William Harris was born circa 1610 in Northbourne, Kent, England, United Kingdom to Andrew Harris (1580-1616) and Jane Bagley (1584-1676) and died 2 December 1681 London, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Susan Hyde (1610-1682) 1639 in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States.
Biography
William Harris (1610-1681) was one of the four men who was with Roger Williams at Seekonk in the Plymouth Colony during the winter early in 1636. He then joined Williams and several families in establishing the settlement of Providence Plantation which later became a part of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He became one of the 12 original proprietors of Providence, and one of the 12 original members of the first Baptist Church in America, and he appears prominently in the early records of the settlement.
Early Life: Lothrop Church
Harris was a member of Reverend John Lathrop (1584-1653)' Church in London with his brother Thomas and sister Jane, who appears on a 1632 church roster. The three Harris siblings are listed in a church record as being among those "added to the church" at the time when John Lothrop was imprisoned, along with 42 fellow dissenters.[
Migration to America
In about 1634, Harris married Susan Hyde, the daughter of John Hyde (a member of the Drapers' Company to which Harris had been apprenticed) and Mary Bonfoy. Harris probably left England in 1635, but certainly by early 1636, and may have first come to Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.[2]
1636 Providence Plantation
He was one of several first settlers of Providence Plantation in 1636, 1st settlement in the future state of Rhode Island. This group was followers of Roger Williams, who was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for heretical preaching. In early 1636 his group went to purchase territory immediately to the west of Plymouth Colony, from the Narrangansett Indians. It is present-day Providence, Rhode Island.
Harris had a very keen mind for business. Roger Williams was a dreamer, while Harris was a realist who knew legal methods and principles better than any other man in Providence. He had very liberal views concerning the freedom of conscience, and published these views. This put him in deep conflict with Williams who, as President of the colony in 1657, issued a warrant for his arrest with the charge of high treason against the Commonwealth of England. At the ensuing trial, the court decided that the matter must be sent to England for resolution, with Harris being placed under bond. Ultimately, the ruling was in Harris's favor.
Harris was very active in town and colonial affairs from 1660 to 1676, while at the same time acting as agent or representative for interests that were inimical to the interests of the colony. He became an agent on behalf of the Pawtuxet settlers in some complex land disputes, and made several trips to England on their behalf. He was successful in winning his cases, but the results were never realized, and disputes continued following his death.
In his last trip to England in 1680, Harris once again represented the Pawtuxet settlers, but also became an agent for Connecticut in its claims for the Narragansett lands, very much at odds with Rhode Island interests. During this trip, his ship was seized by an Algerian corsair, and he became a slave along the Barbary Coast, being released more than a year later after a very high ransom had been paid on his behalf. He then made his way back to London, where he died three days after his arrival.
Marriage and Family
In about 1634, Harris married Susan Hyde, the daughter of John Hyde (a member of the Drapers' Company to which Harris had been apprenticed) and Mary Bonfoy.
William Harris and his wife Susannah had five known children. Their oldest son, Andrew (1635-1686), married Mary Tew, the sister of Deputy Governor Henry Tew.[5] Their daughter Mary (died 1718) married Thomas Borden, son of Richard and Joan Borden, and daughter Susannah married Ephraim Carpenter, the son of Pawtuxet settler William Carpenter. Their daughter Howlong (died 1708) married late in life (as his second wife) Arthur Fenner, who with his first wife was ancestor of Rhode Island Governor Arthur Fenner.[13] Their son, Toleration (1645-1675) was killed during King Phillips War. William Harris is a great grandfather of Rhode Island deputy governor Elisha Brown.
- Andrew (1635-1686) married Mary Tew, sister of Deputy Governor Henry Tew.
- Mary (died 1718) married Thomas Borden, son of Richard and Joan Borden.
- Susannah Harris (1642-1677) - married Ephraim Carpenter, the son of Pawtuxet settler William Carpenter.
- Howlong (died 1708) married (late in life, as his second wife) Arthur Fenner, who with his first wife was ancestor of Rhode Island Governor Arthur Fenner.
- Toleration (1645-1675) was killed during King Phillips War.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Mary Harris (1641-1781) | |||
| Susannah Harris (1642-1677) | 1642 Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island | 3 December 1677 Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island | Ephraim Carpenter (1640-1703) |
| Andrew Harris (1647-1686) | |||
| Howlong Harris (1648-1708) | |||
| Toleration (1645-1675) | |||
Siblings Research
William Harris had four siblings, at least three of whom immigrated to New England. His oldest sibling, Jane, was baptized in Northbourne on 23 December 1604, and on 21 June 1635 was admitted to the church at Scituate, Massachusetts as "Jane Harrice". Nothing more has been found about her in New England.[18][19] The next oldest sibling, Parnell, was baptized at Northbourne on 3 August 1606, and her name appeared on a March 1635 passenger list for the Hercules out of Sandwich, Kent with John Witherly as the master. Passengers were required to obtain certificates for their travel, and she had obtained hers on 19 March, signed by Jos Leech, the vicar of Bow Parish in London. The name just below her name on the ship passenger roster is that of James Sayers of Northbourne, her stepbrother. Parnell married Thomas Roberts of Providence, and both she and her husband died in 1676 after fleeing to Aquidneck Island following the devastation of Providence during King Philip's War.[20] [21] On 3 July 1676 William Harris petitioned the Newport Council for administration of Parnell's estate.[22]
The next sibling of Harris was Ann, baptized 29 May 1608. She apparently lived well into adulthood, but no record has been found for her, other than being mentioned in the estate of William Harris: a quarter of the estate of Parnell Roberts belonged to William Harris "in the right of Anne Harris."[23] William was the fourth of the Harris children, and the youngest was Thomas, baptized in Northbourne on 11 July 1613. Thomas was married to a woman named Elizabeth, likely in England about 1636, and was first of record in Providence on 20 August 1637. He held many positions in the Providence government including commissioner, lieutenant, juryman and councilman, and died there on 7 June 1686.
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Jane Harris (1604-1635) | |||
| Parnell Harris (1606-1676) | |||
| Anne Harris (1608-1676) | |||
| William Harris (1610-1681) | 1610 Northbourne, Kent, England, United Kingdom | 2 December 1681 London, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom | Susan Hyde (1610-1682) |
| Thomas Harris (1613-1686) | |||
Residences
Footnotes (including sources)
| ‡ General |
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