Nicholas Easton
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire
, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington
and Romsey
before immigrating to New England
with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World
, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
towns of Ipswich
, Newbury
, and Hampton
. Being attracted to the teachings of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
and Anne Hutchinson
, he was disarmed in 1637, and then banished from the Massachusetts colony the following year. Along with many other Hutchinson supporters, he settled in Portsmouth
on Aquidneck Island
, later a part of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
. He was in Portsmouth for about a year when he and eight others signed an agreement to create a plantation elsewhere on the island, establishing the town of Newport
.
In Newport, Easton became active in civil affairs, serving as assistant to the governor for several years, and in 1650 was elected President of the four towns of the colony. During this time the colony was very fragile, and its authority was frequently usurped by its much larger neighbors, the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Plymouth Colony
. Following his first presidency, the colony was split in 1651 by William Coddington
who wanted the two island towns to be under a separate government, and who went to England to get the authority to do this. In 1654 the four towns were reunited, and Easton was once again elected President, presiding for another year over the united colony.
During the last ten years of his life, Easton was very active in civil matters, serving as Deputy to the General Assembly, Deputy Governor, and then two years as Governor of the colony, which had been strengthened by the Royal Charter of 1663
. Easton was a tanner by trade, and also a minister of sorts, being criticized by Massachusetts magistrate John Winthrop
for his theological opinions. He became a Quaker, and after a long life was buried in a Friends' Cemetery, the Coddington Cemetery
in Newport next to his second of three wives. Easton's Beach and Easton's Point
in Newport are named for him. His younger son, John Easton
, later became Governor of the colony.
, Hampshire
, England, Nicholas Easton was the son of John and Elizabeth Easton, and was still living in Lymington in 1616. His father died when he was very young, after which his mother married John Burrard. As a teenager his stepfather died, and his mother then married William Dollinge. While Easton's father and first stepfather both worked at the salt works in Lymington, he became a tanner instead. He may have married in Lymington, but very soon thereafter he lived in Romsey
where all four of his children were baptized, and where his two younger children were buried. His first wife, Mary (maiden name not substantiated), was the mother of all of his children. She died in 1630, shortly after the birth and death of their fourth child, and in March 1634 Easton and his two surviving sons boarded the Mary & John at Southampton
for passage to New England.
where he was admitted to the church sometime before September 1634, and where he was appointed as overseer of powder and shot that month. His stay here was short, for in the spring of 1635 he was among the founding settlers of Agawam, later called Newbury, Massachusetts
. While living there, Easton became interested in the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
and Anne Hutchinson
, and on 20 November 1637 he and many other followers of these preachers, were disarmed, being ordered to deliver their guns, pistols, swords, shot, etc. to the authorities. He then went to Hampton
where he built the town's first house on the north bank of the Merrimac River. Massachusetts authorities continued to pursue followers of Wheelwright and Hutchinson, and in March 1638 Easton was ordered to appear at the next court if he had not left the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. Departing shortly thereafter, he joined many other followers of Hutchinson in Portsmouth
on Aquidneck Island
, also called Rhode Island from which the colony and state would later derive their names. In May 1638 he was allotted six acres in Portsmouth on the north side of Great Cove.
who wrote in 1638, "Those who were gone with Mrs. Hutchinson to Aquiday [Aquidneck Island] fell into new errors daily. One Nicholas Easton, a tanner, taught that gifts and graces were that antichrist mentioned Thes[salonians]., and that which withheld, &c, was the preaching of the law, and that every of the elect had the Holy Ghost and also the devil in dwelling."
A year after arriving in Portsmouth there was discord among the leadership of the settlement, and several of the leaders decided to go elsewhere. Easton was one of nine men to sign an agreement on 28 April 1639 whereby a new plantation would be formed. The men and their families soon moved to the south end of Aquidneck Island, establishing the settlement of Newport
, under the leadership of William Coddington
, who had been the judge (governor) of Portsmouth up to this time. In November of the same year, Easton and John Clarke were appointed to inform Mr. Vane
of the state of affairs on the island, and to look into obtainining a patent for the island from the king.
