Was Roger Williams of Rhode Island from Wales?

Hi Hywel,

Welcome to History Hub

Are you speaking of the Roger Williams who founded the State of Rhode Island.

He was born in London, England. Here is his history.

Roger Williams - Founder of Rhode Island & Salem Minister - HISTORY

Alice Lane

Research Volunteer

Dear Mr. George,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located 4 entries related to the Roger Williams National Memorial in the Records of the National Park Service (Record Group 79) that may contain some historical or biographical information about Roger Williams. These records have not been digitized. For information about and access to them, please contact the National Archives at Boston (RE-BO) at boston.archives@nara.gov.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RE-BO. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

We also searched the Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC) Cooperative and located 7 archival collections that contain records created by Roger Williams that may be of interest to you.

Additionally, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) supported the publication of the Correspondence of Roger Williams, which may contain some biographical information about Williams that is relevant to your research.

You may wish to contact The Rhode Island Historical Society, whose website includes this Roger Williams Online Gallery, and the State Archives of Rhode Island for additional information.

Finally, a quick internet search indicates that Roger Williams’ birth record was likely destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Since he attended Pembroke College, Cambridge, we suggest that you contact their Archives & Special Collections to see if they can offer you any further assistance.

We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!