General Notes

Source: (1) Austin, R.I. Dictionary, pp. 221, 372., (2) New England  Register, Vol. 32, pp. 403, 404., (3) 1st Church at Dorchester, MA, p.  154., (4) Providence VR, Vol. 3, pp. 143, 154 & Vol. 8, pp. 16, 92, 111,  137, 162., (5) RI Historical Society, Annals of Providence, Vol. 5, pp.  645, 646., (6) H.B. Whipple, Whipple Family, (1965). John Whipple came to New England as part of the Winthrop migration about  1630. He was in Dorchester as early as 1632 in service to Israel  Stoughton, according to Savage's Genealogical Dictionary, and was thought  to be not over 15 years of age at the time. In 1637 he received a grant  of land at Dorchester Neck. He married his wife Sarah at Dorchester in  1639 or 1640. He was a house carpenter by trade and owned a house and 40  or 50 acres near Neponset village. He lived in Dorchester about 18 years  and during that time he and his wife had six sons and two daughters. He sold his house and land to James Minot in 1658 and moved to Rhode  Island the same year, or the year after, and settled in Providence with  all his family. He had two sons and one daughter born at Providence,  having eleven children in all. The house he built in Providence, where he  lived and died, was on the east side of the river a little north of Star  street, between North Main and Benefit street. It was a large two-story  house with a large stone chimney at one end. He served as a member of  town council of Providence, R.I. 1669 In 1660 he received a grant of land at Louisquisset. He also owned land  in several other places as is mentioned in his will. In 1666 he took the  oath of allegiance to King Charles II, with his oldest son John. In 1669  he was a member of the council of Providence. He received a license to  keep a public house in 1674 and which place the town elections were  sometimes held. He was one of about 25 who voted to stay in Providence  rather than move to Newport during King Phillip's war. In 1676 the town  was attacked by the indians and many houses were burnt. John Whipple died in 1685. He and his wife were buried near his house but  their graves were later moved to the North Burying Place in Providence. From "A Brief Genealogy of the Whipple Families, Who Settled in Rhode  Island", by Henry E. Whipple, Providence: A. Crawford Greene, Steam Book  and Job Printer, 1873.