Marking stone which tells of the Portsmouth Compact is examined by Sgt. John T. Pierce of Portsmouth police and his son, Ricky. —.loumal-Rullptin Phnfn IIIIIHtllltlllllHIIIIIIIlllllHIIII Portsmouth: Real Ihe attic. They were stored . ju~ ;n- homoe anandd finally in July, 1663, snooty during thai time. Resi- compact were among the in- dents carried with them proof temporarily in the police de- By RONALD B- HARBISON Charles II granted the charter. tellectual elite of Massachu- "Clarke had more to do that they owned property or partment's photo lab and the A member of Ihe Ports- setts. Most had college de- with the charter than Williams had other goods. Anyone who sergeant, a police photogra- pher, had a chance to pour mouth police force maintains grees, the sergeant says. did," Sergeant Pierce says. didn't could be charged with Among these men was Dr. the old equivalent of vagran- through the books and^ papers. Portsmouth is the birthplace "Williams wrote one, but John Clarke, one of the orig- Clarke wrote a better one," cy, but with more serious con- The documents, still firm of liberty in this country. And inal settlers of Portsmouth he says. And no one really sequences. and white after centuries, are he says, his research through and later founder of Newport. knows how much either man "These people didn't want all marked with the seal of each succeeding town clerk. old records sustains his claim- It: is his memory that zealous contributed to the final form. anyone in town that couldn't Aquidneck residents periodi- pay their own way," he says. That is, until the present.seal Sgt. John T. Pierce olH The sergeant, who has been cally attempt to immortalize. studying the state's history The Sergeant digs too. Not was adopted. Cedar Ave., says the Com From time to time, residents Me has a theory about Ihe pact of Portsmouth on Maich for more than 20 of his 39 only for historical facts, but of Newport County, who tra- years, keeps at his hobby in for artifacts. Arrowheads, seal, too. Containing seven 7, 1638, guaranteed llb«g« ditionally regard themselves long-stemmed clay pipes that, eight-pointed stars, the seal thai were unheard of during other ways. He writes papers. as being a cut above people Not for publication, hut for dale hack 1o the 18th Cen-has always been a mystpi-y- that time. from the Plantations, have his own benefit and amuse- tury, lie's found them all. Some maintain it has some- It was Sergeant Pierce who •started movements to »rove- ~ -*r rv»««»*v iHe's .workina on one Some he's found nine feel be- thing to do with the town, but. Marking stone which tells of the Portsmouth Compact is examined by Sgt. John T. Pierce of Portsmouth police and his son, Ricky. —Journal-Bulletin Photo Porfsmoufh: Real Cradle of Liberty.' By RONALD B. HARRISON compact were among the in- home and finally in July, 1663, snooty during that time. Resi- the attic. They were stored A member of the Ports- tellectual elite of Massachu- Charles II granted the charter. dents carried with them proof temporarily in the police, de- setts. Most had college de- "Clarke had more to do that they owned property or partment's photo lab and the mouth police force maintains grees, the sergeant says. with the charter than Williams had other goods. Anyone who sergeant, a police photogra- Portsmouth is the birthplace Among these men was Dr. did," Sergeant Pierce says. didn't could be charged with pher, had a chance to pour of liberty in this country. And, John Clarke, one of the orig- "Williams wrote one, but the old equivalent of vagran- through the books and papers. he says, his research through inal settlers of Portsmouth Clarke wrote a better one," cy, but with more serious con- The documents, still firm and later founder of Newport. he says. And no one really sequences. and white after centuries,.are old records sustains his claim. It is his memory that zealous knows how much either man "These people didn't want all marked with the seal of Sgt. John T. Pierce of 52 Aquidneck residents periodi- contributed to the final form. anyone in town that couldn't each succeeding town clerk. Cedar Ave., says the Com- cally attempt to immortalize. The sergeant, who has been pay their own way," he says. That is, until the present.seal pact of Portsmouth on March From time to time, residents studying the state's history The Sergeant digs too. Not was adopted. 