Person:Francis Brinley (1)

Francis Brinley was born in 1632. He emigrated to Barbadoes. But, he did not like the climate and moved to Newport as early as 1652. He acquired considerable property and was a judge in the Court of Common Pleas in Rhode Island. He collected books and by 1713 his library had over 200 works.

Francis Brinley, who came to Newport during the Cromwellian ascendancy, was a young man of the Cavalier family of Brinley, of Datchet, in Bricks. His father, Thomas Brinley, was an auditor of the revenues under King Charles I and owner of various estates in other counties than Bucks. The family suffered reverses during the Puritan regime. Francis fled to Rhode Island, the home of religious liberty. He went back to England while Cromwell was yet in authority, but did not find conditions safe for him to remain there. He soon returned to America. The father, Thomas Brinley, did not come to America, and seems to have been restored to his office of auditor on the accession of Charles II, in 1660, but died the next year.

Francis Brinley, the immigrant, was in Boston the last years of his life and was buried at King's Chapel. He wrote a book on the settlements about the Narragansett Bay. Francis Brinley had but two sons. The older son, Thomas, returned to London, but his only grown son came to Roxbury, Massachusetts, at which place that branch of the family established itself. The other son of Francis Brinley, the immigrant, was William Brinley, who settled in Newport, Rhode Island, and was one of the founders of Trinity Church, Newport. But the family ceased to exist very early in Rhode Island, for this William Brinley had but one grown son, also named William, who went to Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and became the ancestor of the New Jersey Brinleys. Henry Bull came from South Wales to Boston in 1635, was immediately involved in the troubles of Coddington, and went with him to Rhode Island in 1638. He was a Church of England man, but late in life allied himself with the Friends. For his third wife he married the widow of Governor Nicholas Easton. Bull was chosen Governor in 1685. His grandson, Henry Bull, was prominent in the Colony fifty years later, becoming the first chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas, in 1749.

1. ↑ Abstracts of Pre Revolutionary Newport Wills, in Rhode Island Genealogical Register. (Princeton, Massachusetts: A. G. Beaman)
   53, July 1983.

   Francis Brinley of Boston. Will dated 19 Oct 1719, proved 16 Nov 1719, pps. 56-61.
   Wife Hannah.
   Daughter-in-law Mrs Katherine Lyde.
   Edward Lyde Esq of Boston.
   Grandson Francis Brinley whose wife is Deborah.
   Granddaughter Elizabeth Hutchinson wife of William Hutchinson & sister of grandson Francis Brinley.
   Eliakim Hutchinson eldest son of my granddaughter Elizabeth Hutchinson.
   The [unnamed] children of my grandchildren Francis Brinley & Elizabeth Hutchinson.
   Kinsman Masy Vial of Barrington.
   Kinsman Francis Willet.
   Miss Mary Cole daughter of John Cole deceased.
   Alice Wait wife of Samuel Wait of Kingstown.
   Timothy Clark of Boston Esq.
   Thomas Brandon Esq.
   Mr. Mahoe of Roxbury.
   Samuel Wakeham of Newport.

2.   LAND:
   - 9 Jul 1713 Francis Brinley of [burn] Providence County, RI for money to Stephen Haszard of Kingstown 1/2 part of [burn] [burn] 100 acres in Kingstown. Witnesses: [burn]es Clarke, [burn]h Sheffield. [North Kingstown Land pps. 232-233]