The question that has been raised by modern historians is, “Why was Arnold entrusted with the original deed?” It seems that because William Arnold was the oldest of the original Providence settlers and for his expertise in legal affairs, the original deed granted by the Narragansett sachems, Miantonomi and Canonicus, was entrusted to him. During the early years of Pawtuxet’s history, while it was under the protection of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Arnold never found it necessary to produce the 1638 deed to the lands given to Roger Williams. IN 1659, once Pawtuxet became independent of Massachusetts and after the death of Miantonomi, however, Arnold saw that it was to his advantage to present the deed to Town Clerk Thomas Olney Jr. at the “Towne Court” to be recorded.

Historian Sidney Rider felt very strongly that Arnold was guilty of fraud and conspiracy and labels the incident as outrageous. He introduces a great deal of evidence that the original deed confirming Roger Williams’ purchase of the land from the Indians, dated 1638, was altered by Arnold and William Harris in an attempt to extend their land holdings. The deed was not written into the Providence Town Records until 1662. For nearly 24 years, this precious deed had been in the possession of various individuals and was not well cared for. When Arnold eventually presented the deed to Olney, it was badly defaced.

In an attempt to explain why the deed was mutilated, Arnold laid the blame on his poor illiterate wife, Christian Peake Arnold, then in her late 70s. An anonymous letter, most likely written by Howlong Harris-Fenner, recorded in 1678, explains it to some degree. The letter, reproduced with the original spelling, tells us that the reason for the mutilation can be traced to the mistaken notion of the wife of William Arnold, who believed it was merely a piece of scrap paper and left it out in the rain.

(Author’s note: While the spelling might seem confusing to the modern reader, if the words are sounded out, the letter is easy to understand.)

The letter tells us, “…Joseph capenter [grandson of William Arnold] answered my father [William Harris] that his Grandfather told him that he had the orgginal deed of the Town in keeping and his Grandmother [Christian Arnold] thought it was apees of wast paper and Raped up garden seeds in it when she had soed her seeds she threw away the deed a waist paper and he found it and wt lieing out in the wet some of the deed Tore out….”

This innocent version of the deed’s mutilation was questioned by a number of Arnold’s contemporaries. Early settlers William Field is quoted in the Providence Town Papers as saying, “Now sir, I conceive this William Arnold, to obtain his own ends, to deprive us of our right to the said lands of Pawtuxet…cunningly cut out or otherwise got out of the said evidence all concerning…our right of Pawtuxet and pasted the said writing together again so cunningly that it could hardly be discerned but by those who well knew by rote what was formerly in the Evidence….”

Harris-Fenner’s letter, presented to the Town Court sitting at Newport in May 1708, ventures to explain “the many stang and strong underminding Transactions acted done by those men called pawtuxet man.” It states that the colonists were angered with “William Arnold Raseing out some of their Town deed…some of the deed was cut out and the two ends laid together and pasted on peas a paper.” The letter continues to say that many wanted to cut Arnold’s ears off, as this was the penalty for perjury and forgery. She says that William Harris told Joseph Carpenter, “old Mr William [Roger Williams] field prest very hard to have Arnold eares cut of…” and that it was William Harris who saved Arnold. The letter concludes by saying that “my father [William Harris] told Joseph carpenter they could tell what was cut out by the coppies….”

The story of William Arnold will be continued.