Winthrop
wrote periodically about affairs in Rhode Island, seeming to always find justification for the removal of its leaders from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. In August 1641 he made some remarks directed largely at Easton's theology when he wrote, "Other troubles arose in the Island (Aquidneck) by reason of one Nicholas Easton, a tanner, a man very bold, though ignorant." He went on to discuss Easton's theological views in a disparaging way, and then concluded his paragraph, seeming to gloat over Rhode Island's difficulties with church governance by writing, "Then joined with Nicholas Easton, Mr. Coddington
, Mr. Coggeshall
and some others. But their minister, Mr. Clarke, and Mr. Lenthall and Mr. Harding, and some others dissented and publicly opposed, whereby it grew to such heat of contention, that it made a schism among them."
(Providence and Warwick). In May 1650 he was elected the President of the united colony of four towns, serving for a year, and then in 1654 he served for another year in the same role. During his first term, the legislative body became the General Assembly, with a fixed salary given to each member at two shillings and six pence per day. Also, military stores in the form of powder, lead and muskets were apportioned to each town, providing an estimate of each town's relative strength and population. Providence and Warwick each received one barrel of powder, Portsmouth received two, and Newport was given three barrels of powder, along with the other stores in roughly the same proportion.
A serious issue rrising during Easton's first term as President concerned disputed titles to land at Pawtuxet (later Cranston, Rhode Island
) and Warwick
. The Pawtuxet settlers put themselves under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1642 because their leader, William Arnold, felt great contempt towards the settlements and leaders of both Providence and Warwick. When Providence assessed a tax of 12 pounds and 10 shillings on Pawtuxet, the latter refused to pay, and complained to Boston. Massachusetts then told Roger Williams
that if the tax were collected, they would take action against the Rhode Island colony. Warwick, on the other hand, was claimed by the Plymouth Colony
, then by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and then by Plymouth again. Roger Williams was urged to go to England to intercede with the Royal Committee on Plantations. To make matters worse, Coddington
was already in England, for reasons not known to the Rhode Island settlers, but he would eventually return to New England with a commission pulling Portsmouth and Newport out of the union with Providence and Warwick, creating a separate government for the two settlements on the island.
Another incident during Easton's first term further showed the weakness of the Rhode Island colony, and the hostility displayed towards it by its northern neighbor. When the Reverend John Clarke, pastor of the Baptist Church at Newport, Obadiah Holmes and John Crandall went to visit a sick church member in Lynn, Massachusetts
, the three were arrested, tried, found guilty of being Anabaptists, and fined, and in default of payment to be "well whipped." Clarke's fine was paid by a friend, without his knowledge or consent, Crandall returned home on bail, but Holmes was whipped so cruelly that "for many days he could take no rest, except by supporting himself on his elbows and knees."
During the period from 1651 to 1654, Coddington, with his new commission from the Crown, became governor of the island towns of Newport and Portsmouth for two years, with John Sanford
in charge during the third year. Meanwhile, the floundering settlements of Providence and Warwick had three different presidents during this period. Roger Williams had gone to England, and returned with the hope of reconciling the differences among the towns. He brought a letter from the former Massachusetts governor, Sir Harry Vane
, always a staunch friend of the Rhode Island colonists, beseeching the people of the colony to reconcile their feuds. In the letter he wrote, "Are there no wise men among you? No public self-denying spirits...who can find some way of union before you become a prey to your enemies?" This was the backdrop for Easton's second term as President, which lasted the year from 1654 to 1655. The four towns of the Rhode Island Colony did reunite, so that in his second term, as in his first, Easton was at the helm of all four towns of the Rhode Island colony.
