Arnold, Benedict, 1615 - 1678

Benedict Arnold was the son of William Arnold and Christian Peak, who with his parents and family settled at Hingham, Massachusetts and then removed to Providence, Pawtuxet, and then Newport, Rhode Island.  At Pawtuxet, Arnold erected a trading post, selling arms, provisions, and liquor. Arnold was an interpreter for Rhode Island.  In that capacity, the Massachusetts General Court unsuccessfully sent Arnold to negotiate peace agreements with several tribes. He further served as commissioner and assistant to the General Court.  In 1657, he advanced to the presidency of the colony and appointed as Rhode Island’s first governor.  Arnold owned significant tracts of land, especially in Narragansett Country and at Shawomet.  He was a shareholder in the Misquamicut and Pettaquamscut purchases.  At his death, Arnold was one of the wealthiest men in the colonies.  Hamilton Bullock Tompkins, Benedict Arnold: The First Governor of Rhode Island (Newport, RI: Mercury Print, 1919).