The Political Graveyard: Washington County, R.I.

Elisha Reynolds Potter (1764-1835) — also known as Elisha R. Potter — of South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I. Born in Little Rest (now part of Kingston), Washington County, R.I., November 5, 1764. Served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War; member of Rhode Island house of deputies, 1793-96; Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Deputies, 1795-97; U.S. Representative from Rhode Island, 1796-97, 1809-15 (at-large 1796-97, 2nd District 1809-11, at-large 1811-15); member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1798-1808, 1816-17, 1819-35; Speaker of the Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 1802, 1806-09; candidate for Governor of Rhode Island, 1818. Slaveowner. Died in South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., September 26, 1835 (age 70 years, 325 days). Interment in a private or family graveyard.

		Relatives: Father of Elisha Reynolds Potter (1811-1882).
		See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page

Elisha Reynolds Potter (1811-1882) — of Rhode Island. Born in Little Rest (now part of Kingston), Washington County, R.I., June 20, 1811. Adjutant General of Rhode Island, 1835-36; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1838-40; U.S. Representative from Rhode Island 2nd District, 1843-45; defeated, 1844; member of Rhode Island state senate, 1847-52, 1861-63; justice of Rhode Island state supreme court, 1868-82; died in office 1882. Died in Kingston, South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., April 10, 1882 (age 70 years, 294 days). Interment in a private or family graveyard.

		Relatives: Son of Elisha Reynolds Potter (1764-1835).
		See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page

Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery
Exeter, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Gaetano D. Parella (c.1923-2001) — also known as Kelly Parella — of Bristol, Bristol County, R.I. Born in Bristol, Bristol County, R.I., about 1923. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1971-93. Catholic. Italian ancestry. Member, Elks; Knights of Columbus; Sons of Italy; American Legion. Died in Bristol, Bristol County, R.I., July 4, 2001 (age about 78 years). Interment at Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery.

Thurston Cemetery
Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Jeremiah Thurston — of Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, 1816-17. Interment at Thurston Cemetery.

Relatives: Father of Benjamin Babock Thurston.

First Hopkinton Cemetery
Old Hopkinton Cemetery Road
Ashaway, Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island
See also Findagrave page for this location.

Politicians buried here:

Jacob D. Babcock (1789-1867) — of Ashaway, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Born in Potter Hill, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I., January 20, 1789. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812; delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1856 (Convention Vice-President); abolitionist. Died in Ashaway, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I., June 17, 1867 (age 78 years, 148 days). Interment at First Hopkinton Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of Daniel Babcock and Content (Potter) Babcock; married, April 19, 1825, to Elizabeth Almy.
		See also Find-A-Grave memorial

Robert Scott Hirst (1922-1994) — of Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Born in Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I., April 1, 1922. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; delegate to Rhode Island state constitutional convention, 1955; member of Rhode Island Republican State Central Committee, 1950; postmaster. Member, Freemasons; Veterans of Foreign Wars. Died in Providence, Providence County, R.I., March 22, 1994 (age 71 years, 355 days). Interment at First Hopkinton Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son-in-law of James Bard Bill; father of Scott Bill Hirst.
		Political family: Bill family of Connecticut.

George Bradford Carpenter — of Rhode Island. Member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1878-82. Interment at First Hopkinton Cemetery.

Oak Grove Cemetery
Ashaway, Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

James Bard Bill (1888-1954) — also known as J. Bard Bill — of North Stonington, New London County, Conn. Born in North Stonington, New London County, Conn., April 12, 1888. Republican. Member of Connecticut state house of representatives from North Stonington, 1941-44. Died in North Stonington, New London County, Conn., September 14, 1954 (age 66 years, 155 days). Interment at Oak Grove Cemetery.

		Relatives: Father-in-law of Robert Scott Hirst; grandfather of Scott Bill Hirst; grandnephew of Jepthah Greer Bill; great-grandnephew of Lodowick Bill.
		Political family: Bill family of Connecticut.

