- William Whipple
William Whipple, Jr. (
14 Jan 1730 -28 Nov 1785 ), was a signer of theUnited States Declaration of Independence as a representative ofNew Hampshire . William Whipple was born atKittery, Maine , and educated at a common school until he went off to sea. He became a Ship's Master by the age of twenty-three. In 1759 he landed inPortsmouth, New Hampshire , and in partnership with his brother established himself as amerchant . He was married his first cousin Katherine Moffat some time around 1770 to 1771.In 1775 he was elected to represent his town at the
Provincial Congress . In 1776 New Hampshire dissolved the Royal government and reorganized with a House of Representatives and an Executive Council. Whipple became a Council member, and a member of theCommittee of Safety , and was elected to theContinental Congress , serving there through 1779.In 1777 he was made
Brigadier General of theNew Hampshire Militia , participating in the successful expedition againstGeneral Burgoyne at the battles of Stillwater and Saratoga raising and commanding a brigade (9th, 10th, 13th and 16th) of New Hampshire militia during the campaign. In 1778 General Whipple led another New Hampshire milita brigade (4th, 5th, 15th, Peabody's and Langdon's) at theBattle of Rhode Island . Hisslave Prince Whipple followed the General to war and served with him through out.After the war he became an
Associate Justice of theSuperior Court of New Hampshire. He suffered from a heart ailment and he died by fainting from atop his horse while traveling his court circuit. He was buried in the in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In 1976, in conjunction with the American Bicentennial, his headstone was replaced by a local historical association.External links
* [http://www.colonialhall.com/whipple/whipple.php Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856]
* [http://gravematter.com/cem-nh-portsmouth.asp Burial site of William Whipple]
* [http://genweb.whipple.org/d0433/I3451.html Genealogical Reference]
*Find A Grave|id=2814ources
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=XSDnxlK1sMUC&printsec=titlepage&source=gbs_summary_r State Builders: An Illustrated Historical and Biographical Record of the State of New Hampshire. State Builers Publishing Manchester, NH 1903]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=djYEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA139&dq=William+Whipple#PPA139,M1 Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence. By Rev. Charles A. goodrich, published by William Reed & Co. New York 1829]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.