John Chipman Jr. (Hon.) and Mary Skiff

(The Pilgrims & Skiff branch)

John CHIPMAN  Hon. was born on 3 Mar 1670 in Barnstable, Barnstable, MA; died on 4 Jan 1756 in New Port, New Port, RI; buried in New Port, New Port, RI. [John Chipman Jr. was son of Hope Howland and grandson of Pilgrim John Howland]

John CHIPMAN married Mary SKIFF in 1691 in MA. They had the following children: James CHIPMAN (b. 18 Dec 1694), John CHIPMAN (b. 18 Sep 1697), Mary (twin) CHIPMAN (b. 11 Dec 1699), Bethia (twin) CHIPMAN (b. 11 Dec 1699), ♥ Perez CHIPMAN (b. 28 Sep 1702), Deborah CHIPMAN (b. 6 Dec 1704), Stephen (twin) CHIPMAN (b. 9 Jun 1708), Lydia (twin) CHIPMAN (b. 9 Jun 1708), Ebenezer CHIPMAN (b. 13 Nov 1709).

He also married Elizabeth (Russel) (Pope) HANDLEY in 1716 at Capt. Popes home, Dartmouth, MA. They had the following children: Handley CHIPMAN* (b.31 Aug 1717), Rebecca CHIPMAN (b.10 Nov 1719). *See {D4} below.

He also married Hannah (Huxley) (Griffin) CASE in 1725 inNewport,RI.

BIRTH:  17 May 1708 John Chipman is listed in his father’s Will to receive real-estate in Barnstable, MA.{D1}

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: John’s son, Handley, by second wife, Elizabeth describes his father, saying, “My dear Father was a tall Person…my dear fathers hair reddish and he of Light complection..”{D4} [See below Handley’s brief biography of his family includinhg elder John Chipman.

MARRIAGE:
1. John 1st married, Mary Skiff, about 1691: to their union were born nine children including, James, John, Mary, Bethia, Perez, Deborah, Stephen, Lydia, and Ebenezer. Mary and Bethia, also Stephen and Lydia were twins. Mary died on 12 March 1711.{D2} The family lived in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA.

2. In 1716, John married the widowed Elizabeth Handley Pope Russell: their union produced two children, Handley and Rebecca. After continuing to live several more years at Sandwich, John moved the family to Martha’s Vineyard, where they lived for seven years before Elizabeth Handley died.  Elizabeth became very ill while visiting her ex father-in-law Captain Pope in Dartmouth and died 4-5 months later, at his residence, after a long bout with Consumption. John and Elizabeth’s son, Handley, writes, “My Dear Father used to go back and forward to Visit her until about the 30 day of Jany A.D. 1725 when she departed this Life…”{D4}

The Will of Seth Pope of Dartmouthdated 1 April 1720, names “my former daughter in law now wife of Lewt John Chipman of Sandwich” and her son Handy Chipman.{D2}

3. On his last trip to visit Elizabeth before she died, John met the widow Hannah Case. Mrs. Case had just buried her husband on Martha’s Vineyard and returning to the mainland. The two took the ferry and traveled together on one horse, both going in the same direction to Dartsmouth.{D4}

About a year later, in 1725, at 55 of years of age, John married the widow Hannah Huxley Griffin Case.{D2} Soon after remarrying, John sold his property on Martha’s Vineyard and moved to Rhode Island “and Let his money to interest, but it depreciating fast, he called it in and went to shopkeeping.” {D4}

LIVELIHOOD:
While living in Sandwich John had been a coroner, Lieutenant, Captain, and a Representative to the General Assembly at Boston.

