William Harris (settler)
Encyclopedia
William Harris was one of the five men who accompanied Roger Williams
in establishing the settlement in Rhode Island that became the town of Providence
. He became one of the 12 original proprietors of Providence, and one of the 12 original members of the first Baptist Church in America
, and appears prominently in the early records of the settlement.
Harris had a very keen mind for business, and while Roger Williams was a dreamer, Harris was a realist who knew legal methods and principles better than any other man in Providence. He had very liberal views concerning the freedom of conscience, and published these views. This put him in deep conflict with Roger Williams
, who as President of the colony in 1657 issued a warrant for Harris's arrest with the charge of high treason against the Commonwealth of England. At the ensuing trial, the court decided that the matter must be sent to England for resolution, with Harris being placed under bond. Ultimately, the ruling was in Harris's favor.
Harris was very active in town and colonial affairs from 1660 to 1676, while at the same time acting as agent or representative for interests that were inimical to the interests of the colony. He became an agent on behalf of the Pawtuxet settlers in some complex land disputes, and made several trips to England on their behalf. While he was successful in winning his cases, the results were never realized, and disputes continued following his death.
In his last trip to England in 1680, Harris once again represented the Pawtuxet settlers, but also became an agent for Connecticut
in its claims for the Narragansett lands, very much at odds with Rhode Island interests. During this trip, his ship was seized by an Algerian corsair, and he became a slave along the Barbary Coast
. Being released over a year later after a very high ransom had been paid on his behalf, he made his way back to London
where he died three days after his arrival there.
. Roger Williams provides the only clue, in calling him a morris dance
r coming from the English county of Kent
. Austin said that Harris had sailed on the ship Lyon with Roger Williams, but his exclusion from Anderson's Great Migration series suggests that there is no evidence for such an assertion, or else the statement has been proven false.
was forced to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony
in 1635, he spent that winter in Seekonk
in the Plymouth Colony
, and the following spring five other men, including Harris, and their families joined Williams in crossing the river into what Williams would name Providence
in the future Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
. Traveling with Harris were his wife, Susannah, and his infant son, Andrew. In 1677 Roger Williams mentioned those coming with him to Providence, saying "[I] desired not to be troubled with English company, yet out of pity I gave leave to William Harris, then poor and destitute, to come along in my company."
In 1638 Harris was one of the 12 original proprietors of Providence, when Roger Williams included him, with eleven others, in a deed of the land originally obtained from the Indian sachem
s Canonicus
and Miantonomi. The following year Harris became one of the 12 founding members of the first Baptist Church in America
, and in 1640 he and 38 others signed an agreement to establish a government in Providence. By 1638 a group of the Providence settlers, led by William Arnold had settled along the Patuxent River
, and soon tensions arose between these men and the other Providence settlers. In 1640 Harris was on a committee with three others to consider the differences between the disputing parties, and come up with an amicable solution. Ultimately matters grew worse to the point that the Pawtuxet settlers put themselves under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts
for 16 years before re-uniting with the Providence government.
of the colony. Sometime in the mid 1650s "an inveterate hostility arose" between Harris and Roger Williams. The source of this discord appears to have been their different views on the nature of liberty. Historian Samuel G. Arnold
wrote about this enmity, saying:
Harris was almost constantly employed in undertakings that were inimical to the interests of Rhode Island, and took on a position that the Arnolds of Pawtuxet previously held, either as a factional leader within the state or the agent and representative of interests abroad. Arnold wrote that this was regrettable because "he brought to whatever he undertook the resources of a great mind and, to all appearances, the honest convictions of an earnest soul."
Harris had published in a book the notion that one following his conscience should not have to yield to "any human order amongst men," a position that Williams called "unbounded license for individuals." On 12 March 1657, Williams, as President of the colony, issued a warrant for Harris' arrest, on the charge of high treason against the Commonwealth of England. The warrant charged Harris with having published "dangerous writings containing his notorious defiance to the authority of his highness the Lord Protector
," and inciting the people into a "traitorous renouncing of their allegiance." The trial of Harris took place at a special session of the General Court in Warwick, where he read a copy of his book while Williams read the original. Williams also read to the court copies of his accusation against Harris and his charges. A few months later, the General Court concluded that Harris' behavior was "both contemptuous and seditious," but nevertheless decided that it was best to send the case to England where judgment could be made, and in the meantime to bind Harris with a bond contingent upon his good behavior. Harris was ultimately absolved of any wrongdoing.
and Benjamin Smith, protested the action against him, and the fine was eventually remitted.
, and Robert Cole, and Harris became their agent. In 1675 he once again made a trip to England as agent for the Pawtuxet proprietors, with the intent of laying the case before the King, and then in 1679 he made a final trip to England for the same business. In addition, he was also hired by the Connecticut Colony
as their agent to support their claims to the Narragansett country. Harris was apparently successful in his claims against the Town of Providence, as alluded to by Governor John Cranston in a January 1680 letter to King Charles II
. Nevertheless, the question of jurisdiction and title to the Pawtuxet lands was not ultimately settled until many years after Harris's death.
