NOTE.--For this excellent dissertation on the seal of Rhode Island, I am indebted to my friend, the Hon. T. P. Shepard. Governors of Rhode Island. The State originally consisted of four towns: Providence, settled in 1636; Portsmouth, in 1638; Newport, in 1639; and Warwick, in 1642. Each town was governed independently until 1647. Providence and Warwick had no executive head till 1647. PORTSMOUTH. JUDGES. William Coddington, March 7, 1638 to April 30. 1639. William Hutchinson, April 30, 1639 to March 12, 1640. NEWPORT. JUDGE. William Coddington, April 28, 1639 to March 12, 1640. PORTSMOUTH AND NEWPORT.[B] GOVERNOR. William Coddington, March 12, 1640 to May 19, 1647. In 1647 the four towns were united under a charter or patent, granted in 1643, by Parliament. [B] United in 1640. PRESIDENTS UNDER THE PATENT. John Coggeshall, May, 1647 to May, 1648. William Coddington, May, 1648 to May, 1649. John Smith, May, 1649 to May, 1650. Nicholas Easton, May, 1650 to Aug., 1651. In 1651 a separation occurred between the towns of Providence and Warwick on the one side, and Portsmouth and Newport on the other. PROVIDENCE AND WARWICK. PRESIDENTS. Samuel Gorton, Oct., 1651 to May, 1652. John Smith, May, 1652 to May, 1653. Gregory Dexter, May, 1653 to May, 1654. PORTSMOUTH AND NEWPORT. PRESIDENT. John Sandford, Senior May, 1653 to May, 1654. In 1654 the union of the four towns was reëstablished. PRESIDENTS. Nicholas Easton, May, 1654 to Sept. 12, 1654. Roger Williams, Sept., 1654 to May, 1657. Benedict Arnold, May, 1657 to May, 1660. William Brenton, May, 1660 to May, 1662. Benedict Arnold, May, 1662 to Nov. 25, 1663. ROYAL CHARTER. GOVERNORS.