The only evidence of Benjamin’s existence I have found so far is in compilations of lineages. I am still looking for corroborating records, as there seems to be a few as his public service is well documented. The main record I would like to get access to is the will that gives evidence of his wife’s identity and his children. At least this has been trasncribed in part 2. Until such records are digitized or I can travel to see physical copies, I will have to make do with this.
From The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island,
“Exs. wife Humility and Captain Benjamin Nichols, of Kings Town, and if latter die, then Joshua Coggeshall to succeed him. To wife, all household goods and moveables. To son John, farm he lives on.” 2
As his parentage is disputed in Descendants of Joseph Greene of Westerly, R.I, I have been hesitant in listing John and Joan Greene as part of this lineage so far. However, The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island seems rather unambigous about Benjamin’s lineage, giving me some hope in the connection being possible.
From Descendants of Joseph Greene of Westerly, R.I.,
“His name appears in the freeman’s list of North Kingstown in 1696. In 1698-1703 he was deputy to the General Assembly; 1701-1704 member of the Town Council; 1702 ratemaker; 1703, appointed to lay out highways. March 26, 1705, he sold land in Kingstown and soon removed to East Greenwich . . .” 1
The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island 2 also cites the will, with a much more firm
References
1. Greene, F. L. (1894). Descendants of Joseph Greene of Westerly, R.I: Also other branches of the Greenes of Quidnesset, or Kingston, R.I., and other lines of Greenes in America. Albany, N.Y: Joel Munsell’s Sons.
2. Austin, J. O., & Moriarty, G. A. (1969). The genealogical dictionary of Rhode Island: Comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690, with many families carried to the fourth generation. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co.
- GREENE (John, of Kings Town) pg. 86-87
- scanned version at archive.org
Basic Info
Born: about 1665 (1)
Birthplace: North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island (1)
Father: John Greene (1, 2)
Wife: Humility Coggeshall (1, 2)
Married: about 1687 (1)
Marriage Place: Unknown (1)
Direct Descendant: John "White Hat" Greene (1, 2)
Death: Winter of 1718-19 (1, 2)
Death Place: East Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island (1, 2)
Burial Place: Unknown (1)
Biography
The only evidence of Benjamin’s existence I have found so far is in compilations of lineages. I am still looking for corroborating records, as there seems to be a few as his public service is well documented. The main record I would like to get access to is the will that gives evidence of his wife’s identity and his children. At least this has been trasncribed in part 2. Until such records are digitized or I can travel to see physical copies, I will have to make do with this.
From The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island,
“Exs. wife Humility and Captain Benjamin Nichols, of Kings Town, and if latter die, then Joshua Coggeshall to succeed him. To wife, all household goods and moveables. To son John, farm he lives on.” 2
As his parentage is disputed in Descendants of Joseph Greene of Westerly, R.I, I have been hesitant in listing John and Joan Greene as part of this lineage so far. However, The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island seems rather unambigous about Benjamin’s lineage, giving me some hope in the connection being possible.
From Descendants of Joseph Greene of Westerly, R.I.,
“His name appears in the freeman’s list of North Kingstown in 1696. In 1698-1703 he was deputy to the General Assembly; 1701-1704 member of the Town Council; 1702 ratemaker; 1703, appointed to lay out highways. March 26, 1705, he sold land in Kingstown and soon removed to East Greenwich . . .” 1
The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island 2 also cites the will, with a much more firm
References
1. Greene, F. L. (1894). Descendants of Joseph Greene of Westerly, R.I: Also other branches of the Greenes of Quidnesset, or Kingston, R.I., and other lines of Greenes in America. Albany, N.Y: Joel Munsell’s Sons.
2. Austin, J. O., & Moriarty, G. A. (1969). The genealogical dictionary of Rhode Island: Comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690, with many families carried to the fourth generation. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co.
- GREENE (John, of Kings Town) pg. 86-87
- scanned version at archive.org