While he lived on Martha’s Vineyard he was a Justice of the Peace and one of the Judges of the Inferior Court.{D4}

“In MA he was a magistrate, a member of the general court, a justice of the Court of Common Pleas, 1772. In RI, where he lived after 1727, he was first of six Associates of that colony who with the other Associates, the Governor and Philip Cortland and Daniel Horsemanden of the NY council, was a member of the Commissioners of Review appointed by royal authority, who met at Norwich, CT and decided Connecticut’s course toward the Indians.”{D3}

“About age 70 years old when he of choice flung up all offices by reason of his old age, and soon after my Mother in Law dying  (Hannah Case) he left off his Shopkeeping, broke up housekeeping, and went to live with my own sister (Rebecca) who had married a worthy person, a Capy Moore…”{D4}
When daughter, Rebecca, died a few years later, John went to live with his son Handley. He was given a room and kept company. “Loosing his Last wife, and Living very retire in a room much by himself, as was his own Choice, keeping his Books of Divinity by him, and pipe and Tobacco, he soon grew rater dull, and rather Melancholy, inclined to have but Little Company or Conversation, nor could he be persuaded but Seldom, to Eat any of his Meals out of his own room, where he always had a fire to himself and one or other of the family that attended upon him…”{D4}

WILL:  In his Will dated 17 Oct 1749, John Chipman mentions his sons Perces (Perez) and Handley and others in the family.{D2}

John Chipman Jr. died leaving 70 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren behind him.

DOCUMENTS:
1. The Mayflower Descendant, Vol. III, article Elder John Chipman’s Will and Inventory, p. 181. Recorded in the Barnstable County Probate Records, Vol. III, pages 228-231.
2. “Mayflower Families In Progress – Richard Warren…”, published by General Society of Mayflower
Descendants, 1987, p. 84.
3. The Chipman Family: A Genealogy of the Chipmans In America 1631-1920 by Bert Lee Chipman, 1920, Winston -Salem, NC.
4.  A Chipman Family History by Handley Chipman (1717-1799) of Newport, RI and Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. Reproduced and printed by “The New England Historical and Genealogical Register”,
1937 Vol. XCI, Publ by the Society at the Robert Henry Eddy Memorial Rooms,Boston.
* Individual source: The Chipman Family: A Genealogy of the Chipmans In America 1631-1920 by Bert Lee Chipman, 1920, Winston -Salem, NC.

Mary  SKIFF was born on 13 Nov 1671 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA; died on 12 Mar 1711 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA; buried in Sandwich, Barnstable,MA. Parents, Stephen Skeffe and Lydia Snow, descendant from 1620 Mayflower ancestor Richard Warren..

When Marcy died in 1711, she left her husband to care for nine children between the ages of 2 and 17 years of age.

* Individual source: The Chipman Family: A Genealogy of the Chipmans In America
1631-1920 by Bert Lee Chipman, 1920, Winston -Salem, NC.
* Individual source: Mayflower Families In Progress: Richard Warren of the Mayflower and His Descendants for Four Generations, compiled by Robert S. Wakefield and others, Published by
General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1987.

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A brief history of the Chipman family written by Handley Chipman, son of  John Chipman (Jr) Hon., and his 2nd wife Elizabeth Handley Pope Russell

“[The Mayflower pilgrims] … saw them the vessel after the boat’s return came up to the place of their intended settlement and they all landed and prepared huts for to live in, but poor distressed souls they being disappointed of other vessels coming over to them for a great while to supply them with provisions and other necessities as expected

“Sundry of these poor distressed people died and all was in imanent danger of perishing, if it had not been for the Clams they found on the shores and dugg up at low tide, but it was especially from the Supp & turkeys obtained in quantities [from] the native Indians … which corn they ate and paid the Indians for the spring after as soon as they had gained acquaintance with them who had been very shy of them.

“My said Grandfather (elder) John Chipman  born 1615 Married a Daughter of the aforesaid Mr. Howland and settled at Barnstable, the next Town but one which is Sandwich, to their Said Plimouth further on the Said Cape Cod, Plimouth being being at the head of the Bay.  he my Said Grandfather was an Elder in Minister Russels Congregational Church, in said Barnstable, and if I am not mistaken removed and lived in Said Sandwich the Latter part of his Day.  He died aged 88.  He had or left 10 children of which my honored father was the Youngest.  his children generally lived to grow up and Marry and from whom proceeded a very Numerous offspring.  As my Grandfather was the only one of the name of Chipman and my Grandmother Daughter of the only one of the name of Howland in New England or any of the now States of America, so the Chipmans are all on this Continent Related as well as the Howlands, and are all of them by reason of my Grandfather and grandmothers Marriage together Related to one another, and so near that Long Since my Remembrance my dear father and the Howlands used to call Cuzzens and the Howlands was often conversant at my house and my fathers house &c.

