Individual Details

Birth

One family tree lists Richard LIPPINCOTT's birth location as Stonehouse, Dorchester, Devon, England.

Immigration

"Richard LIPPINCOTT landed in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and lived in Dorchester, where he was made a freeman in 1640. He returned soon after to England, the Puritans making it non to agreeable for the Quakers in Boston, and he became the largest shareholder in the Company of Friends that colonized the lands on the Shrewsbury River in West New Jersey, and was an active and influential officer of the colony."

Taken from: Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey:
A Record of the Achievements of her People in the Making of a
Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation
Compiled by: Francis Bazley Lee, Volume II, Illustrated, Lewis
Historical Publishing Company, New York: 1910

Religion

Richard's first child, a son, was born in Dorchester and in the traditional Puritan manner was named Remembrance. Soon, however, Richard removed to Boston where his second son, John and his daughter, Abigail, were born. He was becoming disillusioned with New England Puritanism and was formally excommunicated on 6 Jul 1651 for being tenacious about his religious beliefs which became increasingly different from the church doctrine. A year later (1652) he returned to England hoping to find greater religious liberties than he had in Massachusetts Bay. He named his next child, a son, Restore in commemoration of this event.

After this, he began to associate with George FOX and the Society of Friends (Quakers) and started debating with Fox's future wife, Margaret FELL, about whether or not Christ or the Scriptures was the Word of God. LIPPINCOTT was jailed at Plymouth, Devonshire, England for attesting that "Christ was the Word of God, and the Scriptures a document of the Mind of God." In May 1655, according to Sewell's History of the Quakers, Richard and other Quakers testified against the acts of the mayor who falsely accused and imprisoned them. In commemoration of his release from imprisonment, he named his next child, a son, Freedom.

Things were quiet for a while and during this time a daughter named Increase and a son named Jacob were born. After this last child, he was again jailed for the "faithfulness of his religious convictions." Fortunately, he was released with the help of Margaret FELL and other others who had some influence with Charles II.

Deciding he was treated more poorly as a Quaker in England than he would be in the New World, he moved to Rhode Island where his last son, Preserved (in commemoration of his preservation from persecution), was born. LIPPINCOTT firmly believed that he had found liberty in Roger WILLIAMS' new colony. Later, he moved to New Jersey after buying patents for purchase of which he was by far the largest shareholder. The reason given for the founding of the patents was in order that inhabitants could experience "free liberty of Conscience without any molestation or disturbance whatever in the way of worship."

[It is a curious fact that, omitting the name of his third child, Abigail, taken in the order of their birth, from the words of a prayer--which needs only the addition of another son called Israel to be complete--thus, Remember John, Restore Freedom, Increase Jacob and Preserve (Israel). Whether this arrangement was accidental or due to a premeditated design cannot be determined; it is probably a coincidence, as although in strict accordance with the ways in fashion among the Puritans of that day, so complete an arrangement as this is extremely rare.]

Historical Note

Richard was imprisoned with other Quakers in 1655 and 1660. In February 1655 he was arrested at Plymouth, Devon, England by the Mayor of Plymouth and confined in or near the Castle of Exeter. He was released on 15 Dec 1655. Arrested another time, Richard and others were taken from a meeting at Plymouth by order of the Mayor on 4 Jan1660 and sent to the High Gaol at Exeter and were later released at the solicitation of Margaret FELL [who became the wife of George FOX].

Side note: The members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) were persecuted in England. Many were imprisoned for travelling without passes. Others were fined for absence from public worship; some were inhumanly whipped or placed in stocks. In 1660, a general imprisonment (about 70 persons) began for refusing to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. The Friends believed Christ's precept, "swear not at all," to prohibit all manner of oaths. It was said of Friends in the time of George FOX, that they were "as stiff as trees," in their refusal to pay tithes, to perform military service and to take oaths.

Emigration

In 1662 Richard LIPPINCOTT located in Long Island* then the asylum for several religious sects driven out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the intolerant Puritans.

*Many of the settlers who came to Monmouth County from Rhode Island and Long Island had previously lived in the colony of Massachusetts Bay, and had left there on account of the religious persecution to which they had been subjected.

Biographical Sketch

Richard LIPPINCOTT was Deputy of the General Assembly of East Jersey from 1669-1677; Overseer of the town, 1669-1670; established the first Friends Meeting in New Jersey; was one of the Patentees named in the Charter of Shrewsbury on 30 May 1669.

Land Record

"On the 8th of July, 1670, the patentees met at Portland Point and voted to admit as associates 'a convenient number of purchasers who were the first and principal in the purchase of the three necks: Newasink, Navarumsunk and Pootapeck, . . . henceforth to have a full interest, right and claim in ye Patent given and granted to ye Patentees by Richard Nicolls, Esquire, late Governour of New York.'"

"On the 31st of May, 1672, Richard LIPPINCOTT . . . [was] added to the list of associates."

Land Record

Richard LIPPINCOTT purchased a patent from John Fenwick for one thousand acres in West Jersey (Monmouth county) as a land speculation. On 21 May 1679, Richard divided this plantation into five equal parts, giving to each of his sons a two hundred acre tract.

Will

The inventory of Richard LIPPINCOTT's personal estate:
L428, 2 shilling, including debts due L30, and negro slaves L60.

Death

His death occured on the 25th of the 9th month (November, old style), 1683.
[Taken from: Burlington and Mercer Counties, New Jersey with
Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men;
by Major E. M. Woodward & John F. Hageman, Everts & Peck,
Philadelphia, PA; 1883. Press of J. B. Lippincott & Co.]