dead and Charles II
on the throne, and Harry Vane
having been executed for treason. However, for the Rhode Island colony came a very positive development in the form of the Royal Charter of 1663
. In the wake of the disjointed government under the Patent of 1643, the new charter settled once and for all the conflicting claims of colonial existence and owenership. Easton served as Deputy in the General Assembly from Newport from 1665 to 1666, then became the Deputy Governor of the entire colony from 1666 to 1672. In May 1672 William Brenton
was elected Governor of the colony, but refused to serve, at which time Easton was elected and served for two terms until 1674 when he was succeeded by William Coddington
. He died in August 1675 at the age of 81 years, and was buried in the Coddington Cemetery
, sometimes called the Friends' Burial Ground, in Newport next to his second wife, Christian.
. He was active in colonial affairs as sergeant, commissioner, assistant, treasurer and Attorney General. Peter's daughter, Mary, married Weston Clarke, a son of President Jeremy Clarke
, and his daughter Waite married John Carr, the son of Governor Caleb Carr
. Easton's other son, John
was involved in colonial politics virtually his entire adult life, and served as governor himself for five terms between 1690 and 1695. Easton's widow, Ann, later married Henry Bull
, who served as governor of the colony for two short periods during the 1690s. Easton's Point
in Newport is named for Nicholas Easton, as is Easton's Beach, which was described by historian Thomas W. Bicknell
as "a permanent monument in the honor of this earnest, faithful, honored founder of Rhode Island..."
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
and Romsey
Romsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
before immigrating to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
towns of Ipswich
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
, Newbury
Newbury, Massachusetts
Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,666 at the 2010 census. Newbury includes the villages of Old Town , Plum Island and Byfield, home of The Governor's Academy , a private preparatory school.- History :Newbury Plantation was settled and incorporated...
, and Hampton
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
. Being attracted to the teachings of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
and Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, he was disarmed in 1637, and then banished from the Massachusetts colony the following year. Along with many other Hutchinson supporters, he settled in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
on Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
, later a part of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
. He was in Portsmouth for about a year when he and eight others signed an agreement to create a plantation elsewhere on the island, establishing the town of Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
.
In Newport, Easton became active in civil affairs, serving as assistant to the governor for several years, and in 1650 was elected President of the four towns of the colony. During this time the colony was very fragile, and its authority was frequently usurped by its much larger neighbors, the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
. Following his first presidency, the colony was split in 1651 by William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
who wanted the two island towns to be under a separate government, and who went to England to get the authority to do this. In 1654 the four towns were reunited, and Easton was once again elected President, presiding for another year over the united colony.
During the last ten years of his life, Easton was very active in civil matters, serving as Deputy to the General Assembly, Deputy Governor, and then two years as Governor of the colony, which had been strengthened by the Royal Charter of 1663
Royal Charter of 1663
The Royal Charter of 1663 was a colonial charter giving English royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, providing a foundation for the government, and outlining broad freedoms for the inhabitants of that colony...
. Easton was a tanner by trade, and also a minister of sorts, being criticized by Massachusetts magistrate John Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
for his theological opinions. He became a Quaker, and after a long life was buried in a Friends' Cemetery, the Coddington Cemetery
Coddington Cemetery
The Coddington Cemetery is an early colonial cemetery located in Newport, Rhode Island. It is sometimes called the Friends' Burial Ground, and has more colonial governors buried in it than any other cemetery in the state.- Description :...
in Newport next to his second of three wives. Easton's Beach and Easton's Point
Easton's Point
The Point is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Newport, Rhode Island and has one of the highest concentrations of colonial houses in the United States. The neighborhood sits between Washington Street and Farewell Street/America's Cup in Newport looking out on Goat Island, former home to the U.S...
in Newport are named for him. His younger son, John Easton
John Easton
John Easton was a political leader in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, devoting decades to public service before eventually becoming Governor of the colony. Born in Hampshire, England, he sailed to New England with his widowed father and older brother, settling in Ipswich...
