Individual Details

Roger Williams

(December 21, 1602 - April 1, 1683)

Roger Williams was born in Smithfield, Greater London, England on December 21 1602. He was raised in a religious family, educated at Cambridge and convinced that 1600 English religion was doomed because of it's fakeness and corruption. He married Mary Barnard, maybe after being unable to marry his true love. They took up residence in Salem Massachusetts in 1634 with the promise of religious freedom. Quickly Roger saw flaws in the set up. He was most upset that the colonial government was using the guise of religion to take land from the native tribes. Roger's idea was to live peacefully and respectfully with the natives, he wrote Key to the Language to facilitate this arrangement. Pretty quick, Roger was banished from Massachusetts. He escaped in the night with John the miller Smith and Thomas Angell and a couple others- they named their new home Providence.

Events

BirthDecember 21, 1602Smithfield, Greater London, England - London, England
MarriageDecember 15, 1629England - Mary Barnard
CivilOctober 19, 1630Freeman - Massachuetts Bay Colony, Massachusetts, United States
Arrival1631on the Lyon - Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
Civil1634Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
CivilJanuary 26, 1634Alice Pemberton's will
CivilOctober 8, 1635Banished
Residence1636Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Civil1637Providence Civil Compact - Providence, Rhode Island, United States
CivilJuly 27, 1640Signer of Providence agreement
DeathApril 1, 1683Providence, Rhode Island, United States
OccupationPastor, Founder of the First Baptist Church - Providence, Rhode Island, United States
BurialRoger Williams Memorial, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
OccupationAuthor, linguistic anthropologist
OccupationFounder of Rhode Island

Families

SpouseMary Barnard (1609 - 1676)
ChildMary Williams (1633 - 1681)
ChildFreeborn Williams (1635 - 1710)
ChildProvidence Williams (1638 - 1686)
ChildMercy Williams (1640 - 1705)
ChildDaniel Williams (1641 - 1712)
ChildJoseph Williams (1643 - 1724)
FatherJames Williams (1562 - 1620)
MotherAlice Pemberton (1564 - 1633)

Notes

Civil

The state cannot use religious grounds to take land from the Indians, demand loyalty oaths or demand religious uniformity; *mixing state and church nurtures Civil Unrest, Strife, War and Suffering.

Civil

Alice Pemberton's will "to my son Roger Williams now beyond the seas". Roger and Sydrack would take their brother Robert, executor of mom's estate, to court, he traveled Italy and didn't honor his mom's wishes in getting allowances to Roger and Sydrack.

Civil

Banished from Massachusetts by the General Court "my soul's desire was to do the natives good"

Civil

Signer of the Providence Civil Compact Wikipedia "We, whose names are hereunder do promise to subject ourselves in active or passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of our body, in an orderly way".

Occupation

Founder of the First Baptist Church in America, We are not Southern Baptists, We are not Jerry Falwell Baptists, We are not Westboro Baptist Church Baptists, We are Roger Williams Baptists.

Endnotes

1. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., "Wikipedia the free encyclopedia," Online reference, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia.org (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page : accessed ); Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

2. (1995). ||

3. Rhode Island Historical Society. Rhode Island Historical Society Collections. Providence: The Society, 1918, Volume 15-16 (1922-23) page 57 Parish Church at High Lever, Essex, England.

4. Palfrey, John Gorham. History of New England. Boston: Little, Brown, 1860, Page 412 Chapter X Massachusetts.

5. Bicknell, Thomas Williams. The History of the State of Rhode Island And Providence Plantations. New York: The American Historical Society, 1920, Volume 1 page 147 Providence Its beginning.

6. (1995). ||

7. Bicknell, Thomas Williams. The History of the State of Rhode Island And Providence Plantations. New York: The American Historical Society, 1920, Volume 1 page 158 Providence It's Beginnings.

8. Providence (R.I.). Record Commissioners. The Early Records of the Town of Providence, V. I-XXI. Providence, Snow and Farnham, city printers, 1892, Volume 1 page 7, Princeton copy is searchable by page.

9. Staples, William R. Annals of the Town of Providence, From Its First Settlement, to the Organization of the City Government, In June, 1832. Providence: Printed by Knowles and Vose, 1843, Page 43 General History witness our hands..

10. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., "Wikipedia the free encyclopedia," Online reference, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia.org (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page : accessed ); Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

11. (1995). ||

12. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., "Wikipedia the free encyclopedia," Online reference, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia.org (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page : accessed ); Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

13. , "FindAGrave.com," online database, Find a Grave ( http://www.findagrave.com : accessed ), .

14. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., "Wikipedia the free encyclopedia," Online reference, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia.org (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page : accessed ); Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

15. Palfrey, John Gorham. History of New England. Boston: Little, Brown, 1860, Page 412 Chapter X Massachusetts.

16. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., "Wikipedia the free encyclopedia," Online reference, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia.org (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page : accessed ); Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

17. Providence (R.I.). City Council. Ceremonies At the Unveiling of the Monument to Roger Williams: Erected by the City of Providence. Providence: Angell, Hammett, City Printers, 1877, Page 5 of 52, two images of statue, October 16, 1877.

18. Bicknell, Thomas Williams. The History of the State of Rhode Island And Providence Plantations. New York: The American Historical Society, 1920, Volume 1 page 147 Providence Its beginning.

19. Bicknell, Thomas Williams. The History of the State of Rhode Island And Providence Plantations. New York: The American Historical Society, 1920, Volume 1 page 158 Providence It's Beginnings.