By Lester Warren Fish
22 THE FISH FAMILY friend Thomas Skelton, and while there he was joined by five other men from the Salem colony, William Harris (fisherman), John Smith (miller), Joshua Verin, Thomas Angell and Francis Wickes (carpenter). This new home, called Providence Planta- tions, was situated at the head of Narragansett Bay, in the land of the Narragansetts ruled byt the Indian Chief, Canonicus. Williams befriended the Chief and bought from him this beauti- ful land, of several hundred acres, at a price much greater than that paid by the Dutch for the island of Manhattan ten years before, safeguarding the Indians in the possession of the titles to their tribal lands being one of the principles upon which Wil- liams' new Colony was to be founded. The Indians inhabiting the southern part of New England during this time were divided into three principal tribes. The Pokanokets lived in the southeastern Massachusetts and included among subordinate tribes the Wampanoags, along the eastern shore of the Providence River and Mount Hope Bay. The Nar- ragansetts and tributary tribes possessed nearly the whole of the state of Rhode Island. The Pequots, with the Mohagans with whom they blended, occupied Connecticut. Feeling that it was through the providence of God that he was led to this desirable place, and in recognition of His merciful care, Roger Williams named the place Providence. This was in 1636 (the year of the founding of Harvard University at Cambridge), just seven years before the arrival of the immigrant Thomas3 Fish at Portsmouth on the Island of Aquidneck in Narragansett Bay, south of Providence. Williams lived at Providence for forty-seven years, dying there at 85, and was buried on his own original lot, No. 38, located between Benefit and No. Main Street near the spring that still bears his name. The present State of Rhode Island had its origin in the union for four towns, all established before 1643, Providence on the mainland, Portsmouth, Newport and Warwick on the Island of Aquindeck. In 1644 Williams received a charter from Charles I of England and Mar. 14, 1644, the smaller settlements with the exception of Warwick were incorporated into "The Provi- dence Plantations on Narragansett Bay in New England," and in "Towne Meeting" held in Portsmouth May 19, 20, 21, 1644, it was voted that Warwick should enjoy the same privileges as the other three towns. The name of the Island of Aquidneck was changed to "The Isle of Rhodes," or Rhode Island, May 13, 1644. Accordingto Arnold's "History of Rhode Island," "The Aquidneck settlements for many years increased more rapidly
EARLY FISH FAMILIES IN ENGLAND 23
than those on the main land. The accessions appear to have
been, for the most part, from a superior class iin point of education
and social standing, which for more than a century secured for
them a controlling influence in the colony.'
THE SETTLEMENT OF PORTSMOUTH
The settlement of Portsmouth was brought about by the
banishment of Ann Hutchinson from the Massachusetts Bay
Colony because of her peculiar religious tenet that faith in
Christ relieves those holding it from obligation to keep even
the Moral Law. She was banished in Nov. 1637, with nineteen
others among whom were her husband, her son Edward, Jr., and
other children, also William Coddington, John Clarke, M.D.,
and John Coggeshall.
These exiles, under the leadership of William Coddigton, a
University of Cambridge man, and John Clarke, M.D., were
welcomed by Roger Williams and allowed to establish a planta-
tion near the Providence settlement. The entire Island of Aquid-
neck was purchased from the Indians for a small sum. On the
northern part of the Island, near an Indian Village called Po-
casset, they decided to settle, and on June 1, 1639, they called
their little town Portsmouth. Here a "Body Politic" was formed,
the deed to the land being taken in the name of William Codding-
ton and nineteen of his friends,and held by him until Apr. 14,
1652, when he deeded the Island to the entire company.
During the War for Independence the British under General
Prescott occupied the Island. He took possession in the fall of
1776, and harassed the settlers until Dec. 1779, when he with-
drew. Before the soldiers tok possession the inhabitants were
allowed to remove some of their belongings to the mainland, but
the soldiers under Prescott were allowed to commit depredations
and indignities upon the settlers. After the war the Government
attempted to repay those whose property was destroyed or
damaged, and among those who sought recompense were the
following members of the Fish family: Benjamin, Stephen,
Christopher and John.
In Feb. 1805 the Rhode Island Turnpike Company, composed
of Artemus, Peleg and Isaac Fish and Abraham Barker, was
chartered by the Assembly, and a turnpike was constructed
across the Island which remained in use as a toll road until 1864.
THE FIRST CHURCH ON THE ISLAND
One of the first considerations was the establishment by the
settlers of a House of Worship, which appears to have been
24 THE FISH FAMILY
a Quaker Meeting house. It was visited in 1672 by George Fox,
the founder of the Society of Friends, Seekers, or Quakers in
England. At a "Meeting May 13, 1638, it is ordered that a
meeting house shall be set on a neck of Land that goes over to
the Mane of the Island, where Mr. John Coggeshall and Mr.
John Sandford shall lay it out."
It appeared, however, that not all would be made law-abiding
by the presence of a church in their midst but would have to be
dealt with by physical force. "At a Meetinge on August 20, 1638,
it is voted that a pair of stocks and a whipping post be made
forthwith. Also voated that a howse for a prison be built out of
the Treasury."
The Indians that inhabited the Island were friendly, however,
wild swine and wolves had to be dealt with, and Sept. 19, 1642,
Williams was commissioned to deal with the chief of the Nar-
ragansetts to drive the wolves from the Island. It was also voted
that certain of the settlers be appointed to drive the swine to
other parts of the Island or to other smaller Islands.
