Government 1856 and General Rhode Island Information 1790 to 1880. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Susan W. Pieroth, (© 1997 Susan W. Pieroth) USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages are for the use of indivisual researchers, and may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ All of the following articles are from THE NEWPORT DIRECTORY, CONTAINING THE NAMES OF THE CITIZENS, A BUSINESS DIRECTORY, CITY RECORD, GOVERNMENT OF STATE, &C; 1856-'57 WILLIAM H. BOYD, COMPILER AND PUBLISHER, 229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Government of the State of Rhode Island STATE ELECTION FIRST WEDNESDAY OF APRIL GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETS AT NEWPORT LAST TUESDAY IN MAY, And Adjourns to Meet at Providence. -------------•--•--•----------- CIVIL GOVERNMENT FOR 1856 Wm. W. Hoppin, Providence, Governor Anderson C. Rose, N. Sheroham, Lieut. Governor John R. Bartlett, Providence, Sec. of State Charles Hart, Providence, Attorney Gen. Samuel A. Parker, Newport, Gen. Treasurer THE SENATE. Composed of Thirty-one Member--one from each town. Salary $1.00 His Excellency Wm. W. Hoppin, President, Ex-Officio His Honor Anderson C. Rose, Senator, Ex-Officio John R. Bartlett, Esq., Secretary, Ex-Officio Charles F. Brownell, Exq., of Providence, Clerk Jerome B. Kinball, Esq., Engrossing Clerk SENATORS. Barrington--W. H. Allen Bristol--Wm. H. S. Bayley Burrillville--Stephen Eddy Charlestown--William Foster Coventry--Lawton S. Johnston Cranston--Elkanah Ingalls Cumberland--Gladding O. Thompson East Greenwich--Caleb M. Alvord Exeter--Alex. S. Hopkins Foster--Thos. M. Remington Goucester--Smith Peckham Hopkinton--Lester Crandall Jamestown--Oliver R. Armstrong Johnston--Alfred Anthony Little Compton --Nathaniel Church Middletown--Augustus Peckham Newport--Joseph Anthony New Shoreham--Hiram D. Ball North Kingston--Henry Sweet North Providence --Jonathan C. Kenyon Portsmouth--John Tallman Providence--Benjamin T. Eames Richmond--Simeon Babcock Scituate--Ira Cowee Smithfield--Stephen N. Mason South Kingstown--John S. Clarke Tiverton--Oliver Chase Warren--Thos. G. Turner Warwich--John H. Clarke Westerly--Enoch B. Pendleton West Greenwich--Thomas T. Hazard COURTS. Circuit Court--Benj. R. Curtis, of Massachusetts, Circuit Judge; John Pitman, of Providence, District Judge; John t. Pitman, of Providence, Clerk. Meets at Newport and Providence on the 15th of June and November respectively. District Court--John Pitman, District Judge; John t. Pitman, Clerk; George H. Browne, District Attorney; Francis C. Gardiner, Marshal. Meets at Newport on the 2d Tuesday in May and 3d Tuesday in Octover, and at Providence on the 1st Tuesdays in Februay and August. Supreme Court--Hon. samuel Ames, of Providence, Chief Justice; Hon. Alfred Bosworth, of Warren, Hon. Sylvester G. Shearman, of Kingstown, Hon. George A. Brayton, of Warwick, Asso. Justices. Newport County--Court sits at Newport 1st Monday in March and 4th Monday in August. John W. Davis, Clerk; Wm. Douglas Lake, of Newport, Sheriff; robert Seatle, Newport, William Hint, Joseph R. Plummer, Tiverton and Little Compton, Alfred Card, New Shoreham, Deputy Sheriffs. Court of Common Pleas--Sylvester G. Shearman, one of the Associates Justices of the Supreme Court to hold the Common Pleas. Newport County--Sits at Newport on the 3d Monday in May and the 4th Monday in November. John W. Davis, Clerk; residence 150 Thames street. Magistrates and Justices’ Courts--Court of Justice in the City of Newport sits every Tuesday and Freday. Robert Dennis, William Gilpin, James A. Green. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House is coposed of Seventy-tow Members. Salary $1.00 per day. Hon. Benjamin Fessenden, of Cumberland, Speaker Sullivan Ballou, Exq., of Smithfield, and Charles C. Van Zandt, Esq., of Newport, Clerks REPRESENTATIVES. Barrington--William H. Smith Bristol--William H. Church, John B. Munro Burrillville--Thomas A. Babbitt, Smith Mowry Charlestown--John W. Money Coventry--Amos Fiske, Thomas Whipple Cranston--Mason Cornell, William F. Waterman Cumberland--Darwin M. Cook, Nathaniel C. Dana, Peleg W. Lipitt, James C. Molten East Greenwich--Ray C. Greene Exeter--William G. Rose Foster--Joseph Wells Gloucester--Reuben