Rhode Island: Governors: 1689-1776

Deputy Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America
1/11 May 1689 - 27 Feb/9 Mar 1690	John Coggeshall [1]
Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America
27 Feb/9 Mar 1690 - 7/17 May 1690	Henry Bull
7/17 May 1690 - c. 1/11 May 1695	John Easton
c. 1/11 May 1695 - 17/27 Dec 1695	Caleb Carr
Deputy Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America (ex officio)
17/27 Dec 1695 - Jan ? 1696	John Greene
Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America
Jan? 1696 - c. Mar 1698	Walter Clarke
c. Mar 1698 - 26 Apr/7 May 1727	Samuel Cranston [2]
Deputy Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America (ex officio)
26 Apr/7 May 1727 - 3/14 May 1727	Joseph Jenckes
Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, in New England [3]
3/14 May 1727 - 3/14 May 1732	Joseph Jenckes
3/14 May 1732 - 1734	William Wanton [4]
1/12 May 1734 - 5/16 Jul 1740	John Wanton
Deputy Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America (ex officio)
5/16 Jul 1740 - 15/26 Jul 1740	Richard Ward
Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, in New England [3]
15/26 Jul 1740 - 4/15 May 1743	Richard Ward
4/15 May 1743 - 1/12 May 1745	William Greene
1/12 May 1745 - 7/18 May 1746	Gideon Wanton
7/18 May 1746 - 6/17 May 1747	William Greene
6/17 May 1747 - 4/15 May 1748	Gideon Wanton
4/15 May 1748 - 7 May 1755	William Greene
7 May 1755 - 4 May 1757	Stephen Hopkins
4 May 1757 - 23 Feb 1758	William Greene
Deputy Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America (ex officio)
23 Feb 1758 - 14 Mar 1758	John Gardner
Governor, Captain General, and Commander-in-Chief in/of and over the English Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America [5]
14 Mar 1758 - 5 May 1762	Stephen Hopkins
5 May 1762 - 4 May 1763	Samuel Ward
4 May 1763 - 1 May 1765	Stephen Hopkins
1 May 1765 - 6 May 1767	Samuel Ward
6 May 1767 - 4 May 1768	Stephen Hopkins
4 May 1768 - 3 May 1769	Josias Lyndon
3 May 1769 - 3 May 1775	Joseph Wanton [6]
Deputy Governor and Lieutenant General of and over the English Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America
3 May 1775 - 9 Nov 1775	Nicholas Cooke
Governor, Captain General, and Commander-in-Chief in/of and over the English Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America [5]
9 Nov 1775 - 20 Jul 1776	Nicholas Cooke

The Governor and Deputy Governor who held the offices before the annexation of Rhode Island to the Territory and Dominion of New England (12/22 Jan 1687) were "confirmed and established" by a resolution of the General Assembly passed on 1/11 May 1689, but Governor Clarke declined to take office until the election of a successor on 27 Feb/9 Mar 1690. Deputy Governor Coggeshall exercised executive functions during this period.
According to an act passed by the General Assembly on 17/27 Jun 1718 the governor was made "Captain General and Commander-in-Chief of and over all the Military Forces within this Colony", the deputy governor was made "Lieutenant General of the same."
This style was used consistently in the 1740s (attested by gubernatorial proclamations of 1740, 1742, 1746).
A significant number of secondary sources suggest that Wanton died in December 1733. However, there are, at least, three letters written in Boston by Surveyor General of Customs John Peagrum and addressed to "Wm Wanton Esqr" (dated 7 Jan 1733/34, 21 Jan 1733/34, 22 Mar 1733/34) (Rhode Island Governors Correspondence, 1:42-53). Also, there is a letter signed by William and John Wantons as "Govr." and "D. Govr." respectively dated "Newport, Rhode Island, 27th March, 1734" which was published in New York Gazette, No. 441, 1-8 Apr 1734, p. 4.
This style was used consistently in the 1750s, 1760s and 1770s (attested by gubernatorial proclamations of 1756, 1759, 1760, 1762, 1763, 1766, 1770, and 1772).
The sixth one-year term of Wanton as governor ended on 3 May 1775 when his re-election was declared upon the counting of electoral ballots at the session of the General Assembly. Wanton did not attend the session and did not take oath of office. Later in May 1775, the General Assembly passed an act preventing Wanton from taking the oath. The office was declared vacant vacant in accordance with an act passed by the General Assembly (House of Deputies on 7? Nov 1775, concurred in by the House of Magistrates 7 Nov 1775).