General Notes

Founder of Rhode Island (Providence Plantations) Colony in United States.Born in either England or Wales. Rev. Roger Williams is older brother of Sydrach Williams, Robert Williams, and Catherine Williams, son of James Williams and Alice Ann Pemberton.

Roger Williams married Mary Barnard (born 1604)on December 15, 1629 in England. Left England together in 1631 as advocate for freedom of worship, heading to U.S. to seek this mission and vision. Arrived in Boston Massachusetts on February 5 1631 aboard the ship Lyons, and lived in Salem Massachusetts until 1635, when banished from colony for his "freethinker" views and positions. Roger then went to Plymouth Mass before leaving to found Rhode Island. Also founded the first Baptist church in America.

All of his children (Mary, Freeborn, Providence, Mercy, Daniel, and Joseph Williams) were born by his wife Mary once in U.S. (all born in either  Massachusetts or RI colonies).

In 1636, founded colony of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations, buying land from the Naragansett Indians to start the colony. Roger believed in purchasing land from the Indians rather than taking it by force, and also believed in religious freedom, separation of church and state, and political democracy.

Roger Williams subsequently went to England twice to get charter for colony granted and confirmed. Served as president of Rhode Island colony (after founding it) for 44 years, and served as Governor from 1654 - 1658.

A group of Roger Williams descendants have a society based in Rhode Island, open to other descendants.
Note:
Was elected scholar and was sent to Sutton's Hospital, in 1621, by Sir Edward Coke, who took a liking to him from seeing him take sermons and speeches in the Star Chamber in shorthand. In 1625 he entered Pembroke College, Cambridge, and in 1627 took the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In 1629 he was chaplain to Sir William Masham, of Otes, in the parish of High Laver, in Essex County. In 1630, December 1, he embarked at Bristol in the ship, "Lion," and arrived at Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts., February 5, 1631. In a few short weeks he was settled as pastor over the church at Salem, spending a part of the following summer, however, at Plymouth. In 1635, in the spring, he was summoned from Salem before the court at Boston for some offense in his preaching, and the following October he was banished from the colony. In January, 1636, the order of the court not having been obeyed, a messenger was sent to Salem to arrest him, when it was found he had fled three days before.

TGMB:
Origin: High Laver, Essex, England
Migration: 1631 on "Lyon".
First Residence: Salem
Removes: Plymouth 1631, Salem 1633, Providence 1636.
In England 1643-4 and 1651-4.
On Providence Freeman List 1655.
Education: matriculated at Cambridge from Pembroke College 29 Jun 1623. BA 1626/7.

Note: "Parish records of St. Sepulchre's Church where he was christened were destroyed in the Great London Fire in 1666". Arnold's VR has "born Wales 1598".

Note: "Funeral attended with such honors as the town could provide and a salute of guns was fired over his grave. He was buried in the orchard in the rear of his homestead lot. Many years later, his remains were disinterred and placed in the tomb of a descendant in the North Burial Ground. In 1936 they were sealed within a bronze container and set into the base of the monument erected to his memory on Prospect Terrace."