Philip Sherman (settler)

Philip Sherman (1610 – March 22, 1687) was an early English colonist in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He played a significant role in the religious and political controversies that shaped the early history of Rhode Island.

Born in Dedham, Essex, England, Sherman arrived in Boston in 1633 aboard the ship William and Francis. He initially settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where he was admitted as a freeman in 1634. He worked as a secretary to the Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor Henry Vane, and was later fined and disenfranchised due to his support of Anne Hutchinson and her unorthodox religious views during the Antinomian Controversy of 1636-1638.

As a consequence of his association with Hutchinson and others who challenged the established Puritan orthodoxy, Sherman was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638. He joined with other exiles, including William Coddington, John Clarke, and Anne Hutchinson, to establish a new settlement on Aquidneck Island (later Rhode Island).

Initially, the group settled at Pocasset (later Portsmouth) in 1638. Sherman was one of the original signers of the Portsmouth Compact, an agreement to form a civil body politic based on Christian principles. He held several positions in the Portsmouth government, including that of Secretary.

In 1639, a division occurred in the Portsmouth settlement, with William Coddington leading a group to establish Newport at the southern end of Aquidneck Island. Sherman remained in Portsmouth. He became a prominent and respected member of the community, serving in various civic roles.

Philip Sherman married Sarah Odding, the daughter of George Odding and Grace Savory, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. They had numerous children who became prominent figures in Rhode Island. He was known for his steadfast commitment to religious freedom and his participation in the founding and development of Rhode Island. He died in Portsmouth in 1687 and is considered a significant figure in the state's early history and a proponent of religious tolerance. His descendants include notable individuals such as President Gerald Ford.