Edward Shippen, Mayor of Philadelphia

He was not the first mayor of Philadelphia. His grandfather 1639-1712 (same name) was the first mayor.

Edward Shippen (Boston, Massachusetts, July 9, 1703 – Lancaster, Pennsylvania, September 25, 1781) was a wealthy merchant and government official in colonial Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Merchant

He entered into mercantile pursuits with James Logan, with whom he was in business from 1732 as the firm of Logan and Shippen. Afterward he went into the fur trade with Thomas Lawrence, as the firm of Shippen and Lawrence.

Public service

In 1744 he was elected mayor of Philadelphia. In 1745 and for several years thereafter, he served as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. In May 1752, he moved to Lancaster, where he was appointed prothonotary, as which he served until 1778. He had large transactions as paymaster for supplies for the British and provincial forces when they were commanded by General John Forbes, General John Stanwix, and Colonel Bouquet, and managed them with so much integrity as to receive public thanks in 1760. He was a county judge under both the provincial and state governments.

In early life he laid out and founded the town of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. In 1746 to 1748, he was one of the founders of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), of which he was a member of the first board of trustees, from which he resigned in 1767. He was also a subscriber to the Philadelphia Academy (now the University of Pennsylvania) and a founder of the Pennsylvania Hospital and the American Philosophical Society.

Family

He was the son of Joseph Shippen, the brother of William Shippen, physician, and the grandson of Edward Shippen, an earlier mayor of Philadelphia.

Known as "Neddy," he married Sarah Plumley (born November 8, 1706, Philadelphia; died April 28, 1735, Philadelphia), daughter of Charles Plumly and Rose Budd, on September 20, 1725. Their known children included:

1. Benjamin Shippen (died in infancy, September 6, 1727).
2. Elizabeth Shippen was born on August 17, 1726 at Philadelphia, and died on August 29, 1726.
3. Joseph Shippen (September 1727 – September 6, 1727).
4. William Shippen (September 1727 – September 1727).
5. Edward Shippen was born February 16, 1729 at Philadelphia; married Margaret Francis, 1753; died on April 16, 1806.
6. Sarah Shippen was born February 22, 1730 at Philadelphia; married Col. James Burd (see Battle of Fort Ligonier) on May 14, 1748; died September 17, 1784.
7. Col. Joseph Shippen was born October 30, 1732 at Philadelphia; married Jane Galloway; died in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, February 10, 1810.
8. Rose Shippen was born on September 10, 1734 at Philadelphia and died on September 30.

In August 1747, he married Mary Gray, daughter of William Gray and Mary; he was her second husband.

Legacy

The Shippen House at Shippensburg was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

• SHIPPEN, EDWARD SR Ancestor #: A103941
• Service: PENNSYLVANIA Rank: PATRIOTIC SERVICE
• Birth: 7-9-1703 BOSTON SUFFOLK CO MASSACHUSETTS
• Death: 9-25-1781 LANCASTER LANCASTER CO PENNSYLVANIA
• Service Source: PA ARCH, 2ND SER, VOL 13, P 290
• Service Description: 1) MEMBER OF COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE

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• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via sister Anne Willing (born Shippen) by SmartCopy: Oct 23 2014, 0:24:31 UTC

Edward Shippen, s/o Joseph & Abigail (Grosse) Shippen, mayor of Philadelphia in 1774, founder of Shippensburg, PA, and of the College of New Jersey, married (first) Sarah Plumly, with whom he had 7 children, and (second) Mary Gray. The latter is buried with him in St. James' Church cemetery.

Shippen, Edward: councilman and mayor of Philadelphia; chief burgess of Lancaster at time of Paxton Massacre; judge of county court; chairman of Committee of Correspondence; one of founders and a trustee of Princeton; grandfather of Peggy, wife of Benedict Arnold; vestryman of St. James'. [The History of St. James' Church, H.M.J. Klein & William F. Diller, 1944 - p. 324.]

Edward Shippen, merchant, born in Boston, Massachusetts, 9 July, 1703; died in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 25 September, 1781, was brought up to mercantile pursuits by James Logan, and was in business with him in 1732. as Logan and Shippen; afterward with Thomas Lawrence, in the fur-trade, as Ship-pen and Lawrence. In 1744 he was elected mayor of the city. In 1745, and for several years thereafter, he was one of the judges of the court of common pleas. In May, 1752, he removed to Lancaster, where he was appointed prothonotary, and continued such until 1778. He had large transactions as paymaster for supplies for the British and provincial forces when they were commanded by General Forbes, General Stanwix, and Colonel Bouquet, and managed them with so much integrity as to receive public thanks in 1760. He was a county judge under both the provincial and state governments. 

In early life he laid out and founded Shippensburg, Pennsylvania In 1746-'8 he was one of the founders of the College of New Jersey, and he was one of its first board of trustees, which post he resigned in 1767. He was also a subscriber to the Philadelphia academy (afterward the University of Pennsylvania), and was a founder of the Pennsylvania hospital and the American philosophical society. Mr. Shippen's advanced age prevented him from taking an active part, except as a committee-man, during the Revolution, yet his sentiments were warmly expressed in behalf of his country.- [Internet website, Virtualology.com]

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 5 2018, 6:59:42 UTC