Joseph Sheffield

He is most noted for being selected as Rhode Island's agent to England on two occasions, but never appears to have served in that role due to the indecision of the General Assembly.

He played a prominent role in the affairs of the colony during an extremely turbulent time, when Rhode Island was threatened with losing its charter due to "irregularities" perceived by the English Board of Trade.

[1] Sheffield was active during a critical time in Rhode Island's history, when the colony was being accused of numerous irregularities, and when it came the closest to losing its broad freedoms under the Royal Charter of 1663.

[3] To address this deficiency, in October 1699 Sheffield and six others were appointed to make returns of the laws to satisfy the Earl of Bellomont's requests.

[1] Another irregularity that concerned The Board of Trade in London was the extraordinary militia power of the Rhode Island colony, though this power had been conferred by the colony's charter[5] In 1702 Governor Joseph Dudley of Massachusetts visited Newport, claiming to act under the authority of the King as "Captain-General of all forces, forts, and places of strength.

[6] In September 1702, Sheffield was appointed to a committee to draw up an address to the queen related to the colony's military forces.

Lord Bellomont was bent on removing Rhode Island from its chartered government for "irregularites," some of which were addressed in letters which Sheffield helped draft.