John Throckmorton

Who was John Throckmorton?

John Throckmorton was an early settler of Providence in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and one of the 12 original proprietors of that settlement. Originating in Norfolk, England, he first settled in Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but religious tensions brought about his removal to Providence. In 1643 he made a land purchase in New Netherland and settled there with several dozen others, but an attack by the natives during Kieft's War caused many, including Throckmorton, to return to Rhode Island. He became active in Providence civil affairs, serving as moderator, deputy, and treasurer. He died in 1684 in Middletown, New Jersey, where he went to visit his children, and was buried there. Throggs Neck in Bronx, New York City is named for him.