Peleg Arnold
| Peleg Arnold | |
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 |
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| 27th and 29th Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court | |
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In office June 1795 – June 1809 |
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| Preceded by | Daniel Owen |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Arnold |
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In office 1810–1812 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Arnold |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Lyman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 10, 1751 Smithfield, Rhode Island |
| Died | 1820 |
| Parents | Thomas Arnold and Patience Cook |
| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Occupation | Lawyer, tavernkeeper, chief justice |
Peleg Arnold (1751–1820) was a lawyer, tavern-keeper, jurist, and statesman from Smithfield, Rhode Island (now North Smithfield). He represented Rhode Island as a delegate to the Continental Congress in the 1787–1788 session. He later served as the Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court from 1795 to 1812.
Arnold was born on June 10, 1751 at Smithfield (now North Smithfield), the ninth of the fifteen children of Thomas Arnold. His mother was Patience Cook of Newport who was Thomas' third wife. After starting in the common schools, he graduated from Brown University in Providence. Like many of his generation he prospered in a number of careers at the same time, and combined these with a government service and civic efforts.
Arnold read law, was admitted to the bar and practiced at Smithfield. He opened and kept the Peleg Arnold Tavern, which still stands at 4 Woonsocket Hill Road in North Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Arnold built his home in Union Village, which is now part of North Smithfield. During the Revolutionary War he was the colonel of the 2nd regiment of the Providence County Militia.
When the need for additional troops led to the re-formation of the 1st Rhode Island regiment of the Continental Line in 1778, Arnold was one of the proponents for the idea of using a bounty and freedom to encourage the enlistment of blacks. He continued this interest after the war when in 1790 he founded the Providence Society for the Abolition of Slavery.
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