In late January 1680, Harris set sail on a vessel to return to New England
, but the ship was commandeered by an Algerian corsair
, and Harris was taken and sold into slavery along the Barbary Coast
. After being enslaved for more than a year, he was ransomed at a very high price, and Connecticut paid more than 289 pounds for his release, though the entire amount was paid back by his family. He began his return by traveling through Spain
and France
, arriving in London, but dying three days after his arrival there at the house of his friend John Stokes. He had written several letters while in captivity, one of them to his wife, dated in Algiers
on 6 April 1680.
. Their daughter Susannah married Ephraim Carpenter, the son of Pawtuxet settler William Carpenter
, and their daughter Howlong married (as his second wife) Arthur Fenner, who with his first wife was ancestor of Rhode Island Governor Arthur Fenner
.
Historian Thomas W. Bicknell
wrote the following of Harris:
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,...
in establishing the settlement in Rhode Island that became the town of Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. He became one of the 12 original proprietors of Providence, and one of the 12 original members of the first Baptist Church in America
First Baptist Church in America
The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse. The oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, it was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638...
, and appears prominently in the early records of the settlement.
Harris had a very keen mind for business, and while Roger Williams was a dreamer, Harris was a realist who knew legal methods and principles better than any other man in Providence. He had very liberal views concerning the freedom of conscience, and published these views. This put him in deep conflict with 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,...
, who as President of the colony in 1657 issued a warrant for Harris's arrest with the charge of high treason against the Commonwealth of England. At the ensuing trial, the court decided that the matter must be sent to England for resolution, with Harris being placed under bond. Ultimately, the ruling was in Harris's favor.
Harris was very active in town and colonial affairs from 1660 to 1676, while at the same time acting as agent or representative for interests that were inimical to the interests of the colony. He became an agent on behalf of the Pawtuxet settlers in some complex land disputes, and made several trips to England on their behalf. While he was successful in winning his cases, the results were never realized, and disputes continued following his death.
In his last trip to England in 1680, Harris once again represented the Pawtuxet settlers, but also became an agent for Connecticut
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
in its claims for the Narragansett lands, very much at odds with Rhode Island interests. During this trip, his ship was seized by an Algerian corsair, and he became a slave along the Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
. Being released over a year later after a very high ransom had been paid on his behalf, he made his way back to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he died three days after his arrival there.
Early life
Almost nothing is known about the life of William Harris before he came to New EnglandNew 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...
. Roger Williams provides the only clue, in calling him a morris dance
Morris dance
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...
r coming from the English county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Austin said that Harris had sailed on the ship Lyon with Roger Williams, but his exclusion from Anderson's Great Migration series suggests that there is no evidence for such an assertion, or else the statement has been proven false.
Settling Providence
When Roger WilliamsRoger 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,...
was forced to leave 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 1635, he spent that winter in Seekonk
Seekonk, Massachusetts
Seekonk is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Massachusetts border. It was incorporated in 1812 from the western half of Rehoboth. The population was 13,722 at the 2010 census. Until 1862, the town of Seekonk also included what is now the City of East Providence, Rhode...
in 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...
, and the following spring five other men, including Harris, and their families joined Williams in crossing the river into what Williams would name Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in the future 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...
. Traveling with Harris were his wife, Susannah, and his infant son, Andrew. In 1677 Roger Williams mentioned those coming with him to Providence, saying "[I] desired not to be troubled with English company, yet out of pity I gave leave to William Harris, then poor and destitute, to come along in my company."
In 1638 Harris was one of the 12 original proprietors of Providence, when Roger Williams included him, with eleven others, in a deed of the land originally obtained from the Indian sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
s Canonicus
Canonicus
Canonicus was a Native American chief of the Narragansett. He was a firm friend of English settlers.-Biography:...
and Miantonomi. The following year Harris became one of the 12 founding members of the first Baptist Church in America
First Baptist Church in America
The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse. The oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, it was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638...
, and in 1640 he and 38 others signed an agreement to establish a government in Providence. By 1638 a group of the Providence settlers, led by William Arnold had settled along the Patuxent River
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
, and soon tensions arose between these men and the other Providence settlers. In 1640 Harris was on a committee with three others to consider the differences between the disputing parties, and come up with an amicable solution. Ultimately matters grew worse to the point that the Pawtuxet settlers put themselves under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts
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...
for 16 years before re-uniting with the Providence government.
Clash with Roger Williams
Over the next ten years, Harris was able to accumulate a fair amount of land, and in a 1650 tax list he was assessed more than one pound in taxes, one of the higher amounts in the colony. In 1655 he appears in the Providence section of a list of freemenFreeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
of the colony. Sometime in the mid 1650s "an inveterate hostility arose" between Harris and Roger Williams. The source of this discord appears to have been their different views on the nature of liberty. Historian Samuel G. Arnold
Samuel G. Arnold
Samuel Greene Arnold, Jr. was a United States Senator from Rhode Island. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he received his early education under private tutors, and graduated from Brown University in 1841 and, in 1845, the law department of Harvard University, gaining admission to the bar that year...
wrote about this enmity, saying:
[This hostility] was carried to a degree of personal invective that mars the exalted character of Williams and detracts from the dignity and worth of his opponent. It was never forgotten by the one or forgiven by the other. Both were men of ardent feelings and of great address, whose mental activity was never at rest.
