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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <title>The Political Graveyard: Rhode Island: House Speakers</title> <meta name="description" content="A database of political history and cemeteries, with brief biographical entries for 320,919 U.S. political figures, living and dead, from the 1700s to the present."> <meta name="keywords" content="political biography history genealogy cemeteries politics candidates congress senators legislators governors politicians biographies ancestors mayors birthplace geography elections"> <meta name="author" content="Lawrence Kestenbaum"> <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-7383562-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'https://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFDD" text="#000000" link="#cc0000" alink="#ff0000" vlink="#760000"> <style type="text/css"> p {font-family:georgia,garamond,serif} td {font-family:georgia,garamond,serif} A:link {text-decoration: none} A:visited {text-decoration: none} A:active {text-decoration: none} A:hover {text-decoration: underline} </style> <p align=center style="font-size:28pt; font-family:garamond,serif"> <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">PoliticalGraveyard.com</span><br> <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/index.html" border=0> <img src="https://politicalgraveyard.com/images/tpgmain6.gif" width=450 height=216 border=0 alt="The Political Graveyard: A Database of American History"></a><br> Rhode Island: House Speakers</p> <table width=100%> <td align="center" valign="center"> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td></table> <table width=100%><tr><td valign="top"> <hr> <p> <b>Speakers of the Rhode Island House of Deputies, 1696-1797</b> <i>(May be incomplete!)</i><br> <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/holmes.html#088.15.84">Jonathan Holmes</a> 1696-98 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/jelinek-jenkin.html#078.58.72">Joseph Jencks, Jr.</a> 1698-99 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/nevin-newel.html#674.97.69">Benjamin Newbery</a> 1699-1700 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/holmes.html#088.15.84">Jonathan Holmes</a> 1700-03 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/spraker-sprigade.html#980.84.33">Jonathan Spreage</a> 1703 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/barton.html#297.31.44">Benjamin Barton</a> 1703-04 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/greenip-greff.html#241.44.97">Edward Greenman</a> 1704 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/dexter.html#085.30.54">John Dexter</a> 1704-05 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#023.56.70">William Wanton</a> 1705-06 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/arnold.html#193.30.57">Benjamin Arnold</a> 1706-07 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#455.62.51">John Wanton</a> 1707 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/jelinek-jenkin.html#078.58.72">Joseph Jencks, Jr.</a> 1707 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/greenaway-greenhut.html#119.16.05">James Greene</a> 1707 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/arnold.html#932.57.82">Richard Arnold</a> 1707-08 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/jelinek-jenkin.html#078.58.72">Joseph Jencks, Jr.</a> 1708 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#023.56.70">William Wanton</a> 1708-09 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/smith8.html#359.44.46">Simon Smith</a> 1709 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/anthony.html#470.03.84">Abraham Anthony</a> 1709-10 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#455.62.51">John Wanton</a> 1710 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#023.56.70">William Wanton</a> 1710-11 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/greenaway-greenhut.html#119.16.05">James Greene</a> 1711-12 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/spencer.html#402.88.21">John Spencer</a> 1712 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/sloane-slusarev.html#223.53.30">Ebenezer Slocum</a> 1712-13 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#455.62.51">John Wanton</a> 1713 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fry.html#905.91.50">Thomas Fry</a> 1713-14 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/holden.html#837.41.86">Randall Holden</a> 1714-15 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#023.56.70">William Wanton</a> 1715 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hopkins.html#300.86.71">William Hopkins</a> 1715-16 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cranfill-cravalho.html#933.87.05">John Cranston</a> 1716 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#023.56.70">William Wanton</a> 1716-17 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fry.html#905.91.50">Thomas Fry</a> 1717-18 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#023.56.70">William Wanton</a> 1718 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/sheehe-shelden.html#725.81.94">Nathaniel Sheffield</a> 1718-19 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#023.56.70">William Wanton</a> 1719-22 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fry.html#905.91.50">Thomas Fry</a> 1722 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cochrane-coey.html#302.25.58">William Coddington</a> 1722-23 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/walworth-warburton.html#023.56.70">William Wanton</a> 1723-24 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cochrane-coey.html#302.25.58">William Coddington</a> 1724 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fry.html#905.91.50">Thomas Fry</a> 1724 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cochrane-coey.html#302.25.58">William Coddington</a> 1724-25 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fry.html#905.91.50">Thomas Fry</a> 1725-26 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cochrane-coey.html#302.25.58">William Coddington</a> 1726 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gould.html#276.41.16">Jeremiah Gould</a> 1726-27 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fry.html#905.91.50">Thomas Fry</a> 1727 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/greenaway-greenhut.html#888.76.98">Job Greene</a> 1727-28 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/buffum-bulloch.html#390.05.06">Henry Bull</a> 1728 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/whipple.html#820.75.72">Joseph Whipple</a> 1728-29 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/spencer.html#402.88.21">John Spencer</a> 1729 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/clarke.html#356.63.77">Samuel Clarke</a> 1729 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fry.html#905.91.50">Thomas