Whipple, William, 1731-1785

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William Whipple Jr. (January 25, 1731 [O.S. January 14, 1730] – November 28, 1785) was an American Founding Father and signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence. He represented New Hampshire as a member of the Continental Congress from 1776 through 1779. He worked as both a ship's captain and a merchant and studied in college to become a judge.

Born in Kittery, Massachusetts Bay (now part of Maine), Whipple was educated at a common school until he went off to sea, becoming a Ship's Master at age 21. He earned his fortune participating in the Triangle trade of the West Indies and Africa, with cargo such as wood, rum, and enslaved humans. He established himself as a merchant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1759. In 1775, New Hampshire dissolved the British Royal government and organized a House of Representatives and an Executive Council known collectively as a Provincial Congress, and Whipple was elected to represent Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He became a member of the Committee of Safety. Whipple was then elected to the Continental Congress, and he signed the United States Declaration of Independence.

Whipple was given his first commission by the New Hampshire Provincial Congress in 1777. At Saratoga, Whipple was placed in command of a brigade, consisting of four regiments of militia. After the war, Whipple became an Associate Justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire. He suffered from a heart ailment, and died in Portsmouth after fainting from atop his horse while traveling his court circuit. He was buried in what is now the North Cemetery.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Langdon, John, 1741-1819. Papers, 1762-1972. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS, 1778 November 15 : Philadelphia, to Doctor Brackett. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Whiple, William, 1730-1785. Autograph letter signed : Exeter, to Col. Bedel, 1775 Nov. 18. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Letter, 1778 Sept. 7, to Josiah Bartlett. New Hampshire Newspaper Project
creatorOf Moffatt, John, 1692-1786. Moffatt-Whipple papers, 1651-1820. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
creatorOf Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952,. Signers of the Declaration of Independence autograph collection, 1756-1818. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Autograph letter signed Wm. Whipple to: Josiah Bartlett November 17, 1778. Wellesley College
referencedIn Bamberger, Louis, 1855-1944,. Autograph collection, 1683-1929. New Jersey Historical Society Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Richard Henry Lee Papers, 1763-1823 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Autograph letter signed, 1777 May 7. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Autograph resolution signed, 1781 Mar. 23. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS, 1776 March 17 : Philadelphia, to Doctor Joshua Bracket, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf United States. Continental Congress. Secret Committee. Letter : Philadelphia, to the Assembly of Massachusetts Bay, 1776 Dec. 4. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS, 1777 April 14 : Philadelphia, to John Langdon. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Papers of Joseph and William Whipple, 1717-1904 (inclusive), 1763-1814 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS, 1777 October 21 : Albany, to Meshech Weare. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Militia orders and portrait, 1776 February 1. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. List 1755 May 4. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Sullivan, John, 1740-1795. Papers, 1769-1792. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
creatorOf Gallup, Isaac, 1742-1848. Isaac Gallup receipt, 1774 May 19. New London County Historical Society
referencedIn Langdon, John, 1741-1819. Papers, 1716-1841. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
creatorOf Langdon, John, 1741-1819. John Langdon, William Whipple, and Elwyn family papers, 1713-1965 (bulk 1761-1853). Portsmouth Athenaeum Library & Museum
referencedIn Letters and documents of signers of the Declaration of Independence, 1750-1933. Houghton Library
referencedIn Lusanna, Prize Case Records, 1777 - 1778 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Whipple family. Family papers, 1755-1807. Portsmouth Athenaeum Library & Museum
referencedIn Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794. Richard Henry Lee, letter, Chantilly, VA to William Whipple, Portsmouth, NH, 1783 July 27. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
creatorOf Thornton, Matthew, 1714?-1803. Order, 1776 Dec. 9, Philadelphia, to Meshech Weare. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Letter, Richard Henry Lee to William Whipple, 1783 July 27 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library
referencedIn Cutter, Ammi Ruhamah, 1735-1820. Papers, 1754-1831 (bulk 1754-1820). New Hampshire Historical Society Library
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. ALS, 1776 September 3, Philadelphia, to "Col Whipple". Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Stewart, Charles, 1729-1800. Family papers, 1768-1877 Houghton Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. Papers, 1774-1794. New Hampshire Newspaper Project
referencedIn Fields, Annie, 1834-1915. Papers of the Spence and Lowell families, 1740-1958, (bulk 1797-1861). Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
creatorOf Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794. ALS, 1777 January 7 : In Secret Committee, to James and Robert Purveyance. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Autograph letter signed : to Col. Bedel, 1775 Nov. 18. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Connecticut. Land claims case, 1782. Massachusetts Historical Society
referencedIn Sherburne, John Samuel, 1757-1830. Papers of John Samuel Sherburne, 1776-1812. Library of Congress
referencedIn Peabody, Nathaniel, 1741-1823. Papers, 1767-1815. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
referencedIn Richard Henry Lee Papers, 1763-1823 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. AM, 1778 December 9 : [s.l.]. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS, 1776 May 17, Philadelphia, Pa., to Meschech Weare. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Inventory to the Records of the Rutgers University Provost and Vice-President (Richard Schlatter), 1945-1972 Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. LS, 1778 November 11 : Philadelphia, In Committee of Congress, Circular, to the Governor of North Carolina, [Richard Caswell]. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS, 1776 June 26, Philadelphia, to Meshech Weare. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn [American Revolutionary War Soldier's Notebook]. Pritzker Military Museum & Library, Pritzker Military Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Collection of documents concerning the American Revolution, 1740-1866 Houghton Library
referencedIn Henry A. Willard II Collection, 1743-1888, (bulk 1770-1840) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Lowell, Charles, 1782-1861. Manuscripts, 1657-1853. Massachusetts Historical Society
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS : Exeter, N.H., to Joseph Whipple, 1775 Aug. 30. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Indenture, 1752 November 22, Kittery, Maine. Dartmouth College Library
creatorOf Whipple, Joseph, 1737-1816. Papers of Joseph and William Whipple, 1717-1904 (inclusive), 1763-1814 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Vol. ii. (ff. 480). 1776-May, 1777.Louis XVI of France: Negotiations with America, during the war: 1777.British America, and United States: Papers, etc., relating to the war and public affairs: 1776-1781.includes:ff. 1, 5, 18, 102, 141, 288, 289 Fred..., 1776-1777 British Library
referencedIn New York World's Fair 1964-1965 Corporation records, 1959-1971, 1963-1965 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS, 1777 February 9 : Baltimore, to Meshech Weare. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. ALS, 1776 Apr. 12, Philadelphia, to Meshech Weare. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Whipple, William, 1730-1785. Letter to John Langdon, 1779 March 29. University of Virginia. Library
Role Title Holding Repository

