Darius Sessions
| Darius Sessions | |
|---|---|
| 42nd Deputy Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations | |
|
In office 1769–1775 |
|
| Governor | Joseph Wanton |
| Preceded by | Nicholas Cooke |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas Cooke |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 August 1717 Pomfret, Connecticut |
| Died |
27 April 1809 (aged 91) Connecticut |
| Resting place | North Burial Ground, Providence, Rhode Island |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Antram |
| Children | Mary, Sarah, Anne, William H., Darius, George, Elizabeth, Amey, Nathaniel, Thomas |
| Occupation | Deputy Governor |
Darius Sessions (17 August 1717 – 27 April 1809) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations during the buildup to the American Revolutionary War. He was heavily involved in moderating the effects of the Gaspee affair, and was instrumental in keeping the perpetrators from being identified.
Born in Pomfret, Connecticut, Sessions was the son of Nathaniel Sessions and Joanna Corbin. His family was fairly well-to-do, and owned a lot of land in eastern Connecticut. Sessions attended Yale College, graduating in 1737, and subsequently worked in Rhode Island in the mercantile business. In 1746, during King George's War, he was part owner of the privateer sloop Reprisal. Later, in 1750, he was the master of the schooner Smithfield, working in the West Indies. He was also likely involved in the distillery business of his father-in-law, William Antram, who had a stillhouse just north of Sessions' home in Providence. About 1763, he bankrolled the efforts of his brother, Captain Amasa Sessions, to raise a company of soldiers to fight in the French and Indian War.
Sessions became a close friend of Brown University's first president, James Manning, and has been credited with the university being located in Providence, instead of Newport or Warren. In 1763 he became an Assistant, and in 1769 was elected as deputy governor of the colony, replacing Joseph Wanton who became the new governor.
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