Rhode Island Postal Cards - Fist Day of Issue

Settling of Rhode Island by Roger Williams in 1636
Designed by David Blossom - Scott #UX112
Issued on June 26, 1986 in Providence, RI
Rhode Island Town Cancels (by RIPS)

The first Post Office at Little Compton, (Little Compton Township, Newport County) Rhode Island  was established on October 1, 1804. The First Postmaster was Samuel Church.  The post office was disestablished on March 8, 1847 and it's name changed to Adamsville. The second Little Compton Post Office was originally established on February 26, 1830 as the Commons Post Office under Postmaster Alexander R. Brownell.  The name was changed to the Little Compton Post Office on March 8, 1847 with Benjamin Seabury as postmaster. The second Little Compton Post Office is currently in operation under Postmaster Michael A. Saint appointed on February 23, 2002.

The town of Little Compton was originally incorporated as a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1682. The original name of the town was Sakonnet. Little Compton was annexed by Rhode Island and became part of Newport County in 1747.

Benjamin Seabury was born in 1804 in Rhode Island (or Massachusetts). The Census of 1850 lists him as living in Little Compton and his occupation as merchant. It lists his birthplace as Massachusetts. The census lists his wife as Elizabeth Brownell. (born 1806), 3 sons; Charles H. (born 1838), Edwin T. (born 1840), Albert T. (born 1844), and a daughter Elizabeth (born 1849). However on the 1880 census, Benjamin lists his birthplace as Rhode Island. I suspect that Benjamin was born near the boundary line separating the two states and in 1850 may have been unsure of just which state his parents property was located in.

Little Compton Post Office