1603-1615: Childhood
1615-1621: Working for Edward Coke
1621-1628: Education
1628-1630: Chaplain for the Mashams
1631-1631: Boston/Salem
1631-1633: Plymouth
1633-1636: Salem
1636-1643: First phase of building Rhode Island
1643-1653: Phase 2.
1653-1676: Struggling with uniting Rhode Island
1676-1683: Last Years
Childhood:
Roger is born at Cow Lane, London. His father, James, was a cloth merchant. He joined “…the Merchant Taylors’ Company on 7 April 1587, by apprenticeship to Nicholas Treswell…”
http://www.marcwkohler.com/?page_id=2285/ James and Alice, Roger’s mother, own an inn called The Harrow across the street from their home, which was also James’ business location. Roger lives near the Smithfield Market, where executions were held. It is believed that Roger witnessed executions. When he was eight or nine, he witnessed the burning of Bartholomew Legate. Roger was an avid reader, and he teaches himself stenography. He attends the St. Sepulchre school. His education emphasized religious training as well as English and Latin. Some have suggested that Roger met John Smith at the church or at his mother’s public house. Smith returned to England in 1615, where he remained until his death in 1631.
1615-1621
Judge Sir Edward Coke meets Roger, and he learns that Roger can do stenography. Roger becomes Coke’s secretary and stenographer for Coke’s courts and meetings. Coke had several young stenographers, and he sends them out to courts throughout London. They would do stenography at the courts in London, and file final copies with Coke. Coke write his Law Reports from these reports. They are known as Coke’s Reports, which were an archive of judgments from cases he had attended, in which he had participated or about which he had been informed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Coke#Solicitor_General_and_Speaker
1621-1628: Roger’s name in Pembroke College register 1623: ROGER WILLIAMS NAME IN PEMBROKE COLLEGE
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Sir Edward Coke supports Roger to go to the Charterhouse School and Pembroke College. Roger is one of only two students that Coke ever recommended to these schools. In 1624 Roger is one of three Charterhouse scholars chosen to be sent to university. He stays at Cambridge through 1628. He has learned Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and French.