Governor John Sanford William Hawkins John Holden, son of Randall Holden Early Settlers of Bristol (1680) Bristol's early history began as a commercial enterprise when John Gorham was awarded 100 acres of land if it could be "honorably purchased from the indians." Gorham's enterprise succeeded on 18 Sep 1680 when four proprietors were awarded the deed to Mt. Hope Lands: John Walley Nathaniel Byfield Stephen Burton Nathaniel Oliver (sold share to Nathan Hayman) Nathan Hayman On 27 Aug 1680, twelve men signed Articles agreeing to purchase lands: Capt. Benjamin Church Doctor Isaac Waldron Timothy Clarke William Ingraham Nathaniel Paine Nathaniel Reynolds Christopher Saunders John Wilkins Nathaniel Williams Samuel Woodbury Nathaniel Bosworth Benjamin Jones On 1 Sep 1681, more than 60 families were present at the first town meeting and named these lands Bristol after Bristol, England. Bristol was originally part of Massachusetts, but it became part of Rhode Island when disputed lands were awarded to the Colony of Rhode Island in 1747. Eliashib Adams Watching Atherton Joseph Baster John Bayley John Birge Thomas Bletsoe Benjamin Bosworth Edward Bosworth William Brenton William Brown James Burrill James Burroughs (Burrows) David Cary (Carey) John Cary (Carey) Samuel Cobbett John Corps (Cope) Solomon Curtis Zachariah Curtis Thomas Daggett Jonathan Davenport Robert Dutch Jeremiah Finney John Finney Jonathan Finney Joseph Ford Anthony Fry Samuel Gallop John Gladding Jabez Gorham Richard Hammond Henry Hampton William Hedge William Hoar Jabez Howland Benjamin Ingell (Ingalls) Joseph Jacob(s) Daniel Landon (Langdon) Thomas Lewis John Martin Jr. Nicholas Mead George Morye (Mowrey) Jeremiah Osborne Peter Pampelion (Papillon) Samuel Penfield John Pope Edmund Ranger Increase Robinson John Rogers John Saffin Joseph Sandy John Smith Richard Smith Widdo (Elizabeth) Southard (Southworth) Robert Taft Major Robert Thompson William Throope John Thurston George Waldron Thomas Walker Uzal/Uzell Wardwell Richard White John Wilson Hugh Woodbury Settlers of Frenchtown French Huguenots settled in what is now East Greenwich in 1687. On 12 October 1686, an agreement was signed between the following, representing the French settlers and the land owners: Representing Land Owners Richard Wharton Elisha Hutchinson (son of Edward Hutchinson) John Saffin Representing Huguenot Settlers Ezechiel Carre' Peter Le Breton Those who signed the agreement The following individuals signed the follow-on agreement, usually giving only their surname, and these same names are found on a plat map of the settlement. William Barbret Paul Collin Jean Germon Dechamps Fougere Grignon Legare' Robineau Petter Ayrault Magni, Junior Magni,