Rebeckah (Whipple) Bishop (abt. 1701 - 1751)

Wife of John Bishop Sr — married 20 May 1731 in New London, Connecticut Colony

Descendants

Died 17 Oct 1751 at about age 50 in New London, New London, Connecticut Colony

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Greg Bishop [send private message]

Biography

Her parents were...^{[citation needed]}

Rebeckah’s estimated birth of about 1701 is based on her being “near 50” years old at death.^[1]

Rebeckah was married to John Bishop May 20, 1731 at the First Church Of Christ, New London, Connecticut Colony by the Rev. Eliphalet Adams.^[2]

Note: Preceding marriage record one week earlier was for Silas Whipple and Susanna More, 13 May 1731.

Their children include:

• John^[3]
• William^[3]
• Peter^[3]
• Timothy, bapt 28 Sep 1740 New London^[3][4]

Their children’s births are not recorded in the New London Town records or in the First Congregational Church records of New London with the exception of Timothy, whose church record reads:^[4]

Bishop… Timothy, s. John, bp. Sept. 28, 1740, “he having o.c. at Lyme”.

It is possible their births were recorded in Lyme, but the old records are lost.

Rebeckah was admitted to the church in New London 19 Jul 1741.^[5]

Rebeckah died 17 Oct 1751.^[6]

Her burial is mentioned in the diary of Joshua Hempstead:

Sund 20 fair in the morning but Thunder & Lightning & Rain in ye midle of the day. Mr adams pr all day. John Bishops wife buryed after meeting. aged near 50. She hath been Sick near 8 years. bed Ridden many years.^[1]

Her husband’s Will of 18 Sep 1780 names his second wife, Hannah, and his sons John, William, Peter, and Timothy.^[3]

This person was created through the import of Bishop Family Tree.ged on 18 February 2011. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.

Research Notes

Move to Nova Scotia
This source appears to have her moving with her family to Nova Scotia 1760, which is after her date of death.

• Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2012. Ancestry Record 7486 #2640258
  Name: John Bishop
  Arrival year: 1760
  ArrivalPlace: Nova Scotia, Canada
  Primary Immigrant: Bishop, John
  Family Members: Son John; Son Peter; Wife Rebecca Whipple; Son William; Son Timothy
  Source Publication Code: 8750.40

It cites SMITH, LEONARD H., JR., and NORMA H. SMITH. Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992. page 546.

That in turn cites Fred E. Crowell, New Englanders in Nova Scotia (No. 538). This is a manuscript microfilmed by NEHGS in 1979. AmericanAncestors has a $ search here that needs to be checked.

Perhaps she is mentioned as a former wife/mother rather than an emigrant?

Update: 6 Jan 2024 - M Cole generously looked up and shared the relevant material from AmericanAncestors. It confirms that Rebecka died in 1751 and is only mentioned as the first wife of John and mother of his children. John came to Nova Scotia in 1760 with his second wife Hannah. See gallery images from:

New Englanders in Nova Scotia is a collection of genealogical articles and research material concerning 48,165 names in more than 650 families of New England Planters and Loyalists who settled in Nova Scotia beginning in 1759. It includes a series of articles written by Fred E. Crowell in the 1920s and 30s for the Yarmouth Herald as well as his extensive research notes and other manuscripts. Mr. Crowell donated all of this material to NEHGS, and in 1979 the Society published a microfilm version of it.

Parents
The parents of Rebecca/Rebeckah are unknown.

Some trees have her as daughter of Silas Whipple (FamilySearch Person: GXDW-81L). His estimated birth range of 1690 to 1710 makes him too young to be her father. He has been disconnected as her father and another Rebeckah, baptized in 1744, has been created as his daughter.

Other trees have or had her as sister of Silas Whipple (FamilySearch Person: LZ6T-NF1 and broken link genweb.whipples.org/d0620/I17433.html). The speculative basis for a sibling relationship is that their marriages were a week apart in the same town and that Silas named a daughter Rebeckah.

The Whipple One-Name Study webpage for Rebecca Whipple (Abt 1711 - 1751) has her as the daughter of David Whipple, Jr. (Bef 1674 - 1755), son of David Whipple, Ensign (1656 - 1710). They correspond to David Whipple (1676-aft.1710) and David Whipple (1656-1710).

Some sites prudently don't give a parent for her (https://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/mn/m2213x2214.htm).

The baptism of her son Timothy raises the possibility that she might have been born in Lyme. Unfortunately, the old Lyme records were lost.

