Person:John Clarke (12)

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John Clarke (October 1609 – 20 April 1676) was a physician, Baptist minister, co-founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, author of its influential charter, and a leading advocate of religious freedom in America.

Clarke was born in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England. He received an extensive education, including a master's degree in England followed by medical training in Leiden, Holland. He arrived at the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 during the Antinomian Controversy and decided to go to Aquidneck Island with many exiles from the conflict. He became a co-founder of Portsmouth and Newport, Rhode Island, and he established America's second Baptist church in Newport. Baptists were considered heretics and were banned from Massachusetts, but Clarke wanted to make inroads there and spent time in the Boston jail after making a mission trip to the town of Lynn, Massachusetts. Following his poor treatment in prison, he went to England where he published a book on the persecutions of the Baptists in Massachusetts and on his theological beliefs. The fledgling Rhode Island colony needed an agent in England, so he remained there for more than a decade handling the colony's interests.

The other New England colonies were hostile to Rhode Island, and both Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut Colony had made incursions into Rhode Island territory. After the restoration of the monarchy in England in 1660, it was imperative that Rhode Island receive a royal charter to protect its territorial integrity. It was Clarke's role to obtain such a document, and he saw this as an opportunity to include religious freedoms never seen before in any constitutional charter. He wrote ten petitions and letters to King Charles II and negotiated for months with Connecticut over territorial boundaries. Finally, he drafted the Rhode Island Royal Charter and presented it to the king, and it was approved with the king's seal on 8 July 1663. This charter granted unprecedented freedom and religious liberty to Rhode Islanders and remained in effect for 180 years, making it the longest-lasting constitutional charter in history.

Clarke returned to Rhode Island following his success at procuring the charter; he became very active in civil affairs there, and continued to pastor his church in Newport until his death in 1676. He left an extensive will, setting up the first educational trust in America. He was an avid proponent of the notion of soul-liberty that was included in the Rhode Island charter—and later in the United States Constitution.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Dr. John Clarke, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Moriarty, G. Andrews (George Andrews). Genealogical Research in England - Clarke, Cooke (alias) Carewe, Kerrich. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Oct 1921)
   75:279-80.

   Dr. John (Clarke), bapt. at Westhorpe 8 Oct. 1609; d. at Newport, R. I., 20 Apr. 1676; m. (1) Elizabeth Harris, dau. of John, lord of the manor of Wrestlingworth, co. Bedford; m. (2) 1 Feb. 1671 Jane Fletcher, widow, who d. 19 Apr. 1672; m. (3) Sarah Davis, who d. about 1692, widow of Nicholas Davis of Barnstable in the Plymouth Colony. He emigrated to New England in Nov. 1637, and upon his arrival joined the Hutchinson party in the settlement of Rhode Island. He was long one of the chief persons in the affairs of that Colony, was pastor of the First Baptist Church at Newport, was agent of the Colony in England, 1651-1663, being instrumental in procuring the Colonial charter in the latter year, and after his return to Newport was deputy governor of Rhode Island, 1669-1672. While in England he practised his profession as a physician, and published two books, "A Concordance of the Holy Scriptures" and "Ill News from New England." Tradition says that Dr. Clarke was educated at Leyden, but this has not been verified.

3. ↑ Moriarty does not include a date of birth leading one to suspect that there is no record evidence supporting any date other than that of his baptism.

Founders of Portsmouth, Rhode Island

On March 7, 1638, a group of religious dissenters signed the Portsmouth Compact. They had been disarmed by leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. William Coddington, Anne Hutchinson, and John Clarke conferred with Roger Williams in Providence, who suggested that they buy land from the Native Americans on Aquidneck Island. They formed the settlement of Pocasset, later Portsmouth, on Aquidneck, later called Rhode Island. Portsmouth and Newport later united with Providence and Warwick in 1654 as the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Text of the Compact: The 7th Day of the First Month, 1638. We whose names are underwritten do hereby solemnly in the presence of Jehovah incorporate ourselves into a Bodie Politick and as He shall help, will submit our persons, lives and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given in His Holy Word of truth, to be guided and judged thereby. Signers: William Coddington - John Clarke - William Hutchinson, Jr. [husband of Anne Hutchinson]- John Coggeshall - William Aspinwall - Samuel Wilbore - John Porter - John Sanford - Edward Hutchinson, Jr. Esq. - Thomas Savage - William Dyre [husband of Boston martyr Mary Dyer] - William Freeborne - Philip Sherman - John Walker - Richard Carder - William Baulston - Edward Hutchinson, Sr. - Henry Bull - Randall Holden Current Location: Newport County, Rhode Island   Parent Towns: Boston   Daughter Towns: Newport

Founders of Newport, Rhode Island

Newport was founded in 1639. Its eight founders and first officers left Portsmouth, Rhode Island after a political fallout with Anne Hutchinson and her followers. As part of the agreement, William Coddington and his followers took control of the southern side of the island. They were soon joined by Nicholas Easton, who had recently been expelled from Massachusetts for holding heretical beliefs. The settlement soon grew to be the largest of the four original towns of Rhode Island. Many of the first colonists in Newport quickly became Baptists, and in 1640 the second Baptist congregation in Rhode Island was formed under the leadership of John Clarke. Portsmouth and Newport later united with Providence and Warwick in 1654 as the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Original Founders: Nicholas Easton - William Coddington - John Clarke - John Coggeshall - William Brenton - Jeremy Clark - Thomas Hazard - Henry Bull Current Location: Newport County, Rhode Island   Parent Towns: Portsmouth   Daughter Towns: