Thomas Olney (ca. 1600–1682) was an early minister at the First Baptist Church in America and one of the first proprietors in

Providence Plantations Providence Plantations was the first permanent European American settlement in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was established by a group of colonists led by Roger Williams and Dr. John Clarke who left Massachusetts Bay ...

Immigration to New England

Olney was born in England in 1600 and was trained as a

shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...

. He married Marie Ashton at St. Albans Abbey in

Hertfordshire, England Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

on September 16, 1629, and they begot sons Thomas and Epenetus. Olney and his family immigrated to

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

on the ship ''Planter'' in April 1635. They were asked to leave Massachusetts Bay Colony due to religious differences, and they moved to Providence in 1638 following Roger Williams. He signed the Providence agreement to form a government in 1640, and he was one of the original 12 persons to whom Roger Williams deeded land that he had purchased from

Canonicus Canonicus (c. 1565 – June 4, 1647) was a chief of the Narragansett Indigenous Peoples. He was wary of the colonial settlers, but he ultimately befriended Roger Williams and other settlers. Biography Canonicus was born around 1565,Benjami ...

and

Miantonomi Miantonomoh (1600? – August 1643), also spelled Miantonomo, Miantonomah or Miantonomi, was a chief of the Narragansett people of New England Indians. Biography He was a nephew of the Narragansett grand sachem, Canonicus (died 1647), with whom h ...

on October 8, 1638. Olney served the town in various capacities including the first Treasurer, Court Assistant, Town Councilman, Clerk, Assistant to the General Court of Trials, Commissioner, Justice of the Peace, and tax collector, and he was on a sub-committee to prevent sale of ammunition to the Indians. He was named as one of the ten Assistants to the Governor in the

Royal Charter of 1663 The Rhode Island Royal Charter provided royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, approved by England's King Charles II in July 1663. It outlined many freedoms for the inhabitants of Rhode Island and was the ...

, a document which served as the basis for Rhode Island's government for nearly two centuries.

First Baptist Church

Olney was one of the original members of the First Baptist Church in Providence, but he and several others withdrew from the

Six-Principle Baptists The Six-Principle Baptists is a Baptist Christian denomination in United States. History The history of General Six-Principle Baptists in America began in Rhode Island in 1652 when the historic First Baptist Church, once associated with Roger Wi ...

under

William Wickenden William Wickenden (c. 1614–1671) was an early Anglo-American Baptist minister, co-founder of Providence Plantations, and signer of the Providence Compact. Wickenden Street in Providence marks where he originally settled in the seventeenth c ...

's leadership to found a second church in 1653/4. He served as lay pastor for this small congregation until his death in Providence between June 16 and October 9, 1682.James H. Olney, ''A genealogy of the descendants of Thomas Olney: an original proprietor of Providence, R.I., who came from England in 1635'' (Press of E.L. Freeman & Son, 1889

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References

External links

Olney Information''A genealogy of the descendants of Thomas Olney: an original proprietor of Providence, R.I., who came from England in 1635'' (1889)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olney, Thomas English emigrants People of colonial Rhode Island 17th-century Baptist ministers from the United States 1682 deaths Year of birth uncertain 1600s births

Immigration to New England

First Baptist Church

See also

References

External links