Joseph Arnold (Rhode Island Farmer)
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Joseph Arnold (1710–1776) was a pre-revolutionary resident of
North Kingstown North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. The population was 27,732 in the 2020 census. North Kingstown is home to the birthplace of American portraitist Gilbe ...
and
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
in the
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...
. He is most noted for having a very large progeny, having had 16 children of whom 15 grew to maturity, married, and had children of their own, giving him at least 89 grandchildren. He was the great great grandfather of presidential hopeful
Stephen Arnold Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A U.S. Senator, senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Pa ...
who debated
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
in 1858, and lost to him in the 1860 presidential election. He was an ancestral link between Douglas and many prominent early Rhode Islanders such as Governor Benedict Arnold and two founders of the Rhode Island colony,
Samuel Wilbore Samuel Wilbore (c. 1595–1656) was one of the founding settlers of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He emigrated from Essex, England to Boston with his wife and three sons in 1633. He and his wife both ...
and
John Porter John Porter may refer to: Politicians * John Porter (portreeve), 1390–94, Member of Parliament (MP) for Taunton * John Porter (Illinois politician) (1935–2022), Illinois politician, U.S. Representative * John Porter (MP for Bramber) (died 1599 ...
.


Life

Born 16 September 1710, possibly in Newport in the
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...
, Joseph Arnold was the son of Samuel Arnold and Mary Sheffield who were married in Newport in 1708. The birth year of 1712 often ascribed to Arnold was likely from a confusion of dates created by some early writers. His father was a physician, as was his paternal grandfather, Caleb Arnold; his great grandfather,
Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...
, became the first governor of the Rhode Island colony under the
Royal Charter of 1663 The Rhode Island Royal Charter provided royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, approved by England's King Charles II in July 1663. It outlined many freedoms for the inhabitants of Rhode Island and was the ...
. His maternal grandfather was Rhode Island Attorney General
Joseph Sheffield Joseph Sheffield (1661–1706) was an inhabitant of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations during the last half of the 17th century. He held a number of important offices within the colony, including Deputy, Assistan ...
, for whom Arnold was undoubtedly named. Arnold's mother likely died at an early age, since she had only three children, and never cosigned any land records with her husband. Arnold was a farmer and landowner who lived in
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, and this is where the births of many of his children were recorded. He left behind few records other than land transactions, but was called a
Deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
in a family record, and was given the title of
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
in his obituary. He is most noted for his very large progeny of 16 children, and at least 89 grand children. His first wife was Patience Gifford, the daughter of Yelverton Gifford and Ann Northup, who bore two children, and then died, possibly in childbirth with her second child who did not survive. Arnold then married Hannah Gifford, the sister of Patience, and with her had 14 children, and all 15 of his surviving children married and had offspring. His second child with his second wife, Stephen Arnold, moved from Rhode Island to
Stephentown, New York Stephentown is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 2,903 at the 2010 census. The town, which was originally Jericho Hallow in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was renamed for Stephen Van Rensselaer. The town is l ...
, and became the great grandfather of
Stephen Arnold Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A U.S. Senator, senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Pa ...
, who became famous as the leader of the Northern Democrats before the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, sparring with
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
in a series of famed debates prior to a U.S. Senate contest in 1858, and later losing to Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election. Arnold died on 29 August 1776 "of camp fever while visiting his sons in camp with his sister Mary." His death was recorded in the diary of Jeffrey Watson, one of his contemporaries. Two of his sons, Caleb and Edmund, served in the military during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.


Ancestry of Joseph Arnold

The three early generations of Joseph Arnold's ancestry are documented in John O. Austin's ''Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island''. The connection between the Arnolds and the Sheffields was published by Katharine Waterman in 1953.


See also

* Stephen A. Douglas ancestry *
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...


References


Bibliography

* * * *


External links


A genealogy of Joseph and Hannah Arnold
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, Joseph 1710 births 1776 deaths People of colonial Rhode Island