Lloyd Barber Langworthy (1892-1965) — also known as Lloyd B. Langworthy — of Ashaway, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Born July 25, 1892. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; candidate for Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1948. Member, American Legion. Died in 1965 (age about 72 years). Interment at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Relatives: Son of George Bernard Langworthy and Leonora Elizabeth (Barber) Langworthy; married, June 2, 1920, to Annie May McDonald.

Pine Grove Cemetery
Hope Valley, Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Edwin Robinson Allen (b. 1840) — also known as Edwin R. Allen — of Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Born in Windham, Windham County, Conn., November 26, 1840. Republican. Merchant; town clerk, Hopkinton, R.I., from 1867; Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, 1894-97. Baptist. Member, Grand Army of the Republic. Interment at Pine Grove Cemetery.

Relatives: Son of Edwin Allen and Ruth B. (Noyes) Allen; married, January 1, 1868, to Mary E. Thayer.

Elisha Rockwell Bitgood (1879-1961) — also known as Elisha R. Bitgood — of Hope Valley, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Born in Voluntown, New London County, Conn., October 11, 1879. Democrat. Lumber mill owner; alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from Rhode Island, 1940. Died in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, November 25, 1961 (age 82 years, 45 days). Interment at Pine Grove Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of John Bitgood and Ida (Lewis) Bitgood; married, March 31, 1909, to Blanch E. Gibson; married, June 8, 1918, to Sarah J. Clarke.
		See also Find-A-Grave memorial

Rockville Cemetery
Rockville, Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Alva Crandall (1835-1902) — of Rhode Island. Born in Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I., November 13, 1835. Republican. Member of Rhode Island state senate, 1887-89. Died April 20, 1902 (age 66 years, 158 days). Interment at Rockville Cemetery.

Albert Stillman Babcock (b. 1851) — also known as Albert S. Babcock — of Rockville, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Born in Ashaway, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I., November 15, 1851. Republican. Member of Rhode Island state senate, 1893-1901; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1900. Interment at Rockville Cemetery.

Josiah Peckham Palmer (1828-1897) — of Rhode Island. Born in Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I., March 9, 1828. Member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1883-84. Died in Rockville, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I., December 13, 1897 (age 69 years, 279 days). Interment at Rockville Cemetery.

		Relatives: Second great-granduncle of Scott Bill Hirst.
		Political family: Bill family of Connecticut.

Island Cemetery
New Shoreham, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Christopher Elihu Champlin (1860-1915) — also known as Christopher E. Champlin — of New Shoreham, Newport County (now Washington County), R.I. Born in New Shoreham, Newport County (now Washington County), R.I., September 24, 1860. Lawyer; member of Rhode Island state senate from New Shoreham, 1901, 1911. Member, Freemasons. Died December 11, 1915 (age 55 years, 78 days). Interment at Island Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of John Pocock Champlin and Lydia M. (Rose) Champlin; married, October 14, 1891, to Joanna Hayes; first cousin four times removed of George Champlin; second cousin thrice removed of Christopher Grant Champlin.
		Political families: Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York; Livingston-Schuyler family of New York (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
		See also Find-A-Grave memorial

Elm Grove Cemetery
960 Tower Hill Road
Allenton, North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island
Founded 1851
See also Findagrave page for this location.

Politicians buried here:

William Gregory (1849-1901) — of North Kingstown, Washington County, R.I. Born in Astoria, Queens, Queens County, N.Y., August 3, 1849. Republican. Member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1889-92; member of Rhode Island state senate, 1895-98; Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, 1898-1900; Governor of Rhode Island, 1900-01; died in office 1901. Member, Freemasons. Died in North Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., December 16, 1901 (age 52 years, 135 days). Interment at Elm Grove Cemetery.

