While Robert Cann was currying favor with Charles II,
Richard and Abigail Lippincott (accompanied by their children) decided to
hazard the voyage across the Atlantic yet again in pursuit of the ability to
practice their faith without molestation or hindrance from their neighbors or
government. The children suffered bouts of seasickness over much of the course
of their long journey, and Abigail remained busy nursing them and tending to
their needs. Nevertheless, the ship finally dropped anchor at Providence Plantations,
and the family disembarked as soon as it was possible to do so and secured
temporary lodgings there.
2 They settled at Newport, and Abigail was pregnant
again within a year. The following year, the couple welcomed another son into
their midst. “We will call him Preserved, because the Lord has preserved us
through many trials and tribulations!” Richard announced. “A-men,” Abigail
agreed in exhausted contentment.
3 In 1664, the news spread that the Dutch had finally
surrendered New Amsterdam to the British (who had promptly renamed it New
York). This event set into motion a series of events that would have a profound
impact on many of the Quaker settlers in America (the Lippincott family
included). New lands and new opportunities were opening up for them.
4 The following year, Richard and his friends were in contact with some Quakers from Long Island who had formed an association to purchase some land from the natives situated just to the south of New York. Samuel Spicer, one of the leading men of the association wrote to Richard: “Like you, I have been harassed and imprisoned for my devotion to the Truth. Together, we will build a place where our people can gather together in peace and follow the dictates of our consciences without fear of persecution or reprisal.” Richard responded by contributing a considerable sum of money to the venture.
5 A few weeks later, he received the news that Spicer
and his associates had successfully contracted with the “Indians” to purchase
an area known as Navesink (which would eventually be known as Monmouth, New
Jersey). In April, Governor Nicolls granted them a patent for the tract.
However, he did stipulate that the patent was contingent upon them settling the
land and developing it for farming. The patent also guaranteed “free liberty of
conscience” to the people who agreed to settle there.
6 That was enough for Richard and Abigail. They quickly gathered their belongings together and moved to what was to become Shrewsbury. In fact, a good many Quaker families did exactly the same thing, and it wasn’t long until there were enough of them to form a regular meeting of the brethren.
7 The Lippincotts built their home near the banks of
Passequeneiqua Creek. And, as soon as they had finished work on it, the Friends
there began meeting in their parlor. “It is so good to meet here together with
all of you without fear of disturbance,” Richard announced when everyone was
seated. “We hope that this will be the first of many such gatherings,” Abigail
added.
8 The years that followed were preoccupied with clearing land, planting crops and constructing barns and other outbuildings. The work was hard, but the progress was rapid and undeniable. In just a few short years, the Monmouth Tract was transformed into a patchwork of fertile fields and pastures with well-built houses and fences.
9 In 1669, Richard was selected to take a seat on the
Governor’s Council; but he promptly declined the honor. “I cannot violate my
conscience by subscribing to the oath of allegiance which that seat requires,”
Richard confided to his friends. The Council responded by imposing fines on
those who refused to take the oath or attend official sessions.
10 The following year Richard made arrangements with a
local blacksmith and tanner for the apprenticeship of his son Freedom. “He’s
still a boy,” Abigail fretted. “He is in need of a little discipline, and he
will learn a trade that will enable him to support himself and a family
someday,” Richard explained to his wife. Abigail nodded and helped her son
gather some clothing to take with him to his new home.
11 As the time approached for the boy and his father to depart, Richard noticed a single tear stream down Abigail’s left cheek. She knew that her son would never live under her roof again. Under the terms of the apprenticeship, he would live with his master until his twenty-first birthday. “We will see him every week on the Lord’s Day – he will sojourn with us for the entire day,” he assured her.
12 Abigail forced a smile and stood in the doorway and
watched them walk away down the dusty road that ran in front of their house.
She sighed, turned away and wiped another tear from her face as they
disappeared behind some trees.
13 In 1672, George Fox decided to visit America. Richard and Abigail were delighted to have their old friend and mentor stay with them. Quakers from all over the area gathered at their home to hear from the founder of the movement. Fox was very impressed with the circumstances in which he found his friends in America.
14 “God has been good to his children here,” he told them. “I know it is selfish, but we all wish that you could stay here with us,” Richard told him.
15 Three years later, however, Richard again made the
voyage across the ocean to encourage fellow Quakers to join him in America. He
met there with John Fenwick and obtained a patent for one thousand acres within
his new colony of West Jersey. “You will never regret your decision to situate
your plantation there,” Richard had assured Fenwick and his associates.
16 In May of 1679, Richard divided his thousand acres
into five equal tracts and distributed them to his sons. “You must build your
own lives but let this be your start” he told them. Satisfied that he had
provided for his family and made adequate provisions for their future
happiness, Richard died just four and a half years later.
17 “This is the cruelest hardship that I have ever had
to endure,” Abigail confided to her children. “Still, after many separations,
the Lord has always been faithful to reunite us in the end,” she told them as
the tears trickled down her cheeks.
18 Now these are the generations of Richard Lippincott, a righteous man before the Lord:
19 Richard and Abigail Lippincott were the parents of Remembrance, John, Abigail, Restore, Freedom, Increase, Jacob and Preserved.
20 Restore was the forefather of Richard Milhous Nixon and many others.
21 Freedom was the father of Samuel, Thomas, Judith, Mary and Freedom.
22 Freedom Lippincott married Elizabeth Wills, and they had children together.
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