The date of Roger Williams’s birth is unknown, probably about 1604 or 1607
He founded Providence, about June 23-24, 1636
He died, 1684
He has been called “The Apostle of Soul Liberty.”
ROGER, THE BOY
The exact date of Roger Williams’s birth is unknown. Nor are his historians agreed on the place where he was born. It is generally thought that he was born in London, where his father was a tailor. He is also said to have been distantly related to Oliver Cromwell.
When Roger Williams was a boy, a new system of writing had been devised, called shorthand. He learned it, and, going to the Star Chamber, took down some of the sermons and speeches. The Judge, Sir Edward Coke, was so pleased with his work, that he became Roger Williams’s friend and patron, and even gained him admission to one of the famous English schools. Later, young Roger Williams attended Cambridge University.
After leaving Cambridge, he is said to have studied law under his friend Sir Edward Coke. Then, not being satisfied with law, he studied to become a minister.
Like William Penn, Roger Williams was a thoughtful boy, and like William Penn, he had a sweet experience in childhood. For Roger Williams himself when old, said, “From my childhood, now about three score years, the Father of lights and mercies touched my soul with a love for Himself, to his Only Begotten, the true Lord Jesus, and to his holy Scriptures.”