Patience Island lies off the northwest coast of Prudence Island

Prudence Island

Prudence Island is the third largest island in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island and part of the town of Portsmouth. It is located near the geographical center of the bay. It is defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 3, Census Tract 401.03 of Newport County,...

, in the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island

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...

, United States. The island has no inhabitants since the Steere Family and has a land area of 0.8536 km² (0.33 sq mi, or 210.9 acres), making it the fourth-largest island in Narragansett Bay

Narragansett 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...

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History

The island and others nearby were named by Roger Williams and other early colonists. Colonial school children often recited the poem: "Patience, Prudence, Hope

Hope Island (Rhode Island)

Hope Island is a 91-acre island located in Narragansett Bay, in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The island, along with nearby Prudence Island and Patience Island, is part of the Narragansett Bay Reserve, home to colonial wading birds during their nesting season of spring and summer.-History:The...

 and Despair

Despair Island

Despair Island is a small island in Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.Despair is located in between Hope Island and Prudence Island. The island is composed of many outcroppings of rocks used extensively by nesting birds...

. And the little Hog

Hog Island (Rhode Island)

Hog Island is an island in Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, USA. It lies at the entrance to the harbor of the town of Bristol, and is part of the town of Portsmouth. The 60-foot tall Hog Island Shoal Lighthouse stands off the south end, warning ships to beware of the dangerous shoals around the...

over there."http://lighthouse.cc/prudence/history.html Patience Island became part of Portsmouth in 1664.