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Benedict Arnold (21 December 1615 – 19 June 1678) was president and then governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for a total of 11 years in these roles. Coming from Somerset, England, he was born and raised in the town of Ilchester, likely attending school in Limington, nearby. In 1635, at the age of 19, he accompanied his parents, siblings and other family members on a voyage from England to New England, where they first settled in Hingham in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In less than a year they moved to Providence on the Narragansett Bay at the request of Roger Williams. In about 1638 they moved once again, about five miles south to the Pawtuxet River, settling on the north side at a place commonly called Pawtuxet. Here they had serious disputes with their neighbors, particularly Samuel Gorton, and as a result put themselves and their lands under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, a situation lasting for 16 years. Learning the native languages at an early age, Arnold became one of the two leading interpreters in the Rhode Island colony, Roger Williams being the other. He was frequently called upon to interpret during negotiations with the natives, but on one occasion was accused by them of misrepresentation. In 1651 Arnold left Providence and Pawtuxet with his family, settling in Newport where he began his public service which would last continuously until his death. He quickly became a freeman, Commissioner, and Assistant, and in 1657 succeeded Roger Williams as President of the colony, serving for three years. In 1662 he was once again elected President, and during the second year of this term the Royal Charter of 1663 was delivered from England, naming him as the first Governor of the colony, and offering broad freedoms and self-determination to the colony. A bold and decisive leader, Arnold was elected for two additional terms as governor, the last time following the devastation of King Philip's War. He died on 19 June 1678 while still in office, and was buried in the Arnold Burying Ground, located on Pelham Street in Newport. In his will he left to his wife his "stone built wind mill," which still stands as an important Newport landmark. His many descendants include General Benedict Arnold, best known for his treason during the American Revolutionary War, and Senator Stephen Arnold Douglas who debated Abraham Lincoln in 1858, and lost to him during the 1860 presidential election. ==Early life== Born 21 December 1615 in Ilchester, Somerset, England, Benedict Arnold was the second child and oldest son of William Arnold and Christian Peak. Living in the large town of Ilchester, he was familiar with the nearby villages of Northover, from where his grandparents Nicholas and Alice Arnold had come; Yeovilton, where his Aunt Joane's husband William Hopkins (ancestor of Rhode Island Governor Stephen Hopkins) was from; and Limington, after which place he would name one of his properties in New England, calling it "Lemmington Farm." All four of these localities lie within two miles of each other. Arnold was likely educated at the Free Grammar School associated with the parish church in Limington, slightly more than a mile to the east of Ilchester. This ancient school is where Thomas Wolsey was the curate and schoolmaster from 1500 to 1509. Wolsey later became the Lord Cardinal and Primate of England. At the age of 19, Arnold accompanied his parents and siblings aboard a ship destined for New England. With his parents, siblings, and other relatives and associates, the Arnolds gathered their baggage and supplies in the spring of 1635 and made the trip from Ilchester to Dartmouth on the coast of Devon. In a family record begun by his father, he wrote "Memorandom my father and his family Sett Sayle from Dartmouth in Old England, the first of May, friday &c. Arrived in New England June 24o Ano 1635." The name of the ship on which he sailed was not recorded, nor has it been identified since. It is possible that Stukeley Westcott of Yeovil, five miles south of Ilchester, was also on the same ship, bringing his family including his daughter Damaris, aged 15, the future wife of Arnold. Upon their arrival in New England, the Arnolds joined a group of settlers from Hingham, Norfolk, England, where they established the new town of Hingham in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. William Arnold received title to a house lot here in September 1635, but the following spring he and several other settlers were persuaded by Roger Williams to join him in establishing a new settlement on the Narragansett Bay, named Providence. In the family record the younger Arnold wrote, "Memm. We came to Providence to Dwell the 20th of April, 1636. per me Bennedict Arnold." Arnold received a house lot on what is now North Main Street in Providence, and his father was granted the second lot south of his. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Benedict Arnold (governor)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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