, later became Governor of the colony.
Early life
Born in LymingtonLymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England, Nicholas Easton was the son of John and Elizabeth Easton, and was still living in Lymington in 1616. His father died when he was very young, after which his mother married John Burrard. As a teenager his stepfather died, and his mother then married William Dollinge. While Easton's father and first stepfather both worked at the salt works in Lymington, he became a tanner instead. He may have married in Lymington, but very soon thereafter he lived in Romsey
Romsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
where all four of his children were baptized, and where his two younger children were buried. His first wife, Mary (maiden name not substantiated), was the mother of all of his children. She died in 1630, shortly after the birth and death of their fourth child, and in March 1634 Easton and his two surviving sons boarded the Mary & John at Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
for passage to New England.
Massachusetts
Easton's first residence in New England was the settlement of IpswichIpswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
where he was admitted to the church sometime before September 1634, and where he was appointed as overseer of powder and shot that month. His stay here was short, for in the spring of 1635 he was among the founding settlers of Agawam, later called Newbury, Massachusetts
Newbury, Massachusetts
Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,666 at the 2010 census. Newbury includes the villages of Old Town , Plum Island and Byfield, home of The Governor's Academy , a private preparatory school.- History :Newbury Plantation was settled and incorporated...
. While living there, Easton became interested in the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
and Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, and on 20 November 1637 he and many other followers of these preachers, were disarmed, being ordered to deliver their guns, pistols, swords, shot, etc. to the authorities. He then went to Hampton
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
where he built the town's first house on the north bank of the Merrimac River. Massachusetts authorities continued to pursue followers of Wheelwright and Hutchinson, and in March 1638 Easton was ordered to appear at the next court if he had not left the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. Departing shortly thereafter, he joined many other followers of Hutchinson in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
on Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
, also called Rhode Island from which the colony and state would later derive their names. In May 1638 he was allotted six acres in Portsmouth on the north side of Great Cove.
Rhode Island
Easton was apparently a minister of sorts in his own right, and arroused the ire of the Massachusetts magistrate John WinthropJohn Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
who wrote in 1638, "Those who were gone with Mrs. Hutchinson to Aquiday [Aquidneck Island] fell into new errors daily. One Nicholas Easton, a tanner, taught that gifts and graces were that antichrist mentioned Thes[salonians]., and that which withheld, &c, was the preaching of the law, and that every of the elect had the Holy Ghost and also the devil in dwelling."
A year after arriving in Portsmouth there was discord among the leadership of the settlement, and several of the leaders decided to go elsewhere. Easton was one of nine men to sign an agreement on 28 April 1639 whereby a new plantation would be formed. The men and their families soon moved to the south end of Aquidneck Island, establishing the settlement of Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, under the leadership of William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
, who had been the judge (governor) of Portsmouth up to this time. In November of the same year, Easton and John Clarke were appointed to inform Mr. Vane
Henry Vane the Younger
Sir Henry Vane , son of Henry Vane the Elder , was an English politician, statesman, and colonial governor...
of the state of affairs on the island, and to look into obtainining a patent for the island from the king.
Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
wrote periodically about affairs in Rhode Island, seeming to always find justification for the removal of its leaders from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. In August 1641 he made some remarks directed largely at Easton's theology when he wrote, "Other troubles arose in the Island (Aquidneck) by reason of one Nicholas Easton, a tanner, a man very bold, though ignorant." He went on to discuss Easton's theological views in a disparaging way, and then concluded his paragraph, seeming to gloat over Rhode Island's difficulties with church governance by writing, "Then joined with Nicholas Easton, Mr. Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
, Mr. Coggeshall
John Coggeshall
John Coggeshall was one of the founders of Rhode Island and the first President of all four towns in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Coming from Essex, England as a successful merchant in the silk trade, Coggeshall arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1632 and quickly...
and some others. But their minister, Mr. Clarke, and Mr. Lenthall and Mr. Harding, and some others dissented and publicly opposed, whereby it grew to such heat of contention, that it made a schism among them."