Harris was almost constantly employed in undertakings that were inimical to the interests of Rhode Island, and took on a position that the Arnolds of Pawtuxet previously held, either as a factional leader within the state or the agent and representative of interests abroad. Arnold wrote that this was regrettable because "he brought to whatever he undertook the resources of a great mind and, to all appearances, the honest convictions of an earnest soul."
Harris had published in a book the notion that one following his conscience should not have to yield to "any human order amongst men," a position that Williams called "unbounded license for individuals." On 12 March 1657, Williams, as President of the colony, issued a warrant for Harris' arrest, on the charge of high treason against the Commonwealth of England. The warrant charged Harris with having published "dangerous writings containing his notorious defiance to the authority of his highness the Lord Protector
Oliver 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....
," and inciting the people into a "traitorous renouncing of their allegiance." The trial of Harris took place at a special session of the General Court in Warwick, where he read a copy of his book while Williams read the original. Williams also read to the court copies of his accusation against Harris and his charges. A few months later, the General Court concluded that Harris' behavior was "both contemptuous and seditious," but nevertheless decided that it was best to send the case to England where judgment could be made, and in the meantime to bind Harris with a bond contingent upon his good behavior. Harris was ultimately absolved of any wrongdoing.
Colonial leader
Harris was active in the affairs of Providence over a period of 16 years, from 1660, when he became a commissioner, to 1676. He served as Deputy for two terms, and as Assistant to the governor for seven terms. He was also General Solicitor for a year, and on the Providence Town Council for seven years. In 1667 he was discharged from his office as Assistant based on "many grievous complaints against him." He was fined 50 pounds, but some Assistants, particularly William CarpenterWilliam Carpenter (Rhode Island)
William Carpenter William Carpenter William Carpenter (born about 1610 probably in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England - died September 7, 1685 at Providence (Pawtuxet section now in Cranston, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) was a co-founder of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
and Benjamin Smith, protested the action against him, and the fine was eventually remitted.
Agent for Pawtuxet interests
In 1663 Harris made a trip to England on business involving the lands at Pawtuxet. Land disputes had been ongoing concerning the Pawtuxet settlers, William Arnold, William CarpenterWilliam Carpenter (Rhode Island)
William Carpenter William Carpenter William Carpenter (born about 1610 probably in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England - died September 7, 1685 at Providence (Pawtuxet section now in Cranston, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) was a co-founder of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
, and Robert Cole, and Harris became their agent. In 1675 he once again made a trip to England as agent for the Pawtuxet proprietors, with the intent of laying the case before the King, and then in 1679 he made a final trip to England for the same business. In addition, he was also hired by the Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
as their agent to support their claims to the Narragansett country. Harris was apparently successful in his claims against the Town of Providence, as alluded to by Governor John Cranston in a January 1680 letter to King 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...
. Nevertheless, the question of jurisdiction and title to the Pawtuxet lands was not ultimately settled until many years after Harris's death.
In late January 1680, Harris set sail on a vessel to return 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...
, but the ship was commandeered by an Algerian corsair
Corsair
Corsairs were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French Crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds...
, and Harris was taken and sold into slavery along the Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
. After being enslaved for more than a year, he was ransomed at a very high price, and Connecticut paid more than 289 pounds for his release, though the entire amount was paid back by his family. He began his return by traveling through Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, arriving in London, but dying three days after his arrival there at the house of his friend John Stokes. He had written several letters while in captivity, one of them to his wife, dated in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
on 6 April 1680.
Family and legacy
Harris and his wife Susannah had five known children. Their oldest son, Andrew, married Mary Tew, the sister of Deputy Governor Henry TewHenry Tew
Henry Tew was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was the son of Richard and Mary Tew who arrived in New England in 1640, and the grandson of Henry Tew of Maidford, Northamptonshire, England...
. Their daughter Susannah married Ephraim Carpenter, the son of Pawtuxet settler William Carpenter
William Carpenter (Rhode Island)
William Carpenter William Carpenter William Carpenter (born about 1610 probably in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England - died September 7, 1685 at Providence (Pawtuxet section now in Cranston, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) was a co-founder of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
, and their daughter Howlong married (as his second wife) Arthur Fenner, who with his first wife was ancestor of Rhode Island Governor Arthur Fenner
Arthur Fenner
Arthur Fenner served as the fourth Governor of Rhode Island from 1790 until his death in 1805 and was a prominent Country Party leader...
.
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...
wrote the following of Harris:
William Harris was one of the greatest of the founders of Providence, in many points superior to Roger Williams, but a very different type of man. Realism ruled his action, while Mr. Williams dreamed dreams. Harris had a legal mind and knew legal forms, methods, and principles, superior to any man in Providence.
See also
- 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...
External links
- Rhode Island History from the State of Rhode Island General Assembly website. See Chapter 2, Colonial Era.