Rhode Island Attorneys General: 1640 - Present

In 1643, Roger Williams obtained a patent (charter) from the English Parliament.  The towns of Providence and Warwick elected a Chief Officer under the authority of this Parliamentary Patent of 1643.  In 1647, the towns of Newport, Portsmouth, Providence, and Warwick formed a united colony under the Parliamentary Patent.  In May 1650, the offices of "Attorney General for the Colonie" and "Solicitor" were created.

Attorney-General (General Attorney) under the Patent of 1643

William Dyre, of Newport

May 1650 - 1651

Solicitor (General Solicitor) under the Patent of 1643

Hugh Buit

May 1650 - 1651

In 1651, Newport and Portsmouth broke with the mainland towns of Providence and Warwick.  No Attorney-General was selected for the latter.

¹ Attorney-General of Newport and Portsmouth under the Coddington Commission

John Easton, of Newport

May 1653 - May 1654

² In 1654, the union of the four towns was re-established.

Attorneys-General Under The Patent of 1643

John Cranston, of Newport	May 1654 - May 1656
John Easton, of Newport	May 1656 - May 1657
John Greene, Jr. of Warwick	May 1657 - May 1660
John Easton, of Newport	May 1660 - May 1663
John Sanford, of Portsmouth	May 1663 - November 1663

³ The Royal Charter was granted by King Charles II on July 8, 1663.

4 John Sanford, of Portsmouth	November 1663 - 1664
John Easton, of Newport	1664 - 1670
John Sanford, of Portsmouth	1670 - 1671
Joseph Torrey, of Newport	1671 - 1672
John Easton, of Newport	1672 - 1674
Peter Easton, of Newport	1674 - 1676
Weston Clarke, of Newport	1676 - 1677
Edward Richmond, of Newport	1677 - 1680
Weston Clarke, of Newport	1680 - 1681
Edmund Calverly, of Warwick	1681 - 1682
John Pococke, of Newport	1684 - 1685
Weston Clarke, of Newport	1685 - 1686
John Pococke, of Newport	1684 - 1685
Weston Clarke, of Newport	1685 - 1686
John Williams, of Newport	1686 - 1686

⁵ The Royal Charter was suspended from 1686 - 1689

6 Sir Edmund Andros, at Boston:  Governor of New England

June 3, 1686 - April 18 - 1689

7 John Pococke, of Newport	May 1690 - ????
8 John Smith, of Warwick	May 1696 - 1698
John Pococke, of Newport	1698 - 1700
John Rhodes, of Warwick	1700 - 1701
John Pococke, of Newport	1701 - 1702
Nathaniel Dyre, of Newport	1702 - 1704
Joseph Sheffield, of Newport	1704 - 1706
Simon Smith, of Warwick	1706 - 1712
Richard Ward, of Newport	1712 - 1713
John Hammett, of Newport	1713 - 1714
Weston Clarke, of Newport	1714 - 1721
Henry Bull, of Newport	1721 - 1722
9 Daniel Updike, of North Kingstown	1722 - 1732
James Honeyman, Jr., of Newport	1732 - 1740

¹⁰ King's Attorneys

James Honeyman, Jr., of Newport Country	1741 - 1743
John Wanton, of Providence County	1741 - 1742
11 Daniel Updike, of King's County	1741 - 1743
John Andrew, of Providence County	1742 - 1743

