 The President at the time presided over the two island towns of Portsmouth and Newport, as well as the two mainland towns of Providence and Warwick.William Coddington, who had previously served as governor of the two island towns from 1640 to 1647, did not care for the combined government with the mainland towns.In 1651 he went to England, and was able to obtain a commission to remove the island towns from the government with Providence and Warwick.