 The second child and oldest son was Benedict ( 1615 – 1678 ) who married Damaris Westcott ( 1621 – after 1678 ) , the daughter of Stukeley and <unk> ( <unk> ) Westcott . They had nine children . Stukeley Westcott lived in Yeovil , five miles ( eight km ) south of Ilchester , where he was married and where Damaris was baptized . The <unk> may have sailed to New England with the Arnolds ; if not they likely sailed at about the same time . Benedict moved with his family from Pawtuxet to Newport in 1651 , and in 1657 succeeded Roger Williams as the President of the colony . When the royal charter arrived from England in 1663 , Benedict Arnold became the first Governor of the colony , and served as either president or governor for a total of 11 years . 
