Rouse Helme

68. Rouse6 HELME (Rouse5, Christopher4, William3 Elme, William2 Elmes, John1) was born circa 1683 in Kingston,

Washington County, Rhode Island;215,216 he married Sarah Niles, daughter of Captain Nathaniel Niles and Sarah Sands,

21 Jul 1709 in North Kingston. (They were married by John Eldred, who may have been the brother of Rouse's

mother.)217,218 He died 28 Aug 1751 in South Kingston.219 Rouse was born in Kings Town and died in South Kingston,

which had later been formed from part of Kings Town. (However, his grave is not found in the South Kingston cemetery

listing.)

In 1719 the South Kingston Township records state: Christopher Allen and Rouse Helme Justices were at the house

where John Hoxsie formerly dwelt in Westerly sometime in April 1719 while the young woman called Freelove Dolleware

lay there dead & we did examine Larrance Vilett concerning the young woman's death & sd Vilett declared that Reuben

Hill had shot her with a gun the day before. We impanniled a jury at the request of the deceased persons parents. 19 Sept

1719. Joseph Sheffield of Kingston being present at the abovesaid Vilett examination testifieth to the truth of what is

written above, he the foreman of the jury.220 Rouse was Clerk of the State Assembly in 1720, and Judge of the Superior

Court for over twenty years. He was an assistant Justice of the Peace and performed a number of marriages and other

related legal duties in the South Kingston area from 1716 through at least 1739.221 In February of 1723, he and Francis

Willett were appointed by the Assembly to copy all records belonging to South Kingston from the records of the late Kings

Town, and deliver it to the clerk of South Kingston. (The two towns of North and South Kingston had recently been formed

from Kings Town.) After transcribing 1,230 pages they submitted their bill for £66, but were willing to take £60 if paid

promptly. The towns of North and South Kingston refused to pay, whereupon the State Assembly ordered North Kingston

to pay £30 to Willet, and South Kingston £30 to Helme. If the towns refused, the General Treasurer was to pay the bill and

withhold certain revenues from the towns. Rouse built the county court house, which was completed in 1732, billing the

State Assembly £791. It was located near the center of a village known as Tower Hill, which was an outgrowth of the

original settlement site in what was known as the Pettaquamscutt Purchase.222 At a meeting of the town of North Kingston

on August 26, 1746, Rouse, Francis Willett, and James Wightman were appointed as a committee to consider proposals for

a highway. Their report three days later read: That having viewed the highway that leads from Mr. Jeremiah Gardner's, and

so across the hills to the highway, leading to Robert Eldred's, they found the highway across the hills (as it was shown

them by Mr. Congdon), to be in some places so very steep, that it was not passable, especially with carts; and were of the

opinion, that the best method of exchanging said way, would be, from the highway that leads to Mr. Job Tripp's, and to go

by Mr. Congdon's house, on the plain, to the highway that leads to Mr. Robert Eldred's, according to a draught made by

Mr. Benoni Hall, surveyor, which Mr. Congdon would submit to, provided he might have the liberty of hanging gates, and

making bars at his corner house, and the plain where the highway turns southward. The report was accepted by the town

and subsequently endorsed by the Rhode Island General Assembly.223

Rouse's will was dated April 15, 1748, and proved on September 9, 1751. The executors were his sons James and Rouse.

He left his wife Sarah half of his dwelling house and a third of his real and personal estate for the rest of her life. He left

his daughter Sarah Helme £150. The rest of his estate he left to his six sons; James (of South Kingston), Rouse (of North

Kingston), Nathaniel, Silas (of East Haddam), Oliver and Samuel. At death of his wife all of the sons, except James and

Rouse who had already received their parts, were to have the house and land. The youngest sons Oliver and Samuel were to

have the opportunity of learning a trade, being bound out, and were given Rouse's tools to share equally. All the sons and

daughters were admonished to be kind to their mother, and dutiful to her in all respects.

Children of Rouse6 Helme and Sarah Niles were as follows:

+ 107. i. Judge James7 HELME, born 7 May 1710 in North Kingston; married Esther Bernon Powell.

215Latter Day