In 1639, William Coddington and others having withdrawn
from the Portsmouth settlement toform a new colony, Ports-
mouth was reorganized. The record of this reorganization is
still in existence, and readsas follows: "April 30, 1639. Wee
whose names are undersigned do admit ourselves the loyale
subjects of his majesty King Charles, in his name doe wee bind
ourselves into a Civill body pollitict, sgreeable unto his lawes
according to all matters of Justice." Among the signers were
Edward Hutchinson, Edward, Jr., and William Hutchinson,
John Weeks and John Tripp. The Hutchinsons were large land-
owners on the Island, but upon the death of her husband in 1642.
Ann Hutchinson sold her property, and removed with her family,
and her erroneous religious belief, to Long Island, where shortly
afterward she was massacred by the Indians together with many
of her large family of children.
It is interesting to note the importance of this town in the
colony during the early years. An accurate index of this is the
quotas of their contributions toward the expense of their agent
John Clarke, M.D., at the Court of England, which in 1661
were as follows: Newport 85 pounds, Providence 40 pounds, Portsmouth
40 pounds and Warwick 35 pounds.
MARRIAGE RECORDS
Some of the marriage records are of interest because of the
peculiar wording, and especially that of Thomas4 Fish, Jr.:
Thomas fish of the Town of Portsmouth, junior, was married unto
Grizzigon Strange, daughter of John of the said Portmouth on the 16th of
EARLY FISH FAMILIES IN ENGLAND 25
Dec. 1668. The birth of the said Thomas and Grizzigon fishes children are
as follows: Alice fish was born 15 Sept. 1671, Grizzel, 12 April, 1673, Hope,
5 March, 1675, Preserved, 12 Aug. 1679, Mehitable, 22 July, 1684.
The settlers were very jealous of the introduction of unsuitable
persons to their society. they were also watchful to prevent
any undesirable persons from remaining among them for any
length of time.
SETTLEMENT OF NEWPORT
On Apr. 28, 1639, William Coddington and eight others founded
a plantation to the south and this settlement was named Newport.
On Mar. 12, 1640, a compact amounting to a government was
entered into by a union of Portsmouth and Newport under a
governor or deputy governor and assistants; the governor and
two assistants to be chosen from one town and the deputy and
two other assistants from the other town. Our ancestor Robert4
Fish and his father Thomas3 Fish were appointed deputies to
the general assembly at Newport. It is a little known fact that
the State of Rhode Island had two Capitals until the year 1900,
Newport on the island and Providence on the mainland.
Now that it is an accepted fact by some authorities that the
American continent was first discovered by the Norsemen, Lief
Ericson, about the year 1000 there is authority of believing that
this locality was the scene of the Norse settlement of Vineland,
and many accept the curious old stone mill at Newport as evi-
dence of an occupation earlier than the seventeenth century.
An Icelander, Bjarne Herjulfson, is also reputed to have visited
the American continent in 986 A.D., and his description of the
country may have led to the expedition of Lief Ericson.
SETTLEMENT OF WARWICK
In March 1642, at a "Meetinge of the General Court at New-
port," it was ordered that Richard Carder, Randall Holden,
Sampson Shatton and Robert Potter be disfranchised of the
Privileges and Prerogatives belonging to the Body og this State."
these men claimed that no government could be established
here in the colonies without the consent of the crown, and no
doubt referred specifically to the compact or government set
up by the union of Portsmouth and Newport (although in 1620
the Pilgrim Fathers had made the initial attempt to make laws
in America when forty-one of them signed the Mayflower Com-
pact).
26 THE FISH FAMILY
These four men, Carder, Holden, Shatton and Potter, joined
with others holding the same views, and in Jan. 1642/43, on a site
called by the Indians Shawonet, they founded a settlement and
called it Warwick, after the capital of the Isle of Man. The
deed from Miantonomi to that Company was made out to Samuel
gorton, the leading spirit in its founding on Jan. 12, 1642/43.
THE NEW ENGLAND CONFEDERACY
The New England Confederacy, formed in 1643, the year our
ancestor reached the shores of America, was the first coalition
in the Colonies and remained in force forty years. This union
was made up of the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut
and New Haven colonies (and excluded the Providence Plantations,
which however were united for action with it one year
later), and was formed in order that the colonists might assert
their rights more vigorously in the Connecticut Valley, watch
the movements of the French in the north, and cope with the
warring Pequot Indians.
THE PROVIDENCE SETTLEMENT
In Providence parcels of land had been allotted to each of the
three partners who came with Williams, Harris, Smith and Verin.
Angell and Wickes had not yet reached their majority, but later
became proprietors and prominent in the affairs of the "Providence
Plantations," as the settlement was called. Verin remained
in the "Plantations" but a short time. Because of his
breach of convenant or restraining liberty of conscience he was
no longer allowed to vote and therefore returnef to the Massachusetts
Bay Colony.
Williams was soon joined by others from the Massachusetts
Bay Colony, prominent among whom were Stuckley Wescott,
William Arnold, Thomas James, Robert Cole, John Greene,
John Throckmorton, William Carpenter, Thomas Olney, Francis
Weston, Richard Waterman and Ezekiel Holyman. These
eleven men, with William Coddington and William Harris, were
most prominent in the establishment of the Rhode Island Colonies,
which later became the State of Rhode Island. John
Clarke, M.D., early American physician, was also a founder of
the Rhode Island Colonies.
THE CARPENTER FAMILY
Attention is called to the name of one William Carpenter,
especially because he was a first cousin of the William Carpenter