This prodigious work on descendants of Matthew Whipple of Ipswich, Mass. treats every generation of the author’s ancestry in detail. Volume one is a readable history, volumes two and three present a traditional treatment of approximately 20,000 descendants in male and female lines, and volume 4 contains indexes and bibliography. Several appendixes treat related families. The work contains an enormous amount of information and helps readers gain a feel for time and place. Perhaps the most amazing aspect is the extent of endnotes which include background information of all sorts. It is delightful to imagine the Whipple children playing “Hot Cockles” by the windlass on their 1638 trans-Atlantic voyage. Helen Schatvet Ullmann, CG, FASG, Action, Mass. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, March 2009, 74-74.
************
Blaine Whipple is the authority on all persons named Whipple. He’s written five volumes on the subject and his research takes him much deeper than who married or beget whom. His chapter on the long sea voyage, for example, describes travel conditions: what the travelers ate, where they slept, what they wore, what essentials they carried to start their new lives, even the games the children might have played. He was passionate and determined as he followed the trail of his descendants to every place they ever lived including England, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, Ohio and various states to the west. His Whipples aren’t just names on a massive family tree. They live in context as Blaine details what life was like for them and others of their time. Rebecca Rule, Northwood, NH. Concord (NH) Monitor, May 4, 2009.
************
This incredible publication in 4 volumes is thoroughly researched and documented, is a fabulous resource on an early Massachusetts family, and a must for Whipple researchers. Volume I contains the family history and includes much biographical information. Thousands of descendants are in the genealogical sections (Vols II and III). All are well documented and include full biographical details. Mr. Whipple spent over 50 years compiling this information and the detail and expert documentation makes it a first class publication. “Book Reviews,” Connecticut Genealogy News, a publication of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc., Glastonbury, CT, Vol. 1, No. 3, Fall 2008, 2.
************
All four volumes of this book include a concise, easy-to-read table of contents making an easy quick reference regardless of which volume is being read. The writing style is cogent and the historical volume (Vol. I) reads as if it were a novel. The use of then current examples of trade and customs frames the time period — 1560-2007 — being discussed and provides a depth of understanding about lives of each ancestor. Extensive end notes are included and some are as interesting as is the main text.
The Genealogy (Vols. II and III) employs the Modified Register Style format which is easy to read and comprehend. There is a history Index and genealogy Index. The latter lists the maiden names with the married names of the females, a valuable addition. The Bibliography separately identifies Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Manuscripts, Genealogies, Letters, and other sources. The Indexes and Bibliography are in Vol. IV.
This is a phenomenal work and surely will become a standard reference for those doing research on Whipple families and those with ancestors who married into the family. “Book Reviews,” The Bulletin of the Genealogical forum of Oregon, Inc. Portland, Oregon. Volume 58, No. 1, September 2008, 41-42.
************
For those with Whipple ancestors, a new compendium is now available. Blaine Whipple has compiled 15 Generations of Whipples: Descendants of Matthew Whipple of Ipswich, Massachusetts, abt. 1590–1647, An American Story. Researched over the course of five decades, this massive work traces the lines of approximately 20,000 descendants, including two presidents (Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Delano Roosevelt).
Volume one gives historical context while volumes two and three comprise the genealogical section. The fourth volume contains an every-name index and a bibliography of sources. This set is available at the NEHGS research library. Michael J. Leclerc, editor, eNews, NEHGS, Vol. 10, No. 38, Sept. 17, 2008.
************
We are pleased and proud to have your volumes in our library in Boston. They are actively being consulted by Whipple descendants, among whom I am one. I congratulate you on a most impressive achievement. It is a remarkable work and adds considerably to our collections. D. Brenton Simons, President and CED, New England Historic Genealogical Society. 7-29-08.
************
What a wealth of information! I am truly amazed you were able to complete such a huge project. They are beautifully bound and the amount and scope of information is mind-boggling. I am impressed with the scholarly manner in which it is written. Thank you and congratulations on a great accomplishment. Mary Lou Klassy (a proud Whipple cousin).
Minnetonka, Minn. 6-15-08.
************
The more we view these books the more we realize how much work and research you did to write them. Susan West, Tucson, Ariz. 12-23-07.
************
Your work is remarkable and I hope it will be treasured by our many cousins. Jean Maris, Lakeland, Fla. 1-11-08.
************
I have loved what I have read so far and once I get over the flu I will wish that I did not have to cook, clean, work, etc. so I can sit and read. If given a chance to vote on the Family History Book of the Year, I would chose this book. Mary Ann (Whipple) McPherson, Littleton, Mass. 1-4-2008.
************
This is an amazing piece of work; a fantastic resource for History buffs or people interested in the details of this growing country. Readers will find these volumes a treasure of information. Janet Peters, Vancouver, Wash 2-14-08.
************
I want you to know how much I enjoy and value your four 4 volume Whipple Genealogy. They are full of yellow stickies to mark particular pages of major interest to me. Barbara Modisett, Chapel Hill, NC. 2-15-08.
************
I am really enjoying reading our family history. I was especially thrilled when I saw my first cousin once removed L. Dale Whipple on the back cover with a comment. David Lee Whipple, Akron, Ohio. 15 March 2008.
************
I am very impressed with your work. What a monumental task. It is truly amazing to have a genealogy completed in such a fine manner. Thanks. Barbara MacDonald. Woodland, Calif. 17 March 08.
************
What a mammoth project you have completed. Congratulations on your industry, persistence, and scholarship. Tom Whipple, New South Wales, Australia. 3-20-08.
************
Congratulations on a truly amazing work. Everything is first class: the genealogical information, the biographical data, the historical perspectives, the binding, the print and paper quality, the cover design in color. Thomas L. Gallaher, Muscatine, Iowa. 3-27-08.