early Records of the Arnold Family.” - “Memorandom my father and his family Sett Sayle ffrom Dartmouth in Old England, the first of May, friday & Arrived In New England. June 24 Ano 1635.”
4. ↑ William Arnold, Stukeley Westcott and William Carpenter" By Fred A. Arnold. Year? page number? Pulbisher?
5. ↑ The Arnold memorial : William Arnold of Providence and Pawtuxet, 1587-1675, and a genealogy of his descendants.”; Tuttle Publishing Co, Rutland VT, 1935, p. 36
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Jones, Edson Salisbury. “The Parentage of William Arnold and Thomas Arnold of Providence, R. I. New England Historical and Genealogical Register 69:64
7. ↑ The Early Records of the Town of Providence. Volume 3Printed Under the Authority of the City Council of Providence. Providence: Snow & Farnham, 1893. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fkEaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA90&lpg=PA90 p. 90
8. ↑ The Arnold memorial : William Arnold of Providence and Pawtuxet, 1587-1675, and a genealogy of his descendants.”; Tuttle Publishing Co, Rutland VT, 1935, p. 42
9. ↑ Historic District Commission. History of Cranston.
10. ↑ Irrepressible Democrat p. 134, 258–60, 269, 278
11. ↑ The Arnold memorial : William Arnold of Providence and Pawtuxet, 1587-1675, and a genealogy of his descendants.”; Tuttle Publishing Co, Rutland VT, 1935, p. 42
12. ↑ Wikipedia Article "William Arnold (settler)"

See also:

• Andrews, Henry Porter. The descendants of John Porter of Windsor, Connecticut, 1635-9, Vol. 2 Saratoga Springs 1893. link
• Arnold, Elisha Stephen. The Arnold Memorial (Tuttle Pub. Co., Rutland, VT, 1935) Page 17
• The Ancestry of Overmire Tifft Richardson Bradford Reed. rootsweb post
• Dean, John Ward; Drowne, Henry T.; Hubbard, Edwin; Genealogy of the Family of Arnold in Europe and America"" (Boston : David Clapp & son, 1879)
• Fuller, Oliver P. The history of Warwick, Rhode Island, from its settlement in 1642 to the present time; including accounts of the early settlement and development of its several villages; sketches of the origin and progress of the different churches of the town, &c., &c (1875) p.16
• Find A Grave: Memorial #34348560 No image of headstone, unknown burial.
• Austin, John Osborne. “Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island” : Joel Munsell's Sons, Albany 1887 p 242 Internet Archive