Possible siblings based on New London County, Connecticut marriages 1720s-1740s

• Samuel Whipple and Ruth Card, 15 November 1720, Groton - FamilySearch Record: F7PT-5WT.
• Jonathan Whipple and Elizabeth Dart, 28 February 1726/7, New London - FamilySearch Record: F7PB-KJ5.
• Zachariah Whipple and Elizabeth Rogers, 27 Jun 1728, New London - FamilySearch Record: F7PB-K5N.
• Silas Whipple and Susanna More, 13 May 1731, New London - FamilySearch Record: F7PB-23D.
• Anthony Whipple and Jane Chapel, 30 December 1736, New London - FamilySearch Record: QGRS-8TNT.
• Samuel Whipple and Eunice Mitchell, 24 November 1740, Groton - FamilySearch Record: QP9Q-CZ5H.
• Zephaniah Whipple and Kesiah Parke, 4 June 1741, Norwich - FamilySearch Record: QP3W-V9L7.
• Jeremiah Whipple and Hannah Beebe, 8 October 1741, New London - FamilySearch Record: QGRS-8T2X.
• William Whipple and Mercy Gallup, 2 December 1742, Stonington - FamilySearch Record: QPS2-3P2C.
• Symonds Whipple and Elizabeth Mason, 19 June 1743, Stonington - FamilySearch Record: 78X6-5R3Z.
• Timothy Whipple and Elizabeth Safford, 4 July 1744, Norwich - FamilySearch Record: QPSK-T2G1.
• Daniel Whipple and Anne Hough, 7 May 1746, Groton - FamilySearch Record: QPST-N1W5.
• Elisabeth Whipple and Daniel Eams, 21 February 1749, New London - FamilySearch Record: QGRS-VY1V.

Parents connected to the above. Relationship confidence (sure/unsure/wrong) based on sources in profiles:

• unknown parents: Anthony Whipple, Jeremiah Whipple
• Samuel Whipple and Elizabeth Eddy - children: Samuel Whipple (sure-Will), Zachariah Whipple (sure-Will), Zephaniah (sure-Will), Daniel Whipple (sure-Birth,Will)
  Unlikely: Samuel’s Will written 18 Apr 1728 names children, but not Rebeckah.
• David Whipple and Margaret Angell - children: Jonathan Whipple (sure-Marriage), Silas Whipple (unsure)
  Stumped: David’s Will not found in indexed search on Ancestry/FamilySearch. Margaret’s Will not found.
  Determine death year and place - not found.
  Search county probate records - need location.
• Samuel Whipple and Ruth Card - children: Samuel Whipple (sure-Birth)
  Stumped: Samuel’s Will not found.. Ruth’s Will not found.
  Determine death year and place - not found.
  Search county probate records - need location.
• Ciprian Whipple and Dorothy Symonds - children: William Whipple (sure-Birth), Symonds Whipple (unsure-paywall), Timothy Whipple (sure-Birth)
  Stumped: Cyprian’s Will not found. Dorothy’s Will not found.
  Determine death year and place - Cyprian not found, Dorothy 1734 Ipswich.
  Search county probate records - need location, Dorothy’s not found.
• Jonathan Whipple and Elizabeth Dart - children: Elizabeth Whipple (sure-Birth)
  Stumped: Jonathan’s Will not found. Elizabeth’s Will not found.
  Determine death year and place - not found.
  Search county probate records - need location.

More to check:

• Check for names of her sons mentioned in other Wills (as grandchildren: her parents, or as nephews: her siblings).
  • John Bishop - His profile has his will written in Nova Scotia.
  • William Bishop - His profile has his will written in Nova Scotia.
  • Peter Bishop - Not found in indexed searches Ancestry/FamilySearch.
  • Timothy Bishop - His profile has his will written in Nova Scotia
• What if she was a widow of Whipple rather than a daughter?

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut, 1711-1758 (Collections of the New London County Historical Society, Vol. 1, 1901), Page 577.
2. ↑ First Church of Christ Records, New London, Connecticut (1670-1767), Vol. 2, Page 159. FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-99V3-GS2R
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} "Canada, Nova Scotia Probate Records, 1760-1993," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89ZR-XGFL?cc=2134302&wc=SN12-VZZ%3A1411645602%2C1412174201 : 4 November 2014), Kings > Will books, 1783-1847, vol 1-2, page 53, image 33 of 470; county courthouses, Nova Scotia.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920, (Vol. 79, New London, page 37) Ancestry Sharing Link
   Bishop… Timothy, s. John, bp. Sept. 28, 1740, “he having o.c. at Lyme”.
5. ↑ Connecticut. Church Records Index. Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut. (Vol. 79, New London, page 36) Ancestry Record 3032 #649049
   Rebeckah Bishop, w. John, adm. ch. July 19 1741: Vol. 1, Page 20.
6. ↑ The Bishop Family Association, Tangled Roots: Descendants of John Bishop (1709-1785) of Horton, Nova Scotia, a New England Planter Family V1: Colonel John Bishop (Altoona, Manitoba, Canada: Friesen Printers, 1990). Available at Family History Library, Call Number: 929.271 B541. Also view digital version [restricted] online only at FHL at www.familysearch.org

• Eaton, Arthur Wentworth Hamilton. The History of Kings County Nova Scotia Heart of the Acadian Land (Salem Press Co., Salem, Mass., 1910) Page 570.

See also:

• FamilySearch Person: GXDW-81L
• Whipple One-Name Study website, Rebecca Whipple.