Colonial President
Once settled in Newport, Easton became active in civil affairs. For several of the years from 1640 to 1644 he was the assistant to Governor Coddington, but served no public role in the late 1640s as the two settlements on Aquidneck (Newport and Portsmouth) merged into a common government with the two settlements on the west side of Narragansett BayNarragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
(Providence and Warwick). In May 1650 he was elected the President of the united colony of four towns, serving for a year, and then in 1654 he served for another year in the same role. During his first term, the legislative body became the General Assembly, with a fixed salary given to each member at two shillings and six pence per day. Also, military stores in the form of powder, lead and muskets were apportioned to each town, providing an estimate of each town's relative strength and population. Providence and Warwick each received one barrel of powder, Portsmouth received two, and Newport was given three barrels of powder, along with the other stores in roughly the same proportion.
A serious issue rrising during Easton's first term as President concerned disputed titles to land at Pawtuxet (later Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 80,387 at the 2010 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...
) and Warwick
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
. The Pawtuxet settlers put themselves under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1642 because their leader, William Arnold, felt great contempt towards the settlements and leaders of both Providence and Warwick. When Providence assessed a tax of 12 pounds and 10 shillings on Pawtuxet, the latter refused to pay, and complained to Boston. Massachusetts then told Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
that if the tax were collected, they would take action against the Rhode Island colony. Warwick, on the other hand, was claimed by the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
, then by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and then by Plymouth again. Roger Williams was urged to go to England to intercede with the Royal Committee on Plantations. To make matters worse, Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
was already in England, for reasons not known to the Rhode Island settlers, but he would eventually return to New England with a commission pulling Portsmouth and Newport out of the union with Providence and Warwick, creating a separate government for the two settlements on the island.
Another incident during Easton's first term further showed the weakness of the Rhode Island colony, and the hostility displayed towards it by its northern neighbor. When the Reverend John Clarke, pastor of the Baptist Church at Newport, Obadiah Holmes and John Crandall went to visit a sick church member in Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
, the three were arrested, tried, found guilty of being Anabaptists, and fined, and in default of payment to be "well whipped." Clarke's fine was paid by a friend, without his knowledge or consent, Crandall returned home on bail, but Holmes was whipped so cruelly that "for many days he could take no rest, except by supporting himself on his elbows and knees."
During the period from 1651 to 1654, Coddington, with his new commission from the Crown, became governor of the island towns of Newport and Portsmouth for two years, with John Sanford
John Sanford (governor)
John Sanford , was an early settler of Boston, Massachusetts, an original settler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and a governor of the combined towns of Portsmouth and Newport, in the Rhode Island colony, dying in office after serving for less than a full term...
in charge during the third year. Meanwhile, the floundering settlements of Providence and Warwick had three different presidents during this period. Roger Williams had gone to England, and returned with the hope of reconciling the differences among the towns. He brought a letter from the former Massachusetts governor, Sir Harry Vane
Henry Vane the Younger
Sir Henry Vane , son of Henry Vane the Elder , was an English politician, statesman, and colonial governor...
, always a staunch friend of the Rhode Island colonists, beseeching the people of the colony to reconcile their feuds. In the letter he wrote, "Are there no wise men among you? No public self-denying spirits...who can find some way of union before you become a prey to your enemies?" This was the backdrop for Easton's second term as President, which lasted the year from 1654 to 1655. The four towns of the Rhode Island Colony did reunite, so that in his second term, as in his first, Easton was at the helm of all four towns of the Rhode Island colony.
