Governor of Rhode Island and clergyman.
Roger Williams (1603-1682/83), clergyman and founder of Rhode Island, was born in London, England. Upon graduating from Pembroke College in 1624, Williams became a chaplain at Otes, in Essex County, England. In 1630 he embarked for New England, where he soon incurred the wrath of the Massachusetts magistrates for his criticism of the restrictive Puritan system. In 1635, Williams was banished and sought refuge in the Narragansett region, where he founded Providence Plantation. He secured a charter for the Plantation in 1644 and eventually served as President of the colony of Rhode Island.
Epithet: the Puritan