Fry</a> 1729-30 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/clarke.html#356.63.77">Samuel Clarke</a> 1730-31 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gould.html#276.41.16">Jeremiah Gould</a> 1731-32 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/clarke.html#356.63.77">Samuel Clarke</a> 1732 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hayworth-heacock.html#730.93.93">George Hazard</a> 1732-33 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gould.html#276.41.16">Jeremiah Gould</a> 1733 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hayworth-heacock.html#730.93.93">George Hazard</a> 1733 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gould.html#276.41.16">Jeremiah Gould</a> 1733 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/clarke.html#356.63.77">Samuel Clarke</a> 1733-34 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/buffum-bulloch.html#390.05.06">Henry Bull</a> 1734 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/greenaway-greenhut.html#459.87.70">William Greene</a> 1734 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/clarke.html#356.63.77">Samuel Clarke</a> 1734-35 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/robinson9.html#740.48.66">William Robinson</a> 1735-36 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/willauer-william.html#292.80.03">Francis Willett</a> 1736 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/clarke.html#356.63.77">Samuel Clarke</a> 1736-37 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/willauer-william.html#292.80.03">Francis Willett</a> 1737 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/abbott.html#555.55.89">Daniel Abbott</a> 1737-38 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/speranza-sprafka.html#397.03.53">Thomas Spenser</a> 1738 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hopkins.html#921.72.74">Stephen Hopkins</a> 1738-39 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/willauer-william.html#292.80.03">Francis Willett</a> 1739 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/greenaway-greenhut.html#459.87.70">William Greene</a> 1739 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hopkins.html#921.72.74">Stephen Hopkins</a> 1739-40 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/clarke.html#356.63.77">Samuel Clarke</a> 1740-41 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hopkins.html#921.72.74">Stephen Hopkins</a> 1741 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/whipple.html#820.75.72">Joseph Whipple</a> 1741 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hopkins.html#921.72.74">Stephen Hopkins</a> 1741 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/robinson9.html#740.48.66">William Robinson</a> 1741-42 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hopkins.html#921.72.74">Stephen Hopkins</a> 1742-43 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/potter.html#664.13.58">John Potter</a> 1743 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/stafford.html#297.80.05">Joseph Stafford</a> 1743-44 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hopkins.html#921.72.74">Stephen Hopkins</a> 1744 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/boude-bowe.html#847.12.41">Peter Bours</a> 1744-46 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/niles.html#455.40.64">Jeremiah Niles</a> 1746-47 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/whitten-wickware.html#268.58.76">Samuel Wickham</a> 1747 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/jelinek-jenkin.html#920.15.93">Daniel Jencks</a> 1747-48 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cranfill-cravalho.html#348.24.70">Thomas Cranston</a> 1748-49 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hopkins.html#921.72.74">Stephen Hopkins</a> 1749 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/babcock.html#632.45.10">Joshua Babcock</a> 1749-50 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cranfill-cravalho.html#348.24.70">Thomas Cranston</a> 1750-57 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/whitten-wickware.html#242.17.48">Benjamin Wickham</a> 1757 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/boude-bowe.html#847.12.41">Peter Bours</a> 1757-59 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/babcock.html#632.45.10">Joshua Babcock</a> 1759 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/randall-randlett.html#528.68.10">Job Randall</a> 1759-60 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cranfill-cravalho.html#348.24.70">Thomas Cranston</a> 1760-62 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/aylesworth-azro.html#952.70.56">Daniel Ayrault, Jr.</a> 1762 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/greenaway-greenhut.html#395.00.68">Philip Greene</a> 1762-63 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/dexter.html#490.77.52">John Dexter</a> 1763-64 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/aylesworth-azro.html#952.70.56">Daniel Ayrault, Jr.</a> 1764 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bradby-bradish.html#956.57.26">William Bradford</a> 1764-65 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bailey7.html#478.89.11">Richard Bailey</a> 1765-66 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bradby-bradish.html#956.57.26">William Bradford</a> 1766-67 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bowker-bowling.html#091.91.71">Metcalfe Bowler</a> 1767 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cole.html#666.16.05">John Cole</a> 1767 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bowker-bowling.html#091.91.71">Metcalfe Bowler</a> 1767-76 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/greenaway-greenhut.html#245.04.04">William Greene</a> 1776-78 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/babcock.html#632.45.10">Joshua Babcock</a> 1778 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/potter.html#321.76.48">Stephen Potter</a> 1778-79 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gorney-goulart.html#998.99.29">Othniel Gorton</a> 1779-80 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bradby-bradish.html#956.57.26">William Bradford</a> 1780 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/arnold.html#546.42.67">Welcome Arnold</a> 1780 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bradby-bradish.html#956.57.26">William Bradford</a> 1780-86 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gorney-goulart.html#998.99.29">Othniel Gorton</a> 1786-87 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bradby-bradish.html#956.57.26">William Bradford</a> 1787-88 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gorney-goulart.html#998.99.29">Othniel Gorton</a> 1788 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/stanton.html#970.42.96">Joseph Stanton, Jr.