		See also National Governors Association biography — Find-A-Grave memorial
		Image source: American Monthly Review of Reviews, December 1901

Sylvester Gardiner Shearman (1802-1868) — also known as Sylvester G. Shearman — of North Kingstown, Washington County, R.I. Born in North Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., October 26, 1802. Member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1843-55; Speaker of the Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 1848-49, 1854-55; justice of Rhode Island state supreme court, 1855-68; died in office 1868. Died in Providence, Providence County, R.I., January 3, 1868 (age 65 years, 69 days). Interment at Elm Grove Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of Nathaniel John Shearman and Nancy (Gardiner) Shearman; married to Priscilla Cook Arnold and Mary E. Upham; first cousin thrice removed of James Randall Durfee; third cousin twice removed of Abial T. Browning.
		Political families: Livingston-Schuyler family of New York; Shearman-Stanton-Browning family of Rhode Island (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
		See also Find-A-Grave memorial

William H. Allen (1811-1890) — of Allenton, North Kingstown, Washington County, R.I. Born in North Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., December 28, 1811. Democrat. Grocer; dry goods merchant; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Rhode Island, 1864. Died in Wickford, North Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., March 19, 1890 (age 78 years, 81 days). Interment at Elm Grove Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of Samuel Dyer Allen and Hannah (Eldred) Allen; married to Mary Wilcox Greene.
		See also Find-A-Grave memorial

Wood River Cemetery
Richmond, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:
	Edwin J. Knerr — of Hope Valley, Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Democrat. Physician; member of Rhode Island state senate from Hopkinton, 1911. Member, Odd Fellows. Interment at Wood River Cemetery.

New Fernwood Cemetery
South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Frederick Rowland Hazard Jr. (1891-1962) — also known as Frederick R. Hazard — of Saunderstown, Narragansett, Washington County, R.I. Born in Solvay, Onondaga County, N.Y., December 19, 1891. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1928; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1929-31; major in the U.S. Army during World War II. Member, American Legion. Died in Saunderstown, Narragansett, Washington County, R.I., August 31, 1962 (age 70 years, 255 days). Cremated; ashes interred at New Fernwood Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of Frederick Rowland Hazard and Dora Gannett (Sedgwick) Hazard; married to Rozelia Belden; nephew of Rowland Gibson Hazard (1855-1918); great-grandson of Rowland Gibson Hazard (1801-1888).
		Political family: Hazard family of South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
		See also Find-A-Grave memorial

Oak Dell Cemetery
South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Rowland Gibson Hazard (1801-1888) — also known as Rowland G. Hazard — of Peace Dale, South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I. Born in South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., October 9, 1801. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1856, 1860, 1868; candidate for Presidential Elector for Rhode Island. Quaker. Died in South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., June 24, 1888 (age 86 years, 259 days). Interment at Oak Dell Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of Rowland Hazard and Mary (Peace) Hazard; married to Caroline Newbold; grandfather of Rowland Gibson Hazard (1855-1918) and Frederick Rowland Hazard; great-grandfather of Frederick Rowland Hazard Jr..
		Political family: Hazard family of South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
		See also Find-A-Grave memorial

Rowland Gibson Hazard (1855-1918) — also known as Rowland G. Hazard — of South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I. Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., January 22, 1855. Republican. Candidate for Presidential Elector for Rhode Island; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1912. Died in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, Calif., January 23, 1918 (age 63 years, 1 days). Interment at Oak Dell Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of Rowland Hazard and Margaret (Rood) Hazard; brother of Frederick Rowland Hazard; uncle of Frederick Rowland Hazard Jr.; grandson of Rowland Gibson Hazard (1801-1888).
		Political family: Hazard family of South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
		See also Find-A-Grave memorial

Riverside Cemetery
Wakefield, South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Leona A. Kelley (1919-2000) — of Peace Dale, South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I. Born in Providence, Providence County, R.I., 1919. Republican. School teacher; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives 49th District, 1985-2000; died in office 2000; delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 (alternate). Female. Died, of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, in South County Hospital, South Kingstown, Washington County, R.I., November 7, 2000 (age about 81 years). Interment at Riverside Cemetery.

River Bend Cemetery
Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

Nathan Fellows Dixon (1774-1842) — of Rhode Island. Born in Plainfield, Windham County, Conn., December 13, 1774. Member of Rhode Island state legislature, 1810; U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, 1839-42; died in office 1842. Died in Washington, D.C., January 29, 1842 (age 67 years, 47 days). Interment at River Bend Cemetery; cenotaph at Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.