Colonial Governor
Easton became a freeman of Newport in 1655, was a commissioner in 1660, and then for the last ten years of his life became seriously involved in the leadership of the colony beginning in 1665. Major changes had occurred since his presidency, such as the government of England changing from a Protectorate back to a Kingdom, with Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
dead and Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
on the throne, and Harry Vane
Henry Vane the Younger
Sir Henry Vane , son of Henry Vane the Elder , was an English politician, statesman, and colonial governor...
having been executed for treason. However, for the Rhode Island colony came a very positive development in the form of the Royal Charter of 1663
Royal Charter of 1663
The Royal Charter of 1663 was a colonial charter giving English royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, providing a foundation for the government, and outlining broad freedoms for the inhabitants of that colony...
. In the wake of the disjointed government under the Patent of 1643, the new charter settled once and for all the conflicting claims of colonial existence and owenership. Easton served as Deputy in the General Assembly from Newport from 1665 to 1666, then became the Deputy Governor of the entire colony from 1666 to 1672. In May 1672 William Brenton
William Brenton
William Brenton was a colonial President, Deputy Governor, and Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and an early settler of Portsmouth and Newport in the Rhode Island colony...
was elected Governor of the colony, but refused to serve, at which time Easton was elected and served for two terms until 1674 when he was succeeded by William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
. He died in August 1675 at the age of 81 years, and was buried in the Coddington Cemetery
Coddington Cemetery
The Coddington Cemetery is an early colonial cemetery located in Newport, Rhode Island. It is sometimes called the Friends' Burial Ground, and has more colonial governors buried in it than any other cemetery in the state.- Description :...
, sometimes called the Friends' Burial Ground, in Newport next to his second wife, Christian.
Family and legacy
Easton had two sons who reached adulthood, both with his first wife, and both sailing with him to New England. The older son, Peter, married Ann, the daughter of President John CoggeshallJohn Coggeshall
John Coggeshall was one of the founders of Rhode Island and the first President of all four towns in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Coming from Essex, England as a successful merchant in the silk trade, Coggeshall arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1632 and quickly...
. He was active in colonial affairs as sergeant, commissioner, assistant, treasurer and Attorney General. Peter's daughter, Mary, married Weston Clarke, a son of President Jeremy Clarke
Jeremy Clarke (Governor)
Jeremy Clarke was an early colonial settler and President of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
, and his daughter Waite married John Carr, the son of Governor Caleb Carr
Caleb Carr (Governor)
Caleb Carr was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving a very short term prior to his death by drowning. In 1635, at the age of 11, he sailed from England on the ship Elizabeth and Ann with his older brother Robert...
. Easton's other son, John
John Easton
John Easton was a political leader in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, devoting decades to public service before eventually becoming Governor of the colony. Born in Hampshire, England, he sailed to New England with his widowed father and older brother, settling in Ipswich...
was involved in colonial politics virtually his entire adult life, and served as governor himself for five terms between 1690 and 1695. Easton's widow, Ann, later married Henry Bull
Henry Bull (Governor)
Henry Bull was an early colonial Governor of Rhode Island, serving for two separate terms, one before and one after the tenure of Edmund Andros under the Dominion of New England...
, who served as governor of the colony for two short periods during the 1690s. Easton's Point
Easton's Point
The Point is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Newport, Rhode Island and has one of the highest concentrations of colonial houses in the United States. The neighborhood sits between Washington Street and Farewell Street/America's Cup in Newport looking out on Goat Island, former home to the U.S...
in Newport is named for Nicholas Easton, as is Easton's Beach, which was described by historian Thomas W. Bicknell
Thomas W. Bicknell
Thomas W. Bicknell , American educator, historian, and author, lived to be 91.Bicknell, born in Barrington, Rhode Island, he was the son of a farmer, minister, state legislator, and Colonel in the Bristol County, Rhode Island Militia, Thomas would become a wealthy eastern historian and educator...
as "a permanent monument in the honor of this earnest, faithful, honored founder of Rhode Island..."
See also
- List of colonial governors of Rhode Island
- List of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island
- List of early settlers of Rhode Island
- Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsColony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsThe Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...