</a> 1788-89 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bradby-bradish.html#956.57.26">William Bradford</a> 1789-90 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/stanton.html#970.42.96">Joseph Stanton, Jr.</a> 1790 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/arnold.html#546.42.67">Welcome Arnold</a> 1790-91 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bradby-bradish.html#956.57.26">William Bradford</a> 1791-93 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/arnold.html#546.42.67">Welcome Arnold</a> 1793 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/chambliss-chancie.html#521.99.03">George Champlin</a> 1793 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/arnold.html#546.42.67">Welcome Arnold</a> 1793-95 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/stanton.html#970.42.96">Joseph Stanton, Jr.</a> 1795 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/potter.html#948.80.40">Elisha R. Potter</a> 1795-97 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/stanton.html#970.42.96">Joseph Stanton, Jr.</a> 1797 <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/chambliss-chancie.html#521.99.03">George Champlin</a> 1797 <p> </td> <td width=180 align="center" valign="center"> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td></tr></table> <table width=100%> <td align="center" valign="center"> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td></table> <table width=100%> <tr><td align="center"><span style="font-size:20pt;"> <span style="font-family:garamond,serif"> <i>"Enjoy the hospitable entertainment of a political graveyard."</i></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:8pt;">Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872</span></td> <td><a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/"> <img src="https://politicalgraveyard.com/images/tpgsub.gif" width=450 height=71 align="right" border=0 alt="The Political Graveyard"></a></td></tr></table> <br clear="all"> <table width=100% cellpadding=2> <tr><td colspan=3><span style="font-size:10pt;"> <b><a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/index.html">The Political Graveyard</a></b> is a web site about U.S. political history and cemeteries. Founded in 1996, it is the Internet's most comprehensive free source for American political biography, listing 320,919 politicians, living and dead.</span></td></tr> <tr><td colspan=3><span style="font-size:8pt;"> </span></td></tr> <tr><td width=32 align="right" valign="top"> </td> <td valign="top"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> <img src="rd.gif" width=10 height=10> The coverage of this site includes (1) the President, Vice President, members of Congress, elected state and territorial officeholders in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories; and the chief elected official, typically the mayor, of qualifying municipalities; (2) candidates at election, including primaries, for any of the above; (3) all federal judges and all state appellate judges; (4) certain federal officials, including the federal cabinet, diplomatic chiefs of mission, consuls, U.S. district attorneys, collectors of customs and internal revenue, members of major federal commissions; and political appointee (pre-1969) postmasters of qualifying communities; (5) state and national political party officials, including delegates, alternate delegates, and other participants in national party nominating conventions; (6) Americans who served as "honorary" consuls for other nations before 1950. Note: municipalities or communities "qualify", for Political Graveyard purposes, if they have at least half a million person-years of history, inclusive of predecessor, successor, and merged entities.</span></td> <td width=100 align="right" valign="top"> </td></tr> <tr><td width=32 align="right" valign="top"> </td> <td valign="top"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> <img src="rd.gif" width=10 height=10> The listings are <b>incomplete</b>; development of the database is a continually ongoing project.</span></td> <td width=100 align="right" valign="top"> </td></tr> <tr><td width=32 align="right" valign="top"> </td> <td valign="top"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> <img src="rd.gif" width=10 height=10> Information on this page — and on all other pages of this site — is believed to be accurate, but is <b>not</b> guaranteed. Users are advised to check with other sources before relying on any information here.</span></td> <td width=100 align="right" valign="top"> </td></tr> <tr><td width=32 align="right" valign="top"> </td> <td valign="top"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> <img src="rd.gif" width=10 height=10> The official URL for this page is: <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/RI/ofc/dspkr.html">https://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/RI/ofc/dspkr.html</a>.</span></td> <td width=100 align="right" valign="top"> </td></tr> <tr><td width=32 align="right" valign="top"> </td> <td valign="top"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> <img src="rd.gif" width=10 height=10> Links to this or any other Political Graveyard page are welcome, but specific page addresses may sometimes change as the site develops.</span></td> <td width=100 align="right" valign="top"> </td></tr> <tr><td width=32 align="right" valign="top"> </td> <td valign="top"><span style="font-size:8pt;"> <img src="rd.gif" width=10 height=10> If you are searching for a specific named individual, try the <a href="https://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html">alphabetical index of politicians</a>.</span></td> <td width=100 align="right" valign="top"> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan=3 align="left" valign="top"><span style="font-size:10pt;"> <b>Copyright notices:</b> (1) Facts are not subject to copyright; see <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/copyright/cases/499_US_340.htm">Feist v. Rural Telephone</a>. (2) Politician portraits displayed on this site are 70-pixel-wide monochrome thumbnail images, which I believe to constitute <b>fair use</b> under applicable copyright law. Where possible, each image is linked to its online source. However, requests from owners of copyrighted images to delete them from this site are honored. (3) Original material, programming, selection and arrangement are © 1996-2023 Lawrence Kestenbaum. (4) This work is also licensed for free non-commercial re-use, with attribution, under a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons License</a>.</span></td></tr> <tr><td colspan=3 align="left" valign="top"><span style="font-size:10pt;"> <b>Site information:</b> The Political Graveyard is created and maintained by <b>Lawrence Kestenbaum</b>, who is solely responsible for its structure and content. — The mailing address is <b>The Political Graveyard, P.O. 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