List of colonial governors of Rhode Island
This is a list of the judges, presidents, and governors of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from 1638 to 1776.Judges of Portsmouth
- William Coddington 7 March 1638 - 28 April 1639
- William Hutchinson 28 April 1639 - 14 March 1640
Judge of Newport
- William Coddington 28 April 1639 - 14 March 1640
- William Coddington 14 March 1640 - 21 May 1647
Chief Officer under the Patent of 1643 (Providence and Warwick)
- Roger Williams September 1644 - 21 May 1647
Presidents under the Patent of 1643
- 1st John Coggeshall of Newport; 21 May 1647 - 27 November 1647
- 2nd Jeremy Clarke of Newport; 16 May 1648 - 22 May 1649
- 3rd John Smith of Providence; 22 May 1649 - 23 May 1650
- 4th Nicholas Easton of Newport; 23 May 1650 - August 1651
- 5th Samuel Gorton of Warwick; October 1651 - 18 May 1652
- 6th John Smith of Providence; 18 May 1652 - 17 May 1653
- 7th Gregory Dexter of Providence; 17 May 1653 - 16 May 1654
- 8th Nicholas Easton of Newport; 16 May 1654 - 12 September 1654
- 9th Roger Williams of Providence; 12 September 1654 - 19 May 1657
- 10th Benedict Arnold of Newport; 19 May 1657 - 22 May 1660
- 11th William Brenton of Newport; 22 May 1660 - 22 May 1662
- 12th Benedict Arnold of Newport; 22 May 1662 - November 1663
Governors of Newport and Portsmouth under the Coddington Commission
- William Coddington of Newport; 20 May 1651 - 17 May 1653
- John Sanford of Portsmouth; 17 May 1653 - 1653
Governors under the Royal Charter of 1663">Rhode Island Royal Charter">Royal Charter of 1663
- Benedict Arnold November 1663 - 2 May 1666
- William Brenton 2 May 1666 - 5 May 1669
- Benedict Arnold 5 May 1669 - 1 May 1672
- Nicholas Easton 1 May 1672 - 6 May 1674
- William Coddington 6 May 1674 - 3 May 1676
- Walter Clarke 3 May 1676 - 2 May 1677
- Benedict Arnold 2 May 1677 - 19 June 1678
- William Coddington 28 August 1678 - 1 November 1678
- John Cranston 8 November 1678 - 12 March 1680
- Peleg Sanford 16 March 1680 - 2 May 1683
- William Coddington Jr. 2 May 1683 - 6 May 1685
- Henry Bull 6 May 1685 - 5 May 1686
- Walter Clarke 5 May 1686 - 20 December 1686
The Rhode Island Charter was suspended from 1686-1689. During this time, Sir Edmund Andros served as Governor of the Dominion of New England, which included Rhode Island. Andros was deposed on April 18, 1689.Vacant 20 December 1686 - 27 February 1690
- Henry Bull of Newport; 27 February 1690 - 7 May 1690
- John Easton of Newport; 7 May 1690 - 1 May 1695
- Caleb Carr of Jamestown; 1 May 1695 - 17 December 1695
- Walter Clarke of Newport; 6 May 1696 - circa March 1698
- Samuel Cranston of Newport; circa March 1698 - May 1727
- Joseph Jenckes of Providence; May 1727 - May 1732
- William Wanton of Newport; May 1732 - between 3 December 1733 and 4 February 1734
- John Wanton of Newport; 5 May 1734 - 5 July 1740
- Richard Ward of Newport; 15 July 1740 - 4 May 1743
- William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1743 - 1 May 1745
- Gideon Wanton of Newport; 1 May 1745 - 7 May 1746
- William Greene of Warwick; 7 May 1746 - 6 May 1747
- Gideon Wanton of Newport; 6 May 1747 - 4 May 1748
- William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1748 - 7 May 1755
- Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 7 May 1755 - 4 May 1757
- William Greene of Warwick; 4 May 1757 - 23 January 1758
- Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 13 March 1758 - 5 May 1762
- Samuel Ward of Newport; 5 May 1762 - 4 May 1763
- Stephen Hopkins of Providence; May 1763 - 3 May 1765
- Samuel Ward of Newport; 3 May 1765 - 1 May 1767
- Stephen Hopkins of Providence; 1 May 1767 - 4 May 1768
- Josias Lyndon of Newport; 4 May 1768 - 3 May 1769
- Joseph Wanton of Newport; 3 May 1769 - 7 November 1775
- Nicholas Cooke of Providence; 7 November 1775 - 6 May 1778
Note - the Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663 remained in effect until the Constitution of Rhode Island was ratified in 1842. For a list of Governors of Rhode Island from 1775 to the present see List of governors of Rhode Island.
