William+Whipple

**William Whipple (1730-1785) **  Representing New Hampshire at the Continental Congress

 William Whipple was born in Kittery Maine, on Janruary 14, 1730. He was the eldest son of William Whipple, a native of Ipswich, who was a brewer. His mother was the daughter of Robert Cutts, a wealthy and distinguished ship-builder. Catharine Moffat Whipple, is the wife of William Whipple.

Whipple was educated at a common school until his early teens, when he went off to sea to find his fortune. This seaman earned the position of a ship's master by the age of 21. His voyages were to the West Indies and Africa, and he brought a large number of slaves to this country. In 1759 he landed in Portsmouth with his brother and established himself as a merchant.

He was elected to several local offices and was involved in the Patriot movement. In 1775 he was elected to represent his town at the provincial congress. Whipple was made a Council member, a member of the Committee of Safety, and was promptly elected to the Continental Congress.

In 1777 he was made Brigadier General of the New Hampshire Militia. General Whipple lead men in the successful expedition against General Burgoyne at the battles of Stillwater and Saratoga. After the war Whipple was appointed an associate justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire. He suffered from a heart ailment for several years and he died, fainting from atop his horse while traveling in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, November 28, 1785.