This is a list of the judges, presidents, and governors of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from 1638 to 1776. Governor of Providence Roger Williams June 1636 - September 1644 Judges of Portsmouth William Coddington 7 March 1638 - 28 April 1639 William Hutchinson 28 April 1639 - 14 March 1640 Judge of Newport William Coddington 28 April 1639 - 14 March 1640 Governor of Rhode Island (Portsmouth and Newport) William Coddington 14 March 1640 - 21 May 1647 Chief Officer under the Patent of 1643 (Providence and Warwick) Roger Williams September 1644 - 21 May 1647 Presidents under the Patent of 1643 1st John Coggeshall of Newport; 21 May 1647 - 27 November 1647 (died in office) 2nd Jeremy Clarke of Newport; 16 May 1648 - 22 May 1649 3rd John Smith of Providence; 22 May 1649 - 23 May 1650 4th Nicholas Easton of Newport; 23 May 1650 - August 1651 (resigned) 5th Samuel Gorton of Warwick; October 1651 - 18 May 1652 (Providence and Warwick only) 6th John Smith of Providence; 18 May 1652 - 17 May 1653 (Providence and Warwick only) 7th Gregory Dexter of Providence; 17 May 1653 - 16 May 1654 (Providence and Warwick only) 8th Nicholas Easton of Newport; 16 May 1654 - 12 September 1654 9th Roger Williams of Providence; 12 September 1654 - 19 May 1657 10th Benedict Arnold of Newport; 19 May 1657 - 22 May 1660 11th William Brenton of Newport; 22 May 1660 - 22 May 1662 12th Benedict Arnold of Newport; 22 May 1662 - November 1663 Governors of Newport and Portsmouth under the Coddington Commission William Coddington of Newport; 20 May 1651 - 17 May 1653 John Sanford of Portsmouth; 17 May 1653 - 1653 (died in office between June and November 1653) Governors under the Royal Charter of 1663 Benedict Arnold November 1663 - 2 May 1666 William Brenton 2 May 1666 - 5 May 1669 Benedict Arnold 5 May 1669 - 1 May 1672 Nicholas Easton 1 May 1672 - 6 May 1674 William Coddington 6 May 1674 - 3 May 1676 Walter Clarke 3 May 1676 - 2 May 1677 Benedict Arnold 2 May 1677 - 19 June 1678 (died in office) William Coddington 28 August 1678 - 1 November 1678 (died in office) John Cranston 8 November 1678 - 12 March 1680 (died in office) Peleg Sanford 16 March