William Arnold

William Arnold was the son of Nicholas Arnold - not of Thomas Arnold of Cheselbourne, as previously reported. His mother was Nicholas' first wife, Alice Gully (1553-1596). William was born on the June 24, 1587.

He married Christian Peak abt. 1610. He was appointed as administrator to the estate of his brother, John, also of Cheselbourne, in November of 1616. They left Dorsetshire for America on May 1, 1635 and arrived in Massachusetts one month later, on William’s 48th birthday. The family originally settled in Hingham in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but on April 20, 1636, he and his family left Massachusetts with Roger Williams. He was one of the first settlers and founders of the Colony of Rhode Island and one of the first 13 pioneers to settle at Providence Plantations where he was one of the twelve founding members of the first Baptist church to be established in America. His family was among the wealthiest in the colony. He owned large parcels of land in Providence, Pawtuxet and Warwick, Rhode Island. “He was held in much esteem, and filled various important offices of trust”. Colonial records dated March 9, 1658-9 states that he was robbed of property at Pawtuxet by the Indians. William died abt. 1676, and was most likely buried on his homestead in Pawtuxet.