William Arnold has been considered outstanding in his courage, business talent and leadership in the founding and settling of Pawtuxet by his friends. He has also had his detractors who viewed him in a different light. One of the episodes for which his enemies branded Arnold as an outrageous rogue was his attempt to force Samuel Gorton from Rhode Island. During the mid-17th century, Arnold and his followers had allied themselves with the Massachusetts Bay Colony in an attempt to drive the Gortonites out at any cost. Arnold, very worldly and clever, knew this was a risky venture. He feared the Bay Colony wouldn’t recognize the deeds that Roger Williams had received from Miantonomi and Canonicus as valid. As a result, he purchased land from the Pawtuxet sachem Socononaco. This deed, which was dated Jan. 30, 1641-42, was not recorded until 1645, which has puzzled some historians.

Sidney Rider, prominent early 20th century historian, in his discussion of the forgeries of Pawtuxet land, calls this Arnold deed “a sham from start to finish” and says that the “plain purpose of Arnold was to antedate the Gorton purchase.” Their plan was to use the under-sachems of the Narragansett tribe, Socononaco and Pomham, for that purpose. Historians feel that it was not until February 1644-45 that Socononaco deeded a tract of land south of the Pawtuxet River to Benedict Arnold. They questioned the deeds Arnold purchased in October 1645, which claimed that Socononaco had given the Arnolds lands in 1641. This claim, if valid, would make Gorton’s claim to the land via the Shawomet Purchase (1642-43) null and void.

As the year 1643 progressed, events on both sides of the Atlantic seriously affected the inhabitants of Pawtuxet and Shawomet. By the early spring, Gorton and his 11 co-purchasers seemed firmly settled in the area called Shawomet. Massachusetts authorities wanted to punish Gorton for his tirades against them and for his religious views. In the first meeting of their General Court in May, Massachusetts began to move against Gorton. They claimed that he had illegally purchased Shawomet. Thanks to the machinations of William Arnold, the under-sachems renounced the treaty Gorton made with Miantonomi. Claiming that Gorton’s treaty was a sham, the General Court of Boston ordered the fiery preacher to appear before them. When he refused, on Sept. 27, 1643, Massachusetts sent 40 soldiers and three commissioners to arrest Gorton.

The Gorton men sent the women and children to safety and barricaded themselves in one of the houses. For two days they exchanged shots with the soldiers. Then, lured by promises of being treated as “free man and neighbors” and being tried as Englishmen under English law, they surrendered. Immediately, the promises were broken and they were betrayed. Instead of being treated as free men, they were quickly put in chains and taken back to Boston as criminals. Their cattle were sold to pay court expenses and Gorton and his followers were tried on trumped-up religious charges. Gorton and his followers were given six months of hard labor. They were kept in chains and nearly starved. When they were released in 1644 they were given 14 days to gather their belongings and were banished from the Massachusetts colonies, which the General Court said included Shawomet. This action has often been called the “greatest crime of the early colonial period.”

It seemed that Arnold and the Pawtuxet men had achieved their goal of ridding the colonies of Gorton. This was not the case, however, as Gorton was not to be defeated so easily. He took his case to England, where he was able to present his version of the arrest and banishment before the Parliamentary Commissioners for the Plantations, headed by Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick. Rich was very sympathetic to Gorton and through him the Gorton-Miantonomi treaty was confirmed and Gorton given the right to return to Shawomet. The grateful Gortonists renamed the Shawomet area “Warwick” in honor of their benefactor.

Gorton’s problems were not over, however, as Arnold and the Massachusetts colonies continued to make life difficult for the settlers in Shawomet in a number of incidents. The story of William Arnold will be continued.