¹² Attorneys-General

Daniel Updike, of North Kingstown	1746 - 1747
Augustus Johnston, of Newport	1758 - 1766
Oliver Arnold, of Providence	1766 - 1771
Henry Marchant, of Newport	1771 - 1777
William Channing, of Newport	1777 - 1787
Henry Goodwin, of Newport	1787 - 1789
David Howell, of Providence	1789 - 1790
Daniel Updike, of North Kingstown	1790 - 1791
13 William Channing, of Newport	1791 - 1793
14 Ray Greene, of Providence	1794 - 1797
James Burrill, Jr., of Providence	1797 - 1814
Samuel W. Bridgham, of Providence	1814 - 1817
Henry Bowen, of Providence	1817 - 1819
Dutee J. Pearce	1819 - 1825
Albert C. Greene, of East Greenwich	1825 - 1843
Joseph M. Blake, of Bristol	1843 - 1851
Walter S. Burges, of Cranston	1851 - 1854
Christopher Robinson, of Cumberland	1854 - 1855
Charles Hart, of Providence	1855 - 1858
Jerome Kimball, of Providence	1858 - 1860
Walter S. Burges, of Cranston	1860 - 1863
Abraham Payne, of Providence	1863 - 1864
Horatio Rogers, Jr., of Providence	1864 - 1867
Willard Sayles, of Providence	1867 - 1882
Samuel P. Colt, of Bristol	1882 - 1886
Edwin Metcalf, of Providence	1886 - 1887
Ziba O. Slocum, of Providence	1887 - 1888
Horatio Rogers, of Providence	1888 - 1889
Ziba O. Slocum, of Providence	1889 - 1891
Robert W. Burbank, of Providence	1891 - 1894
Edward C. Dubois, of East Providence	1894 - 1897
Willard B. Tanner, of Providence	1897 - 1901	[R]
Charles F. Stearns, of Providence	1901 - 1905	[D]
William B. Greenough, of Providence	1905 - 1912	[R]
15 Herbert A. Rice, of Pawtucket	1912 - 1923	[R]
Herbert L. Carpenter, of No. Smithfield	1923 - 1925	[D]
16 Charles P. Sisson, of Providence	1922 - 1929	[R]
17 Oscar L. Heltzen, of Providence	1929 - 1930	[R]
18 Benjamin M. McLyman, of Providence	1930 - 1933	[R]
John P. Hartigan, of Cranston	1933 - 1939	[D]
Louis V. Jackvony, of Providence	1939 - 1941	[R]
John H. Nolan, of Newport	1941 - 1949	[D]
William E. Powers, of Cumberland	1949 - 1958	[D]
19 J. Joseph Nugent, of Providence	1958 - 1967	[D]
Herbert F. DeSimone, of Providence	1967 - 1971	[R]
Richard J. Israel, of Providence	1971 - 1975	[R]
Julius C. Michaelson, of Providence	1975 - 1979	[D]
Dennis J. Roberts II, of Providence	1979 - 1985	[D]
Arlene N. Violet, of Providence	1985 - 1987	[R]
James E. O'Neil, of Narragansett	1987 - 1993	[D]
Jeffrey B. Pine, of Providence	1993 - 1999	[R]
Sheldon Whitehouse, of Providence	1999 - 2003	[D]
Patrick Lynch, of East Providence	2003 - 2011	[D]
Peter Kilmartin, of Pawtucket	2011 - Present	[D]

Notes:

1. In 1651, a separation occurred between the towns of Providence and Warwick on the one side, which continued the government under the Parliamentary Patent of 1643, and Newport and Portsmouth on the other, which formed a new government under the authority of a commission that had been granted to William Coddington, appointing him proprietary Governor-for-life of the islands of Rhode Island (Aquidneck) and Conanicut (Jamestown). This commission was granted on April 3,1651 by the Council of the State of the Commonwealth of England. [Top]

2.Late in 1651, Roger Williams and John Clarke sailed to England. Williams was seeking the re-affirmation of the 1643 Parent, and Clarke had been asked by residents of Newport and Portsmouth to obtain and annulment of William Coddington's Commission. On October 2, 1652,the Council of State granted their requests. [Top]

3. On July 8, 1663, Dr. John Clarke obtained for the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations a Royal Charter from the Court of King Charles. II. [Top]

4. First Attorney-General elected under the Royal Charter, November 25, 1663. [Top]

5. On June 3, 1686, King James II appointed Sir Edmund Andros to be Governor of New England, and on September 13, 1686, instructed him to demand the surrender of Rhode Island's Royal Charter.  The Charter was suspended and the government of Rhode Island swore allegiance to Sir Edmund Andros, but managed to avoid the surrender of the Royal Charter. [Top]

6.  King James II was deposed on December 10, 1688. King William III and his wife, Queen Mary, were crowned as joint sovereigns of England on April 11, 1689.  The governorship of Sir Edmund Andros was overthrown on April 18, 1689.  On May 1, 1689, the Rhode Island Assembly met in Newport and ordered that the persons elected in May of 1686 should resume their offices. [Top]

7. The first election for Attorney-General after the restoration of the Charter was on May 7, 1690.  John Pococke was elected. [Top]

8.  There is a gap in the colony records from 1690 - 1696. [Top]

9.  Longest service as Attorney General (1722 - 1732 and 1743 - 1758). [Top]

10. In December 1740, the act providing for a colony wide attorney general was repealed, and a king's attorney was chosen for each county. [Top]

11.  King's County later renamed as Washington County. [Top]

12. In September 1742, the act providing for king's attorneys was repealed, and the election of a colony-wide general was re-instated. [Top]

13. Died in Newport, September 17, 1793. [Top]

14. Resigned, have been elected United States Senator. [Top]

15. Longest term as an Attorney General; 11 years. [Top]

16.  Resigned on June 10, 1929. [Top]

17.  Appointed by the Governor on June 10, 1929, replacing Charles P. Sisson. [Top]

18. Elected by the General assembly on January 16, 1930 replacing Charles P. Sisson and was re-elected at general Election on November 4, 1930. [Top]

19. Elected by Grand Committee, January 21, 1958 replacing William E. Powers and was elected at the General Election on November 4, 1958. [Top]

[TOP OF PAGE] Sources: Rhode Island Colonial Records, 1636 - 1792, the Rhode Island Acts & Resolves, and the Rhode Island Manuals 1867 - 2004, all published by the Secretary of State of Rhode Island.