Page 247 - Family History

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convincing speaker, Gorton spoke openly whenever he could get people to listen
to him. His enemies complained about his charismatic language. Searching for
religious freedom, Samuel, his wife Mary, the first three of their eventual nine
children, and Samuel's brother Thomas sailed to America aboard the Speedwell,
landing in Boston in 1636.

Samuel found the world of the Boston Puritans no better than the one he had left
behind in England. He soon became involved in many disputes with the Puritan
government in Massachusetts, so much so that they tried to imprison him. His
every thought and word was an issue with the Puritan rules. His maid was put in

jail because she smiled in church. Samuel went to jail for his maid and was later
thrown out of Boston. It is believed that he went on to Portsmouth, Rhode Island
with his family and spoke out against the magistrates there, calling them all
"asses."

William Arnold (Benedict Arnold's father) was against Gorton and his followers
settling near what is now Portsmouth. Samuel didn't sense this animosity and he
unwisely built homes. The Arnolds' appealed to Massachusetts to help rid
themselves of the Gortonists, as Samuel and his followers had become known.
Massachusetts enlisted two Indian chiefs, Ponham and Soconoco, to get Gorton

out. They raided Samuel's home and burned it down. The Gortonists retreated to
a block house. Then Governor Winthrop, a friend of Gorton, had Mr. Chad Brown
try to mediate. He was unsuccessful. The Massachusetts soldiers came and
entrenched themselves. They started firing and Samuel hung out the English flag,
which was promptly shot to shreds. The Gortonists surrendered and were put in
jail. Governor Winthrop had to abide by this although he did not want to. They
were brought to trial and escaped death by one vote. After repeated persecution
and prosecution, the court banished Gorton and his followers to other towns.

They had to wear leg irons. Since Samuel had always been a friend of Governor
Winthrop, he appealed. By March, 1644, the Massachusetts Bay authorities found
that Gorton and his company did harm in the towns where they were confined
and not knowing what to do with them, set them free and gave them fourteen
days to make themselves scarce. This miraculous escape enabled Gorton to
obtain the submission of the Narragansett Sachems Indians, an achievement

which contributed in no small measure to the Independence of Rhode Island. He
and about 100 other Gortonists braved a blowing snowstorm to walk and ride
horses about 90 miles to the area now known as Providence.

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