“My Dear and Honored Deceased father John Chipman, married one Capt. Skiffs daughter of said Sandwich, by whom he had 9 children that all Lived to grow up to the years of Men and Women, from whom has sprang a very large offspring.  Their names were Sons, James, Perez, John, Ebenezer and Stephen.  The Daughters names were Bethia and Mary, twins, as was also the Son Said Stephen with the next daughter Lidia, the others name was Deborah.  They had all entered into the Marriage State and had generally Large families of Children, Except said Stephen, who had no Children by his wife, Dying Master of a Vessel young in Nevis in the West Indies.  They were mostly of more than middling size.  James was a clothier by Trade, Perez was a Blacksmith as was also Ebenezer, John was a farmer and Stephen a cooper by trade.  They scattered much in their Settling in families.

“My dear fathers first wife dying at said Sandwich, Leaving said nine children, He some time after, it may be two years, married her that was my dear Mother, at Capt. Popes at Dartmouth, her first husband was his oldest Son, her second husband was one Capt. Russel, with whom I have been told She lived about 17 months, at Rhode Island or near there about….  She had no Child or Children that Lived by Either of these husbands.  by my dear father She had my Self, her son Handley, and my dear sister Rebecca.  Soon after her birth my dear Father removed from Sandwich to Martha Vineyard, where he lived it may be 7 years.

“Just about a year after my dear Mothers Death, my dear Father married the Said widow Case at Newport on Said Rhode Island.  She had had two husbands, one a Griffin, the other said Capt. Case.  by said Griffin She had a daughter who lived to grow up and Married my Said dear father Son Stephen, who died in Said West Indies Leaving no Child.  My Mother in Law’s maiden name was Mary Hoockey, and after my dear father had Lived with her 19 years She died also with the Consumption.  She was a Baptist.  My dear father soon after he thus Married at Rhode Island, sold his farm at the Vineyard, to one Mr. Norton for L1200, money then at s5/pr. ounce.  he removed then to Rhode Island and Let his money to Interest, but it depreciating fast, he called it in and went to shopkeeping.

“He was when he lived at Sandwich, Crowner or Coroner, a Capt. Lieutenant, and a Representative to the General Assembly at Boston, as I find, by his Commission Left.  While he lived on the Vineyard he was Justice of the Peace and one of the Judges of the Inferior Court, &c.

“After he removed to Rhode Island Government, he was for some time the first of the Governors Council, and was also Chief Judge of the Superior Court or court of Equity, as it was then called, and continued in said office until he was about 70 years old when he of choice flung up all offices by reason of his old age, and soon after my Mother in Law dying he Left off his Shopkeeping, broke up housekeeping, and went to live with my own Sister who had married a worthy person, a Capt. Moore.

“My dear and Honoured Father was born March 3d day, A.D. 1670.  He departed this Life at Newport on Rhode Island, January 4 th day, 1756, in my house, where he had lived some years, after he broke up housekeeping, he went and Lived at Capt. David Moors as aforesaid who married my own only Sister, but she dying in a few years after, he then came to Live with me.

“I would before I conclude the Pedigree of my dear fathers family just mention that I have divers times inquired after the family of the Chipmans coat of arms but never could get Intelligence of it.  And am lately informed that Ward Chipman, Esq. Solisiter General in our Neighboring Province of Brunswick Government, when he was in England a few years past, made very thorough Search after our family coat of arms, and finds we have none at all, &c.

“But the Chipmans in America are very Numerous indeed.  they are, we are, Sure all related, for they are all of them descended from my said Grandfather.  we find they are Spread even from Canso * Eastward to Virginia Westward, if not farther both ways.”

* A fishing village on the eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia.

[“A Chipman Family History,” by Handley Chipman (1717-1799) of Newport, R.I., and Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, composed ca. 1790, in:

Roberts, Gary Boyd; ed.  (1985).  Genealogies of Mayflower Families From The New England Historical and Genealogical Register Volume I Adams-Fuller.  Baltimore:  Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.

Handley Chipman’s statement validates the Chipmans of Virginia as authentic descendants of John and Hope (Howland) Chipman, but supporting documentation still needs to be assembled.]