Rhode Island Tercentenary Issue First Day Cover
300th Anniversary of the Settlement of Rhode Island
Issued on May 4, 1936 in Providence, RI - Scott #777

Unofficial Town Cancel - Little Compton, RI
1st John B. Kilton Cachet - Planty 777-61h

The Little Compton Post Office, (Little Compton Township, Newport County) was established on October 1, 1804 under Postmaster 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.

Sources:
Check List of Rhode Island Post Offices 1790-1994 - Del Beaudreau
Rhode Island Postal History: The Post Offices - Merolla, Jackson & Crowther