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Relation Name
associatedWith Albert H. Small Declaration of Independence Collection (University of Virginia) corporateBody
associatedWith Bamberger, Louis, 1855-1944, person
associatedWith Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. person
associatedWith Bedel, Timothy, ca. 1740-1787, person
associatedWith Bracket, Joshua. person
associatedWith Brackett, Doctor. person
associatedWith Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792. person
associatedWith Byron, John, 1723-1786. person
associatedWith Caswell, Richard, 1729-1789. person
associatedWith Connecticut. corporateBody
correspondedWith Cutter, Ammi Ruhamah, 1735-1820. person
associatedWith Deane, Silas, 1737-1789. person
associatedWith Estaing, Charles Henri, comte d', 1729-1794. person
associatedWith Gallup, Isaac, 1742-1848. person
associatedWith Hall, Henry Bryan, fl. 1850-1900. person
associatedWith Hubbard, John, collector. person
associatedWith Kountze, De Lancey, d. 1946, person
associatedWith Langdon, John, 1741-1819, person
associatedWith Laurens, Henry, 1724-1792. person
associatedWith Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794. person
associatedWith Lowell, Charles, 1782-1861. person
associatedWith Moffatt, John, 1692-1786. person
associatedWith Morris, Gouverneur, 1752-1816. person
associatedWith New Hampshire.Admiralty Court. corporateBody
memberOf New Hampshire. Militia corporateBody
associatedWith New Hampshire. Militia. corporateBody
associatedWith New York World's Fair 1964-1965 Corporation corporateBody
correspondedWith Peabody, Nathaniel, 1741-1823. person
associatedWith Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952, person
associatedWith Rutgers University Provost and Vice President (Richard Schlatter) corporateBody
associatedWith Scudder, Nathaniel, 1733-1781. person
associatedWith Sherburne, John Samuel, 1757-1830. person
correspondedWith Stewart, Charles, 1729-1800 person
associatedWith Sullivan, John, 1740-1795. person
associatedWith Thornton, Matthew, 1714?-1803. person
associatedWith United States. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Continental Army corporateBody
memberOf United States. Continental Congress. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Continental Congress. Marine Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Continental Congress. Secret Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Weare, Meshech, 1713-1786. person
associatedWith Wentworth, John, 1741-1819. person
associatedWith Whipple family. family
sibling of Whipple, Joseph, 1738-1816 person
associatedWith Willard, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1902- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Kittery ME US
Portsmouth NH US
Subject
American loyalists
Burgoyne's Invasion, 1777
Canadian Invasion, 1775-1776
Currency question
Inflation (Finance)
Navigation
Pirates
Saratoga Campaign, N.Y., 1777
Occupation
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Judges
Merchants
Militia officers
Sailors
State Superior Court Judge
Activity

Person

Birth 1731-01-25

Death 1785-11-28

Male

Americans,

Britons

English

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