Attorney General of Rhode Island

History of the Rhode Island attorneys general

In 1643, Roger Williams obtained a patent (charter) from the English Parliament. The towns of Providence and Warwick elected a Chief Officer under the authority of this Parliamentary Patent of 1643. In 1647, the towns of Newport, Portsmouth, Providence, and Warwick formed a united colony under the Parliamentary Patent. In May 1650, the offices of "Attorney General for the Colonie" and "Solicitor" were created.

List of attorneys general of Rhode Island

Patent of 1643

William Dyer: May 1650 – 1651

Hugh Built: May 1650 – 1651

John Easton, of Newport: May 1653 – May 1654 (Attorney General only for Portsmouth and Newport following the repeal of the Coddington Commission, and before the re-unification of the four towns into a single government)

John Cranston, of Newport May 1654 – May 1656

John Easton, of Newport May 1656 – May 1657

John Greene, Jr. of Warwick May 1657 – May 1660

John Easton, of Newport May 1660 – May 1663

Royal Charter of 1663

John Sanford, of Portsmouth May 1663 – November 1664

John Easton, of Newport 1664–1670

John Sanford, of Portsmouth 1670–1671

Joseph Torrey, of Newport 1671–1672

John Easton, of Newport 1672–1674

Peter Easton, of Newport 1674–1676

Weston Clarke, of Newport 1676–1677

Edward Richmond, of Newport 1677–1680

Weston Clarke, of Newport 1680–1681

Edmund Calverly, of Warwick 1681–1682

John Pococke, of Newport 1684–1685

Weston Clarke, of Newport 1685–1686

John Pococke, of Newport 1684–1685

Weston Clarke, of Newport 1685–1686

John Williams, of Newport 1686–1689

John Pococke, of Newport May 1690 – ????

John Smith, of Warwick May 1696 – 1698

John Pococke, of Newport 1698–1700

John Rhodes, of Warwick 1700–1701

John Pococke, of Newport 1701–1702

Nathaniel Dyre, of Newport 1702–1704