Rhode Island Presidents and Governors A List of the Presidents of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, under the first Patent; and the Governors under the second Charter Collected from the State Records. Presidents Under The First Patent From the year 1647 to 1648 John Coggeshall From the year 1648 to 1649 Jeremiah Clarke From the year 1649 to 1650 John Smith From the year 1650 to 1652 Nicholas Easton Governors Under The First Charter From the year 1654 to 1657 Roger Williams From the year 1657 to 1660 Benedict Arnold From the year 1660 to 1662 William Brenton Governors Under The Second Charter From the year 1663 to 1666 Benedict Arnold From the year 1666 to 1669 William Brenton From the year 1669 to 1672 Benedict Arnold From the year 1672 to 1676 William Coddington From the year 1676 to 1677 Walter Clarke From the year 1677 to 1679 Benedict Arnold From the year 1679 to 1680 John Cranston From the year 1680 to 1683 Peleg Sanford From the year 1683 to 1685 William Coddington From the year 1685 to 1686 Henry Bull From the year 1686 to _____ Walter Clarke The Charter was at this period superseded by Sir Edmund Andross, but it was again restored in 1689. Governors After The Restoration From the year 1689 to 1690 Henry Bull From the year 1690 to 1695 John Easton From the year 1695 to 1696 Caleb Carr From the year 1696 to 1698 Walter Clarke From the year 1698 to 1727 Samuel Cranston From the year 1727 to 1734 William Wanton From the year 1734 to 1741 John Wanton From the year 1741 to 1743 Richard Ward From the year 1745 to 1746 Gideon Wanton From the year 1747 to 1748 Gideon Wanton From the year 1762 to 1763 Samuel Ward From the year 1765 to 1767 Samuel Ward From the year 1768 to 1769 Josias Lyndon From the year 1769 to 1775 Joseph Wanton Source: History of Rhode Island, by Rev. Edward Peterson, 1853  Governor Name Party Term Began: Term Ended: Nicholas Cooke   November 7, 1775 May 4, 1778 William Greene   May 4, 1778 May 3, 1786 John Collins   May 3, 1786 May 5, 1790 Arthur Fenner Country May 5, 1790 October 15, 1805 Henry Smith Country October 15, 1805 May 7, 1806 Isaac Wilbour Country May 7, 1806 May 6, 1807 James Fenner Democratic-Rep. May 6, 1807 May 1, 1811 William Jones Federalist May 1, 1811 May 7, 1817 Nehemiah R. Knight Democratic-Rep. May 7, 1817 May 2, 1821 William C. Gibbs Democratic-Rep. May 2, 1821 May 5, 1824 James Fenner Democratic-Rep. May 5, 1824 May 4, 1831 Lemeuel H. Arnold Whig May 4, 1831 May 1, 1833 John B. Francis Democratic May 1, 1833 May 2, 1838 William Sprague Democratic May 2, 1838 May 2, 1839 Samuel Ward King Rhode Island Party May 2, 1839 May 2, 1843 Thomas Dorr   May 19, 1842 January 23, 1843 James Fenner Law and Order May 2, 1843 May 6, 1845 Charles Jackson   May 6, 1845 May 6, 1846 Byron Diman Law and Order May 6, 1846 May 4, 1847 Elisha Harris Whig May 4, 1847 May 1, 1849 Henry B. Anthony Whig May 1, 1849 May 6, 1851 Philip Allen Democratic May 6, 1851 July 20, 1853 Francis M. Dimond Democratic July 20, 1853 May 2, 1854 William W. Hoppin Whig May 2, 1854 May 26, 1857 Elisha Dyer Republican May 26, 1857 May 31, 1859 Thomas G. Turner Republican May 31, 1859 May 29, 1860 William Sprague Republican May 29, 1860 March 3, 1863 William C. Cozzens Democratic March 3, 1863 May 26, 1863 James Y. Smith Republican May 26, 1863 May 29, 1866 Ambrose Everett Burnside Republican May 29, 1866 May 25, 1869 Seth Padelford Republican May 25, 1869 May 27, 1873 Henry Howard Republican May 27, 1873 May 25, 1875 Henry Lippitt Republican May 25, 1875 May 29, 1877 Charles C. Van Zandt Republican May 29, 1877 May 25, 1880 Alfred H. Littlefield Republican May 25, 1880 May 29, 1883 Augustus O. Bourn Republican May 29, 1883 May 26, 1885 George P. Wetmore Republican May 26, 1885 May 29, 1887 John W. Davis Democratic May 29, 1887 May 28, 1888 Royal C. Taft Republican May 28, 1888 May 28, 1889 Herbert W. Ladd Republican May 28, 1889 May 27, 1890 John Davis Democratic May 27, 1890 May 26, 1891 Herbert W. Ladd Republican May 26, 1891 May 31, 1892 D. Russell Brown Republican May 31, 1892 May 29, 1895 Charles W. Lippitt Republican May 29, 1895 May 25, 1897 Elisha Dyer, Jr. Republican May 25, 1897 May 29, 1900 William Gregory Republican May 29, 1900 December 16, 1901 Charles D. Kimball Republican December 16, 1901 January 3, 1903 Lucius F. C. Garvin Democratic January 3, 1903 January 3, 1905 George H. Utter Republican January 3, 1905 January 1, 1907 James H. Higgins Democratic January 1, 1907 January 5, 1909 Aram J. Pothier Republican January 5, 1909 January 5, 1915 R. Livingston Beeckman Republican January 5, 1915 January 4, 1921 Emery J. San Souci Republican January 4, 1921 January 2, 1923 William S. Flynn Democratic January 2, 1923 January 6, 1925 Aram J. Pothier Republican January 6, 1925 February 4, 1928 Norman S. Case Republican February 4, 1928 January 3, 1933 Theodore Francis Green Democratic January 3, 1933 January 5, 1937 Robert E. Quinn Democratic January 5, 1937 January 3, 1939 William Henry Vanderbilt, III Republican January 3, 1939 January 7, 1941 J. Howard McGrath Democratic January 7, 1941 October 6, 1945 John Orlando Pastore Democratic October 6, 1945 December 19, 1950 John S. McKiernan Democratic December 19, 1950 January 2, 1951 Dennis J. Roberts Democratic January 2, 1951 January 6, 1959 Christopher Del Sesto Republican January 6, 1959 January 3, 1961 John A. Notte, Jr. Democratic January 3, 1961 January 1, 1963 John Hubbard Chafee Republican January 1, 1963 January 7, 1969 Frank Licht Democratic January 7, 1969 January 2, 1973 Philip W. Noel Democratic January 2, 1973 January 4, 1977 J. Joseph Garrahy Democratic January 4, 1977 January 1, 1985 Edward D. DiPrete Republican January 1, 1985 January 1, 1991 Bruce Sundllun Democratic January 1, 1991 January 3, 1995 Lincoln C. Almond Republican January 3, 1995 January 7, 2003 Donald Carcieri Republican January 7, 2003 Present Transcribed by C. Anthony Back to the Index Page ©2009 Genealogy Trails