A. Clemence, William S. Potter Hopkinton--Harris Lamphear Jamestown--Samuel E. Weeden Johnston--Abram L. Atwood, Granville S. Williams Little Compton--Oliver C. Brownell Middletown--William B. Howland Newport--Clarke Burdick, Henry Bedlow, George B. Knowles, Seth W. Macy, Samuel S. Peckham New Shoreham--Luther B. Dickens North Kingstown--Jeremiah Carpenter, John Remington North Providence--Obadiah Brown, Lewis Fairbrother, Stephen R. Swan, James L. Wheaton Portsmouth--George Manchester Providence--Welcome Angell, Charles Anthony, Jesse Brown jr., George L. Clarke, Joseph F. Gilmore, Thomas A. Jenckes, John P. Knowles, Charles H. Parkhurst, Josiah Seagrave jr., Josiah Simmons, Benjamin F. Thurston, Samuel B. Wheaton Richmond--Stephen C. Armstron Scituate--Charles Jackson, Pardon A. Phillips Smithfield--Lysander Flagg, Ansel Holman, Henry G. Pearce, Nathaniel Spaulding, Wm. P. Steere, Jeremiah J. Young South Kingstown--Augustus Durfee, Daniel Rodman Tiverton--Frederick A. Boomer, Edward Gray jr., Allan Hart Warren--William L. Baker, Henry H. Luthe Warwich--William A. Corey, Alexander Allen, Christopher Spencer, William Sprague Westerly--John E. Weeden West Greenwich--George Dawley COMMISSIONERS. Appointed by other States to take testimony to be used, and acknowledgment of Deeds to be recorded in said States-- William H. Cranston, for New York; William Gilin, for Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina. PUBLIC NOTARIES. William g. Borden, Nathan N. Buffington, Frederick A. Boomer, Joshua coggeshall, John W. Davis, Joseph N. Davis, Samuel Dunn, William Gilpin, George W. Ellery, Oliver Hicks, Wm. D. Lake, Eleazer Trevett, William P. Sheffield, Charles C. Vanzandt, Lemuel B. Rose. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. Robert Dennis, William Gilpin, James A. Greene, Benjamin B. Howland, James Horswell, George C. Shaw, James G. Topham, Charles C. Van Zandt. PRISON, 11 Marlborough Street; Henry Taggart, keeper. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From The Home Library of Useful Knowledge A Complete Cyclopedia of Reference Compiled and Edited by R. S. Peale The Home Library Association, Chicago 1889 Population of Rhode Island and the rank according from each census from 1790 to 1880, along with the total population of all states and territories, and the top two in population. Year Population Rank Total Rank #1 Rank #2 1790 68,825 15 3,929,214 Virginia Pennsylvania 1800 69,122 16 5,308,483 Virginia Pennsylvania 1810 76,931 17 7,239881 Virginia Virginia 1820 83,015 20 9,633,822 New York Virginia 1830 97,199 23 12,866,020 New York Pennsylvania 1840 108,830 24 17,069,453 New York Pennsylvania 1850 147,545 28 23,191,876 New York Pennsylvania 1860 174,620 29 31,443,321 New York Pennsylvania 1870 217,353 32 38,558,371 New York Pennsylvania 1880 276,531 33 50,155,783 New York Pennsylvania Population of Cities Having 10,000 Inhabitants and Over, in the 1880 census, and showing their Rank According to Population. New York City was #1 with a population of 1,206,590, Philadelphia was #2 at 846,984, and Brooklyn, NY was #3 at 566,689. Rhode Island City Population Rank Lincoln, 13,765 156 Newport 15,693 144 Providence 104,850 20 Pawtucket, 19,030 109 Warwick, 12,163 185 Woonsocket 16,053 137 ***Special Laws*** Deeds require a seal. Acknowledgements may be taken by a senator, judge, justice of the peace, notary public or town clerk. In other States, by the authorized officers in such States, or by commissioner of deeds for Rhode Island. The wife joins in deed to release dower; only the husband need make the acknowledgment. Divorce is granted for impotency, adultery, cruelty, drunkenness, neglect to support, five years’ abandonmen, conviction of murder or arson, presumption of death from long absence, or for defect in marriage rendering it void. Divorces may only be decreed by Supreme Court. Alimony may be ordered, and restoration of wife’s separate property. Married Women. A married woman’s property is held by trustees for her separate use free from her husband’s debs. She cannot make contracts or do business. She may make a will subject to her husband’s right by curtesy. Wills. Testator’s age, twenty-one years for disposal of real estate; eighteen for personal property. Two witnesses.