		Relatives: Father of Nathan Fellows Dixon II; grandfather of Nathan Fellows Dixon III.
		Political family: Dixon family of Westerly, Rhode Island.
		See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page

Nathan Fellows Dixon III (1847-1897) — also known as Nathan F. Dixon — of Westerly, Washington County, R.I. Born in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., April 28, 1847. Republican. U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island, 1877-85; U.S. Representative from Rhode Island 2nd District, 1885; U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, 1889-95. Died in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., November 8, 1897 (age 50 years, 194 days). Interment at River Bend Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of Nathan Fellows Dixon II; grandson of Nathan Fellows Dixon.
		Political family: Dixon family of Westerly, Rhode Island.
		See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page

George Herbert Utter (1854-1912) — also known as George H. Utter — of Westerly, Washington County, R.I. Born in New Jersey, July 24, 1854. Republican. Member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1880; Speaker of the Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 1888-89; Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, 1904-05; Governor of Rhode Island, 1905-07; U.S. Representative from Rhode Island 2nd District, 1911-12; died in office 1912. Died November 3, 1912 (age 58 years, 102 days). Interment at River Bend Cemetery.

		Relatives: Married to Elizabeth Lavina Brown; father of George Benjamin Utter.
		See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — National Governors Association biography

Nathan Fellows Dixon II (1812-1881) — of Westerly, Washington County, R.I. Born in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., May 1, 1812. Member of Rhode Island state legislature, 1840; candidate for Presidential Elector for Rhode Island; U.S. Representative from Rhode Island 2nd District, 1849-51, 1863-71; candidate for Presidential Elector for Rhode Island. Died in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., April 11, 1881 (age 68 years, 345 days). Interment at River Bend Cemetery.

		Relatives: Son of Nathan Fellows Dixon; father of Nathan Fellows Dixon III.
		Political family: Dixon family of Westerly, Rhode Island.
		See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page

James Monroe Pendleton (1822-1889) — also known as James M. Pendleton — of Westerly, Washington County, R.I. Born in North Stonington, New London County, Conn., January 10, 1822. Republican. Banker; member of Rhode Island state senate, 1862-65; delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1868, 1876; candidate for Presidential Elector for Rhode Island; U.S. Representative from Rhode Island 2nd District, 1871-75; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1878-84. Member, Freemasons; Knights Templar. Died in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., February 16, 1889 (age 67 years, 37 days). Interment at River Bend Cemetery.

		Presumably named for: James Monroe
		Relatives: Son of Nathan Pendleton (1779-1827) and Phebe (Cole) Pendleton; married 1847 to Arabella Bethene Spencer; grandson of Nathan Pendleton (1754-1841); second cousin of Charles Marsh Pendleton and Cyrus Henry Pendleton; second cousin once removed of Calvin Crane Pendleton, Edward Wheeler Pendleton, Joseph Palmer Dyer, Charles Henry Pendleton, Harris Pendleton, Chauncey C. Pendleton, James Pendleton, Nathan William Pendleton and Eckford Gustavus Pendleton; second cousin twice removed of Cornelius Welles Pendleton and Claudius Victor Pendleton; third cousin once removed of Enoch C. Chapman.
		Political family: Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York (subset of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
		See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page

Arthur M. Cottrell Jr. (b. 1906) — of Hopkinton, Washington County, R.I. Born in 1906. Republican. Member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1940; member of Rhode Island state senate, 1950; delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1956. Member, Freemasons; Elks. Entombed in mausoleum at River Bend Cemetery.

George Benjamin Utter (b. 1881) — also known as G. Benjamin Utter — of Westerly, Washington County, R.I. Born in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., April 11, 1881. Republican. Newspaper editor; printing business; member of Rhode Island Republican State Central Committee, 1915-28; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1925-26; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1940; trustee, Westerly Hospital. Baptist. Member, Freemasons. Interment at River Bend Cemetery.

Relatives: Son of George Herbert Utter and Elizabeth Lavina (Brown) Utter; married, January 17, 1916, to Katherine Latham Wilbar.

