In May 1774, parliament voted to close the port of Boston and named General Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief of British armed forces in North America and governor. Then parliament passed two additional Acts that insured there would be a rebellion.

The first provided that no officer of the Crown would have to stand trial in Massachusetts for murders committed in the line of duty. If soldiers fired into crowds of rioters, as they did in the Boston Massacre in March 1770, they would not be subject to local juries. American Whigs called it “The Murder Act,” since it appeared to sanction the killing of civilians. (more…)

The year 1774 saw major changes in Massachusetts provincial government; changes that led to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War two years later. In that year, Whipples families lived in the Worcester County towns of Westborough, Grafton, New Braintree, Sutton, and Hardwick and their county was a leader in replacing British rule in the colony.

Massachusetts was agrarian, except for seaport towns. Westborough, for example, was a community of small property owners. Farms were 50 to 100 acres and the average family possessed a riding horse, a pair of oxen, two or three milk cows, a few steers, heifers, sheep, and poultry. Though living in the countryside, they belonged to the town where they worshiped, discussed politics, drilled with the militia, and bought goods or services. They came together every March in the Meeting House to elect officers for the year – selectmen, a treasurer, clerk, constable, tighingman, road surveyor, fence viewer, hog reeve, deer reeve, hay warden, etc. — and to conduct community business. Additional meetings could be called by the selectmen or by a petition from 10 citizens. Adult males came to town for Militia days. (more…)

Capt. Thomas Whipple was born in the Hamlet, Essex Co., Mass. 21 October 1731 and died 30 January 1811 in New Braintree, Worcester Co., Mass., at 79 years of age. He married Martha Higgins in Westborough, Worcester Co., Mass., 17 June 1755. She died 9 February 1811 in New Braintree, Both are buried in Evergreen Cemetery. His stone remains, most of hers is missing.
.
The second son of Francis and Abigail, he was about three when the family moved to Westborough. He was about 27 when he moved his family to New Braintree where their third child, Abigail, was born August 9, 1758. (more…)

SHAY’ REBELLION

The last major event of Francis and Abigail’s long life was Shays’ Rebellion, an armed outbreak by debtor farmers in western Massachusetts. The rebellion occurred in Francis’ final year of life and Abigail lived for 12 more years. Most of the activity took place in Worcester County and was directed against the Courts for seizing debtor farmers’ property and sending them to prison for debt. Many were “honored veterans” of the Revolution whose Army experiences for many was a famous school of democratic ideas. The uprising followed years of fruitless appeals for relief from the heavy taxes imposed by an unsympathetic state government to retire state debt. No helping hand was extended to keep the ruined head of a household from the Tax Collector or creditor’s clutches. The law was merciless in collecting taxes.

Following a riot at the Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions at Northampton in Hampshire County, the insurgents pledged a repeat performance September 5, 1786 at the Worcester Court House. Governor James Bowdoin ordered Major-General Jonathan Warner of Hardwick to be ready to quell the riot and assist High Sheriff Greenleaf by furnishing any militia he might request. Warner had to tell the Governor that the militia was reluctant to support the government. He said many members flatly refused to serve and others evaded or delayed. “This statement of the affairs at Worcester, however painful and disagreeable to relate,” he wrote, “is the plain truth.” He asked for other instructions on how to proceed at “this unhappy crisis.” (more…)

Francis’ Post Legislative Activity

In 1772 a rumor was circulating throughout the Province that Great Britain had decided to pay the salaries of Colonial Judges of the Superior Court of Judicature. The Whigs believed the purpose of the new policy was to appoint corrupt officials who would “. . . enslave & oppress our honest people.” On October 14, 1772, Boston Whigs circulated a petition calling for a Town Meeting so the people could speak their minds on judges’ stipends. Their petition said no “free people” could tolerate such a “judiciary constitution;” that it would complete the “Ruin of our Liberties.”

At the Town Meeting October 30, Samuel Adams’ motion was passed unanimously:

That a Committee of Correspondence be appointed to consist of twenty-one persons — to state the rights of the colonists, and of this Province in particular, as Men, as Christians, and as Subjects; to communicate and publish the same to the several Towns in this Province and to the world as the sense of this town, with the Infringements and Violations thereof that have been, or from time to time may be made –
Also requesting of each Town a free communication of their Sentiments on this Subject. (more…)

Phips’ first Address to the House was November 23, 1749. He reported that a successful treaty had been negotiated with the eastern Indians at Falmouth (now Portland, Maine) on September 27 and suggested the House encourage “industrious and well disposed Protestant foreigners” to settle in the Province. The House responded on January 15, 1750 by voting to send a ship to the north part of Ireland and bring back not less than 300 nor more than 550 “foreign Protestants of which number there shall be at least thirty families.” Two days later it authorized a Committee to lay out 53 house-lots of 10 to 12 acres each in the westernmost townships for the new settlers. Fifty settlers were to be admitted with the remaining lots for the Minister, the Meeting House and the School House “as near the center of the township as may be with convenience.”

Inhabitants living at West-Wing, Braintree-Farms and Hardwick petitioned to be made a distinct and separate district or township on June 14, 1749. They were instructed to print their petition in the Boston Gazette for three weeks successively and return the second Wednesday of the next sitting of the Court to see if the petition would be granted. The petition was read in the House on August 9 and considered on March 28, 1750 when a Committee was authorized to review the petition and report to the House in May.