7, 1638, guaranteed liberties of Newport County, who tra- for more than 20 of his 39 only for historical facts, but He has a theory about the that were unheard of during ditionally regard themselves years, keeps at his hobby in for artifacts. Arrowheads, seal, too. Containing seven that time. as being a cut above people other ways. He writes papers. long-stemmed clay pipes that. eight-pointed stars, the . seal It was Sergeant Pierce who from the Plantations, have Not for publication, but for date back to the 18th Cen- has always been a mystery. told town officials recently started movements to rever his own benefit and amuse- tury. He's found them all. Some maintain it has some- that the state owes about $490 Dr. Clarke as the founder of ment. He's working on one Some he's found nine feet be- thing to do with the town, but 1o the town in overdue fees for the state. But the old doctor now about the town's poor- low the topsoil. Sergeant Pierce disagrees. a book borrowed at the turn usually has finished second house that stood just south of He does his digging in an "I don't think it has any- of the century. best to Roger Williams. the Raytheon plant off West area bounded by curving thing to do with the town. I Ironically, the compact was In explaining the theory, Main Road. He thinks it was overpasses and the black mac- think it was just the family signed to protect the religious Sergeant Pierce is ready to built during the late 1700's. adam of Route 138, not far crest of the first town clerk," freedom that its signers had take aim at some of the state's "The people didnt' have it from Founders Brook. he says. sought when they fled Eng- more sacred cows. Roger Wil- very good while they were It's in this area the first If the present-day seal of land in the early 1600's. The liams, for example. there," he says. Their treat- settlement stood and he main- the town, emblazoned on the signatories left the religious "John Clarke's the founder ment depended a lot on the tains the first Baptist Church doors of the town's police intolerance of Plymouth Col- of the state," he says. The discretion of the keeper. The in America was erected here. cars, is a modern delineation , ony and came to Rhode Is- way history has it, both Wil- poor were committed for an About four years ago, when of that ancient town clerk's land to seek freedom. They liams and Clarke journeyed indefinite period and lived in the town hall was renovated, family crest, it is still in guaranteed this by the com- to England to gain a charter "dark rooms," dungeonlike an historian's windfall was touch with the first years of pact. for the state. Clarke re- cells with little light and air. discovered. Dozens of musty the town, for over the seal According i to Sergeant mained there for about 10 He implies that the people books containing the town's are the four words "Founded Pierce, the.'.3 signers of the years after Williams returned of Portsmouth were a bit original records were found in on the Compact." THE NEWS—NEWPORT, THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1924 THE FIRST WHITE SETTLERS MEMORIALIZED IN BROiNZE AFTER 285 YEARS. The Bronze t.ihlet roncrlvrd, i>lni:nrd and supplied by t'antnJH' Franc k Taj-Ior Evans, I". S. Oov. Fly-mi, who paid tribute- to e spirit of independence impulse and! notion of _V j( of t!i~ pnst. PRAISE FOR_DR^BICKNELL town, while he still was in his Junior ; year 'at Brown University. His first Thomas W. Bicknell i speech was in favor of the abolition of Did Much to Put State and Isl- i negro schools within the State. and in Proper Light Be- TJ. BICKNELL 91, He served six years as Commissioner of Public. Schools, having been elected in fore World. May, 1889, at a critical time in educa- tional organization in Rhode Island. He To the Editor of the New?: created the State Board of Education, DEAD; ILL KNOW! ! 1 see the papers are still r'.ghtly now 55 years oMi, and In 1871 founded referring to the wonderful nonogen- (the State normal school, now the Rhode arian, Thomas Williams Bicknell, Ma ml College of Education. LJJ. D., who recently died in Provi- He published on the average of one dence, with what seemed at th;s ASR.LHISTORIAN vofaine a season for years on ediuca- distance to be lamented suddenness. tionai, historical or grene a logical sub- I wonder how many there are who , jeots, and at various times edited crlu- know how much he did for the triu- Providence Lecturer and Scholar ; eational papers and magazines. He. was history of our state, and espee'ali,- well known as ;L lecturer, and iia;l b, eri of Newport.