List of attorneys general of Rhode Island

The attorney general of Rhode Island is the chief legal advisor of the government of the State of Rhode Island and oversees the State of Rhode Island Department of Law. The attorney general is elected every four years. The current attorney general is Peter F. Neronha.

History of the Rhode Island attorneys general
In 1643, Roger Williams obtained a patent (charter) from the English Parliament. The towns of Providence and Warwick elected a Chief Officer under the authority of this Parliamentary Patent of 1643. In 1647, the towns of Newport, Portsmouth, Providence, and Warwick formed a united colony under the Parliamentary Patent. In May 1650, the offices of "Attorney General for the Colonie" and "Solicitor" were created.

Attorney General under the Patent of 1643

 * William Dyer:	May 1650 – 1651

Solicitor under the Patent of 1643

 * Hugh Built:	May 1650 – 1651

Attorney General after the Coddington Commission

 * John Easton, of Newport:	May 1653 – May 1654 (Attorney General only for Portsmouth and Newport following the repeal of the Coddington Commission, and before the re-unification of the four towns into a single government)

Attorneys general under the Patent of 1643

 * John Cranston, of Newport	May 1654 – May 1656
 * John Easton, of Newport	May 1656 – May 1657
 * John Greene, Jr. of Warwick 	May 1657 – May 1660
 * John Easton, of Newport 	May 1660 – May 1663

Attorneys general under the Royal Charter of 1663



 * John Sanford, of Portsmouth	May 1663 – November 1664
 * John Easton, of Newport	1664–1670
 * John Sanford, of Portsmouth 	1670–1671
 * Joseph Torrey, of Newport 	1671–1672
 * John Easton, of Newport 	1672–1674
 * Peter Easton, of Newport 	1674–1676
 * Weston Clarke, of Newport 	1676–1677
 * Edward Richmond, of Newport	1677–1680
 * Weston Clarke, of Newport 	1680–1681
 * Edmund Calverly, of Warwick 	1681–1682
 * John Pococke, of Newport 	1684–1685
 * Weston Clarke, of Newport 	1685–1686
 * John Pococke, of Newport	1684–1685
 * Weston Clarke, of Newport 	1685–1686
 * John Williams, of Newport 	1686–1689
 * John Pococke, of Newport	May 1690 – ????
 * John Smith, of Warwick	       May 1696 – 1698
 * John Pococke, of Newport 	1698–1700
 * John Rhodes, of Warwick 	1700–1701
 * John Pococke, of Newport	1701–1702
 * Nathaniel Dyre, of Newport	1702–1704
 * Joseph Sheffield, of Newport	1704–1706
 * Simon Smith, of Warwick 	1706–1712
 * Richard Ward, of Newport 	1712–1713
 * John Hammett, of Newport 	1713–1714
 * Weston Clarke, of Newport 	1714–1721
 * Henry Bull, of Newport 	1721–1722
 * Daniel Updike, of North Kingstown	1722–1732
 * James Honeyman, Jr., of Newport 	1732–1740

King's attorneys

 * James Honeyman, Jr., of Newport 	1741–1743
 * John Wanton, of Providence County 	1741–1742
 * Daniel Updike, of King's County	1741–1743
 * John Andrew, of Providence County 	1742–1743

Attorneys general

 * Daniel Updike, of North Kingstown	1746–1747
 * Augustus Johnston, of Newport 	1758–1766
 * Oliver Arnold, of Providence 	1766–1771
 * Henry Marchant, of Newport	1772–1776 (Independent)
 * William Channing, of Newport	1777–1786 (Country)
 * Henry Goodwin, of Newport 	1787–1788 (Country)
 * David Howell, of Providence 	1789 (PA)
 * Daniel Updike, of North Kingstown	1790
 * William Channing, of Newport	1791–1793 (Country)
 * Ray Greene, of Providence	1794–1796 (Federalist)
 * James Burrill, Jr., of Providence 	1797–1813 (Federalist)
 * Samuel W. Bridgham, of Providence	1814–1816 (Federalist)
 * Henry Bowen, of Providence 	1817–1818 (Democratic-Republican)
 * Dutee J. Pearce, of Newport 	1819–1824 (Democratic-Republican)
 * Albert C. Greene, of East Greenwich	1825–1842 (Whig)