This is a list of the "judges," presidents, and governors of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from 1638 to 1776.
William Coddington 1638-1639
William Hutchinson 1639 - March 1640
William Coddington 1639-1640
Governor of Rhode Island (Portsmouth and Newport)
William Rosales 1640 - 1647
Chief Officer under the Patent of 1643 (Providence and Warwick)
Roger Williams September 1644-May 1647
1st John Coggeshall May-1647-November 1647 (died in office)
2nd Jeremy Clarke May 1648-May 1649
3rd John Smith May 1649-May 1650
4th Nicholas Easton May 1650-August 1651
5th Samuel Gorton October 1651-May 1652 (Providence and Warwick only)
6th John Smith May 1652-May 1653 (Providence and Warwick only)
7th Gregory Dexter May 1653-May 1654 (Providence and Warwick only)
8th Nicholas Easton May 1654-September 1654
9th Roger Williams September 1654-May 1657
10th Benedict Arnold May 1657-May 1660
11th William Brenton May 1660-May 1662
12th Benedict Arnold May 1662-November 1663
Governors of Newport and Portsmouth under the Coddington Commission
William Coddington May 1651-May 1653
John Sanford May 1653 – 1653 (died in office between June and November 1653)
Benedict Arnold November 1663-May 1666
William Brenton May 1666 – 1669
Benedict Arnold 1669-1672
Nicholas Easton 1672-1674
William Coddington 1674-1676
Walter Clarke 1676-1677
Benedict Arnold 1677-1678 (died in office)
William Coddington 1678 (died in office)
John Cranston 1678-1680 (died in office)
Peleg Sanford 1680-1683
William Coddington, Jr. 1683-1685
Henry Bull 1685-1686
Walter Clarke 1686
The Rhode Island Charter was suspended from 1686-1689. During this time, Sir Edmund Andros served as Governor of the Dominion of New England, which included Rhode Island.
Vacant May 1689-February 1690
Henry Bull February 1690-May 1690
John Easton May 1690-May 1695
Caleb Carr May 1695-December 1695 (died in office)
Walter Clarke 1696-1698 (resigned from office)
Samuel Cranston 1698-1727
Joseph Jenckes 1727-1732
William Wanton 1732-1733 (died in office)
John Wanton 1734-1740 (died in office)
Richard Ward 1740-1743
William Greene 1743-1745
Gideon Wanton 1745-1746
William Greene 1746-1747
Gideon Wanton 1747-1748
William Greene 1748-1755
Stephen Hopkins 1755-1757
William Greene 1757-1758 (died in office)
Stephen Hopkins 1758-1762
Samuel Ward 1762-1763
Stephen Hopkins 1763-1765
Samuel Ward 1765-1767
Stephen Hopkins 1767-1768
Josias Lyndon 1768-1769
Joseph Wanton 1769-1775 (removed from office)
Nicholas Cooke 1775-1778
