WATERMAN, Richard (Colonel )

  Noted events in his life were:

• History: ²⁰⁹¹"Colonel Richard Waterman, immigrant ancestor and founder of the Waterman family of New England, was a passenger to America in the fleet with Higginson in the year 1629, having been sent as an expert hunter by the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay, although tradition brought forward at various times has stated that he came in the same ship with Roger Williams, with whom he later joined his fortunes. The family bore coat-of-arms as follows: ARMS - Or a buck's head cabossed gules.
Richard Waterman setteled in Salem, Massachusetts, where he became a member of the church. He soon fell into disrepute in the Salem settlement because of his sympathy with the views of Roger Williams, and in March, 1638, followed Roger Williams to Providence, having been banished from Salem. In Providence in the same year he was the twelfth among those to whom were granted equal shares of the land that Williams received from Canonicus and Miantonomi. After a period of years he joined with Randall Holden, Samuel Gorton and others, in the purchase of a large tract on the western shore of Narragansett Bay from Miantonomi. Here was commenced the settlement of Shawomut, which afterward became known as Warwick. Richard Waterman did not remove thither, however, but remained in Providence. He endured with the other purchasers of that property the losses and persecutions which fell upon the small colony through the unjust claims of Massachusetts to the district. In 1643 the Massachusetts authorities sent a squad of soldiers to arrest the leaders of the colony, and carried them prisoners to Boston, where many of them were imprisoned for several months. Richard Waterman suffered the confiscation of part of his estate by order of the court in October, 1643, and was bound over to appear at the May term following. His companions barely escaped the death sentence, while the sentence pronounced against Waterman at the General Court was as follows: "Being found erroneous, heretical and obstinate, it was agreed that he should be detained prisoner till the Quarter Court in the seventh month, unless five of the magistrates do find cause to send him away; which, if they do, it is ordered that he shall not return within this jurisdiction upon pain of death." After his release, however, he took an important part in securing justice for the Warwick settlers. The long c9ontroversy was eventually settled by a decision of the English authorities in favor of the rightful owners who had purchased the land from Miantonomi. Waterman held possession of his valuable property in Providence and in old Warwick, bequeathing it to his heirs, whose descendants have been numerous and prominent and influential in Rhode Island affairs to the present day.
He was a prominent church officer, a colonel of the militia, and a man of great force and fine ability in large affairs. In 1639 he was one of the twelve original members of the first Baptist church in America. Richard Watermand died in 1673. A monument to his memory has been erected by some of his descendants on the old family burying ground on the corner of Benefit and Watermand streets, Providence. His wife Bethiah, of whos family no trace has been found, died December 3, 1680.

• History: ²⁰⁹²Colonel Richard Waterman, the immigrant ancestor, was born in England in about 1590, died in Rhode Island in 1673. He sailed from England in 1629, a few years after the settlement of the Pilgrim fathers upon Massachusetts bay, and first located in Salem, Massachusetts. Like Roger Williams his peculiar religious views drew upon him the charge of heresy, and he was banished for heresy, following Mr. Williams to Providence in March, 1638. He was one of the original seven landholders who received deeds of land in Providence from Roger Williams. The following year, 1639, he became also one of the first twelve members who founded the earliest Baptist church in America. In 1640 an agreement in regard to a form of government was drawn up, of which Mr. Watermand was one of the signers. In 1655 he was made freeman, and held public office as commissioner, juryman and warden in successive years. He was colonel of the militia. In every way he distinguished himself by the ability with which he handled the various responsibilities imposed upon him. He lived in Providence and Newport.

Richard married Bethiah [--?--]. (Bethiah [--?--] died on 3 Dec 1680 ^2091,2092.)