Christina A. Whipple

Whipple Genealogy

       by Dr. Clara H. McGuigan

The urge to compile a genealogy differs with different people. Primarily, my reason was to preserve the records of a remarkable family of 32 children. My grandfather, Noah Whipple had 17 children by his first wife, Content Crouch. My grandmother, Christian Crouch, had 10 children by her first husband, Daniel Whipple. Content and Daniel died, and then Noah and Christian married and had 5 more. My mother, Margaret Whipple, was the youngest daughter of that 5, consequently half sister to 27 and own sister to 4. She was also first cousin to the 17 for Content and Christian were sisters and was also second cousin to the 10 for Noah and Daniel were first cousins so the relationship between all those 32 children was very close and no one realized any differences between own, half or step brothers and sisters. All were uncles and aunts and all their children were first cousins. To me, a physician, the most remarkable thing about that family was that when the mother of the se 17 children died with her 17th child, all of those 17 children were living, and all but the two youngest lived to man and womanhood, and all but one of those 15 married and had children. Joseph died in the Civil War unmarried. Seven of the 10 grew to man and womanhood and married, and all but one had children. Christina married late in life and had no children. A midwife delivered all of those children and when they were sick the mothers depended entirely on payer and home remedies. No doctor was ever called in. Christian lived to be nearly 86 years old. Noah was in perfect health when he died suddenly of a strangulated hernia in his 80th year. Many members of the family went west in pioneer days; some made permanent homes there, while others returned to New England. I have personally visited descendants of all of those western families and know most of these remaining in New England. I have consulted census, town, church, cemetery, and Bible records, besides writing hundreds of letters and traveling thousands o9f miles to ascertain and verify records, and believe the statements herein made are as nearly correct as possible.

There have been other Whipple genealogies written, but not one of them carries out the particular branch of my own family. There were two John Whipples who came to Massachusetts in New England about the same time. Both married a Sarah. Both were important men, and they have been confused many times. One settled in Ipswich, Mass. and had a brother- Matthew Whipple who also settled there. That John married twice and was known as Elder John Whipple and John of Ipswich. He and his brothers came from Bocking, Co. Essex, England. Their father in Bocking left a will naming those tow sons in America.

William Whipple, who signed the Declaration of Independence was descended from the Ipswich Whipples. The other John Whipple was only 14 years old then he came to America in 1631. The Arnold Papers state that he came and was apprenticed to Israel Stoughton who came from Bocking, Co. Essex, England and settled in Dorchester. On Oct. 3, 1932, he was ordered to give 3 shillings to his master Israel Sloughton, "for wasteful expenditure of powder and shot". It is very probable that a lad of 14 years old could not have come to America alone at that time so very likely he came with Israel and Possibly worked out his passage with him later. He was descended from the same Bocking Whipple's. A young Whipple cousin has recently visited Docking to see if she could find any record of this John. She wasn't successful in finding any records of either of the Johns. This John Whipple grew to manhood in Dorchester and was known as John of Dorchester, to distinguish him from John of Ipswich. A great grandson of this John Whipple was Stephen Hopkins, Grandson of this youngest daughter, Abigail Whipple was Colonial Governor of Rhode Island and Jo0hn Whipple married in Dorchester and 8 of his children were born there. At the age of 20 he received a grant of land. He married at 22 years to Sarah. One genealogist thought she was Sarah Darling of Lynn, but after careful research, I can find no proof of that. IN 1641, he and his wife united with the Church in Dorchester. He was a carpenter by trade and owned a house and 50 acres of land near Neponset village. In 1658, he sold his house and land to James Minot and removed to Rhode Island, Settling a Providence. July 27, 1659 he was received as a purchaser at Providence.

The Whipple genealogy by Oliver Mathew Whipple of Lowell, Mass., printed in 1857 deals with the Ipswich Whipple's. It is in paper covers.

The genealogy of the Whipple family in two parts by Henry E. Whipple, printed at Providence 1873 deals with the Dorchester Whipples, but is far from complete. Henry E Whipple born Oct. 18, 1819 married Aug. 7, 1842 to Sarah Wilbur of Job and Lydia Wilbur.

His line: Capt. John Whipple m Sarah

Benjamin Whipple m Ruth Matthewson

Benjamin Whipple m Ester Miller

Benedict Whipple m Elizabeth Parker

Henry E Whipple m Sarah Wilbur

The records do not state why John Whipple left Mass. and came to Rhode Island but we infer it was because he was too liberal for the Mass. Colony. His children married into the families whose views coincided with these of Roger Williams. It is recorded that he even preached himself. In 1660 he received a grant of land in Louis Brusset. The also owned land in ohter places mentioned in his will. February 19, 1665 he had lot 45 in the division of lands. May 31, 1666 he with his oldest son John took the oath of allegiance to King Charles II. In 1669, he was a member of town council of Providence. He was town clerk 1670- 1672, 1676-1677, 1681-1683. He was deputy to the Rhode Island General Assembly 1666- 1669, 1670, 1672, 1674, 1676-1677. He was called Lieutenant in colonial 4records of 1666. In 1675, he with 25 others voted at a town meeting to stay at Providence instead of going to Newport at the time of King Phillips War. Most of the town was nearly deserted. In 1676 Providence was attacked by the Indians. Many houses were burned and much damage done. John Whipple's house was spared. The Indians preserved it because Roger Williams and his followers had worshiped there. His house was long the oldest house in Providence. It dated back more than two centuries. It stood on the east side of the river, little north of Star St. between North Main and what was later Benefit St. It was a large house with a stone chimney at one end, on the east side of the house there were stone steps leading up to it from Main St. It was still standing up as late as 1803. Annuls of Providence page 664.

On August 14, 1676 he had a share in the disposition of the Indian captives whose services were sold for a number of years. In 1679, he was appointed by the Rhode Island Colonial Assembly on a committee to give an account of the late war with the Indians and make returns to the Assembly. He was there-after known as Capt. John Whipple. Mar. 2, 1680, an Inn license was granted him and he is quoted as being one of the three most conspicuous Inn holders of the Century. From the staid and sober character of the Whipple Inn, as well as from it's central location, it became the favorite place of meeting for the Town Council and Court of Probate. In 1690, the Oct session of the Rhode Island General Assembly met at the Whipple Inn. Capt. John Whipple lived in Providence about 26 years. His wife died in 1669 leaving him with several small children. He died May 16, 1635 and both were buried in their garden lot near the house. Later they were re-interred at the North Burial place. This burial ground was established in 1700 bur no records were kept until 1848.

This booklet prepared by O. E. Chapman and Jean Tooley, descendants of the above.

. They had 17 children during their marriage. She died on April 30, 1834, in her hometown, at the age of 40.