Edwin P. Chapman — of North Stonington, New London County, Conn. Republican. Member of Connecticut state house of representatives, 1880. Interment at River Bend Cemetery.

		Relatives: Second great-granduncle of Scott Bill Hirst.
		Political family: Bill family of Connecticut.

St. Sebastian Cemetery
Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island

Politicians buried here:

John Matthew O'Connell (1872-1941) — also known as John M. O'Connell — of Westerly, Washington County, R.I. Born in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., August 10, 1872. Democrat. School teacher; dentist; served in the U.S. Army during World War I; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1929-32; U.S. Representative from Rhode Island 2nd District, 1933-39; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Rhode Island, 1936. Catholic. Member, Elks; Knights of Columbus; American Legion. Died in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., December 6, 1941 (age 69 years, 118 days). Interment at St. Sebastian Cemetery.

Thomas Domenico Santoro (1922-1975) — also known as Thomas D. Santoro — of Westerly, Washington County, R.I. Born in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., November 17, 1922. Innkeeper; insurance business; member of Rhode Island state senate, 1950-56; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1960. Catholic. Italian ancestry. Member, Elks; Moose; Sons of Italy. Died, in Miriam Hospital, Providence, Providence County, R.I., June 28, 1975 (age 52 years, 223 days). Interment at St. Sebastian Cemetery.

Paul F. Palumbo Jr. (1926-2003) — Born in Westerly, Washington County, R.I., April 11, 1926. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Died, in The Westerly Hospital, Westerly, Washington County, R.I., March 8, 2003 (age 76 years, 331 days). Interment at St. Sebastian Cemetery.

Relatives: Son of Paul Palumbo, Sr. and Annie (Algiere) Palumbo.

"Enjoy the hospitable entertainment of a political graveyard."
Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872

The Political Graveyard is a web site about U.S. political history and cemeteries. Founded in 1996, it is the Internet's most comprehensive free source for American political biography, listing 320,919 politicians, living and dead.

	The coverage of this site includes (1) the President, Vice President, members of Congress, elected state and territorial officeholders in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories; and the chief elected official, typically the mayor, of qualifying municipalities; (2) candidates at election, including primaries, for any of the above; (3) all federal judges and all state appellate judges; (4) certain federal officials, including the federal cabinet, diplomatic chiefs of mission, consuls, U.S. district attorneys, collectors of customs and internal revenue, members of major federal commissions; and political appointee (pre-1969) postmasters of qualifying communities; (5) state and national political party officials, including delegates, alternate delegates, and other participants in national party nominating conventions; (6) Americans who served as "honorary" consuls for other nations before 1950. Note: municipalities or communities "qualify", for Political Graveyard purposes, if they have at least half a million person-years of history, inclusive of predecessor, successor, and merged entities.
	The listings are incomplete; development of the database is a continually ongoing project.
	Information on this page — and on all other pages of this site — is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. Users are advised to check with other sources before relying on any information here.
	The official URL for this page is: https://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/RI/WA-buried.html.
	Links to this or any other Political Graveyard page are welcome, but specific page addresses may sometimes change as the site develops.
	If you are searching for a specific named individual, try the alphabetical index of politicians.
Copyright notices: (1) Facts are not subject to copyright; see Feist v. Rural Telephone. (2) Politician portraits displayed on this site are 70-pixel-wide monochrome thumbnail images, which I believe to constitute fair use under applicable copyright law. Where possible, each image is linked to its online source. However, requests from owners of copyrighted images to delete them from this site are honored. (3) Original material, programming, selection and arrangement are © 1996-2023 Lawrence Kestenbaum. (4) This work is also licensed for free non-commercial re-use, with attribution, under a Creative Commons License.
Site information: The Political Graveyard is created and maintained by Lawrence Kestenbaum, who is solely responsible for its structure and content. — The mailing address is The Political Graveyard, P.O. Box 2563, Ann Arbor MI 48106. — This site is hosted by HDL. — The Political Graveyard opened on July 1, 1996; the last full revision was done on March 8, 2023.