The Historical Society of Pennsylvania having requested me to edit certain
MSS., I should be very much indebted to any one for information, either
through your columns, or addressed to me directly, concerning the following
persons or their ancestry.
Edward Shippen, son of William, born in Yorkshire, near Pontefract or
Wakefield, as supposed, 1639; emigrated to Boston 1670, was a member of the
Ancient and Honourable Artillery Company, afterwards turned Quaker, was
publicly whipt for his faith (see Thomas Story's _Journal_, quoted in
Southey's _Common-Place Book_), removed to Philadelphia, elected Speaker
1695, first mayor 1701, &c., died 1712. His son's family Bible entries (now
in possession of Colonel Jno. Hare Powel) say that his (the son's)
relations in England were his "uncle William's children," viz. Robert
Shippen, Doctor of Divinity; William Shippen, Doctor of Laws and a
parliament man; Edward, a physician; John, a Spanish merchant.
The uncle William thus mentioned is conjectured to have been the Rector of
Stockport, and the "parliament man" to have been his son, "downright
Shippen" (Lord Mahon's _Hist. Eng._, three vols.)--a conjecture
strengthened by another mem., "John, son of the Rector of St. Mary's
parish, Stockport, was baptized July 5, A.D. 1678.
Edward Shippen's daughter, Margaret, married John Jekyll, collector of the
port of Boston, said to have been a younger brother of Sir Joseph; and a
descendant, daughter of Chief Justice Shippen, married General Benedict
Arnold, then a distinguished officer in the American army.
Mr. Shippen lived in great style (Watson's _Annals_, &c.), and among his
descendants were, and are, many persons of consequence and distinction.
Besides information as to Mr. Shippen's ancestors, I should be glad to
learn something of his kinsfolk, and of the Jekyll and Arnold branches.
Sabine's (_Loyalists_) account of the latter is imperfect, and perhaps not
very just.
John White, Chief Justice Shippen, whilst a law student in London, writes,
1748-50, as though Mr. White was socially a man of dignified position. He
was a man of large fortune; his sister married San. Swift, who emigrated to
this state. His portrait, by Reynolds, represents a gentleman past middle
age, whose costume and appearance are those of a person of refined and
elegant education. His letters were destroyed by fire some years since. The
China and silver ware, which belonged to him, have the following arms:
"Gules, a border sable, charged with seven or eight estoiles gold; on a
canton ermines a lion rampant sable. Crest, a bird, either a stork, a
heron, or an ostrich." The copy inclosed is taken from the arms on the
china; but our Heralds' College (_i.e._ an intelligent engraver, who gave
me the foregoing description) says, that on the silver the crest is "a
stork close."