John Greene Jr. (1620 – 27 November 1708) was a deputy governor of the

Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until 1 ...

who spent almost his entire adult life in the public service of the colony. Born in England, he was the son of John Greene Sr. and Joan Tattersall, and sailed to

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

with his parents in 1635 aboard the ship ''James''. His father, after coming from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

to Providence, became one of the original settlers of

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and W ...

. In 1652 Greene served in his first public role as a commissioner from Warwick, and served in some public capacity every year until 1690 when he was first chosen as deputy governor of the colony. He then served 10 consecutive one-year terms in this capacity, retiring from public service in 1700 at the age of 80. He was one of the 10 Assistants named in the Royal Charter of 1663, which would become the basis for Rhode Island's government for nearly two centuries. During the devastating events of King Phillips War, Greene was one of 16 prominent inhabitants of the colony whose counsel was sought by the General Assembly. Greene died in Warwick on 27 November 1708 and was buried on the Spring Greene Farm (later the property of Governor Theodore F. Green) in Warwick. Greene married Ann Almy, the daughter of William and Audry (Barlow) Almy. They had 11 children, the youngest of whom, Samuel, married Mary Gorton, a granddaughter of Rhode Island colonial president

Samuel Gorton Samuel Gorton (1593–1677) was an early settler and civic leader of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and President of the towns of Providence and Warwick. He had strong religious beliefs which differed from Puritan theolo ...

. Their grandson, William Greene Sr. served for 11 one-year terms as a governor of the colony, and their great-grandson, also named William Greene Jr. was a governor of the State of Rhode Island. John and Ann Greene are also ancestors of United States President Warren G. Harding, as well as inventor Thomas A. Edison, Canadian politician and religious leader Nathan Eldon Tanner, cowboy artist and inventor

Earl W. Bascom Earl Wesley Bascom (June 19, 1906 – August 28, 1995) was an American painter, printmaker, sculptor, cowboy, rodeo performer, inventor, and Hollywood actor. Raised in Canada, he portrayed in works of fine art his own experiences of cowboying ...

and Hollywood actor John Wayne. __NOTOC__

Images

File:Original Providence Rhode Island town layout of homesteads.jpg, File:Prov Home Lots.1.jpg, File:Greene.John.Jr.tombstone.SpringGreeneCem.Warwick.jpg,

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External links

State list of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, John Jr. 1620 births 1708 deaths English emigrants Politicians from Warwick, Rhode Island Rhode Island Attorneys General People of colonial Rhode Island Greene family of Rhode Island

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