 William Arnold ( 24 June 1587 – c . 1676 ) was one of the founding settlers of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations , and with his sons was among the wealthiest people in the colony . He was raised and educated in England where he was the warden of St. Mary 's , the parish church of Ilchester in southeastern Somerset . In 1635 , along with family and associates , he immigrated to New England , where he initially settled in Hingham in the Massachusetts Bay Colony , but soon relocated to the new settlement of Providence with Roger Williams . He was one of the 13 original proprietors of Providence , appearing on the deed signed by Roger Williams in 1638 , and was one of the twelve founding members of the first Baptist church to be established in America . 