On June 17 Francis was voted an appropriation of £15 to be used on behalf of Sarah Furbush, widow of Phineas Furbush, late of Westborough. Sarah petitioned the Court for assistance based on her husband being taken captive by the French and Indians at Fort Massachusetts and died in Canada. Col. John Chandler of Worcester County and Col. Joseph Heath were elected Commissioners to “redeem our captives in the hands of the French and Indians” in Canada on August 16 (more…)

Francis Whipple, son of Jonathan, great grandson of Matthew, Jr., and my great (5) grandfather, was baptized November 4,1705 in Ipswich, Mass. and died July 2, 1787 in New Braintree, Worcester Co. He married Abigail Lamson at Ipswich May 11, 1726. She was the grand daughter of Abigail (Dane) Faulkner who was convicted of being a witch during the Salem wITCH Trials of 1692.
.
They moved their family to Westborough by January 6, 1734 the day they joined the Evangelical Congregational Church by letter. Massachusetts was then divided into five regions. Worcester County, the near frontier, was the least populated, the least important, and probably the poorest. Virtually inaccessible, it imported little and exported less. By the outbreak of the Revolution, it was tenth in population among Worcester County towns with roads laid out to the Whipple corn mill and to the saw mill. During its first 100 years the town was not on any stage line. A turnpike, built in 1810, finally gave it a direct line of travel.

Francis was 29 and Abigail 26 when they left the Hamlet at Ipswich. The family consisted of sons Benjamin, 7 and Thomas, 3 and daughter Lucy, 4. A fourth child born in Ipswich had died before the move. Seven children were born in Westborough. They lived to see the birth of 41 grandchildren, seven of whom preceded them in death. (more…)

John Whipple son of Joseph, and grandson of Matthew, Jr. was born in Ipswich,, Mass. 27 March 1690 and married Mary Faierfield there, 29 March 1710/11. (Date of intent to marry.). Mary was from Wenham, Mass. Her surname may be spelled Fairfeild.

On 20 November. 1708, John was deeded land by his father Joseph and sold 130 acres to his older brother James for £100 on 21 May 1725. This acreage was “bounded on Hassanamisco” (Grafton). The deed was also signed by his wife Mary. John was identified as “being of Sutton” in that transaction.

Sutton in Worcester county received its grant in 1704 on condition “they settle a Town of 30 families and a Minister within seven years after the end of the present war with the Indians.” John was one of 10 men to sign the first Church Covenant in the fall of 1720. The church was organized upon the Congregational Platform and Rev. John McKinstry was ordained 9 November. The Covenant was renewed 30 September 1728 when John and four other original signers were joined by 15 new members. They subscribed as follows: (more…)

Deacon James Whipple, son of Joseph and grandson of Matthew, Jr.was born in Ipswich, in 1681 and died 3 November 1766 in Grafton, Worcester Co., Mass., at 85 years of age. He married Mary Bacon Fuller in Salem, Mass., 12 January 1703/04. Mary, daughter of Jacob Fuller (1655-1731) and Mary Bacon (abt 1660-1741), was born in Salem, 19 October 1685.

Mary’s grandfather, Thomas, is the first known Fuller in New England. He came from England in 1638 and settled in Wobburn, Mass. He was identified as Sargeant in 1656 and Lieutenant in 1658.

James is first mentioned in the Grafton Proprietor’s record 23 June 1731 when he was named to the Committee to confer with Ministers from adjacent towns about holding a fast the first Tuesday of September with a goal to settle a Minister. The Church was formed 28 December and Solomon Prentice of Cambridge, Mass. was ordained 29 December. James and his son James, Jr. were among the original 20 members and the only members to transfer from Ipswich.

James was elected Deacon 21 January 1732 and the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered for the first time 9 April. The Communication Table wasn’t supplied with suitable fixtures until early in 1734 when James presented Vessels to the Church for use in the Ordinances.

The Meeting House contained nine pews, the remaining space was filled with benches. The pews were large boxes of 4.5 x 5 feet. When seated, the congregants couldn’t be seen. They looked up at the Preacher who towered above them in his high pulpit “and poured the gospel down into these pits.” (more…)

Jonathan Whipple, grandson of Matthew, Jr., (b. 19 April 1679) and Frances Edwards, (b. 30 September 1682), were married in Ipswich, Mass. 14 July 1702, and moved from the Hamlet at Ipswich to Westborough, a town in Worcester county in Western Mass. in the early 1730s where he farmed and operated a corn mill. He served as Selectman, and Town Moderator. A devout churchman, he was a neighbor of Rev. Ebenezer Parkman, and often mediated disputes between Parkman and various parishioners.

At the time of their move, the family consisted of Jonathan, about 55, Frances, about 52 and sons, Edwards, 12, and Jonathan, Jr. about 28 who apparently was born with some disabilities and lived with his parents. Moving to Westborough at the same time was their oldest son, Francis about 29, his wife Abigail, 21 and sons Benjamin, 7 and Thomas, 3 and daughter Lucy, 4.

Jonathan and son Francis joined the Westborough church by letter, transferring from the Hamlet church in 1734.

A lot of thought about moving must have been given by Jonathan and wife Frances considering both were in their fifties and leaving their life-long home could not have been easy. The move was probably motivated by the lack of farm land in the Ipswich-Hamilton area. This supposition is supported by the fact that Jonathan’s brothers moved to Grafton (James) and to Sutton (John) at about the same time. Both towns were adjacent to Westborough. Their older half-brother Joseph married Sarah Hutchinson and settled in Salem near what became known as Whipple Hill. (more…)