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- Valentine's grandfather Edward had been burned at the stake in England for his faith, so Valentine came here for religious freedom, as many RI families did. When he came to America, Valentine initially settled in Providence, where his first child was born in 1653.
The area called Quidnessett was defined in 1659 by agreement with Indian sachem Kachanaquant; its boundaries were the Potomomut River (now Hunt's River) on the north, the Indian road or Pequot Path (now Post Road) on the west, Richard Smith's land (Wickford area) on the south, and Narragansett Bay on the east, totalling about 6x3 miles.
In 1660 the Atherton Company, a group of land speculators from MA Bay Colony and CT, was ordered by the Assembly to open up the Quidnessett tract to purchase by private individuals. Valentine Wightman procured an area of 100-plus acres bordering the bay. This land soon became the property of his brother George, and was handed down intact through 6 generations and known for over 200 years as the Wightman homestead in Quidnessett. George later acquired more land, totalling about 2000 acres.
For a fascinating history of the Wightman family, see: http://www.concentric.net/~Ssbray/wightman.htm
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Abt 1625 -