Richard Lippincott, the founder of the family in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, although belonging to a branch of the family of his contemporaries and fellow believers of too mild and peaceable a disposition to be either happy or contented amidst the conditions that prevailed in England during the latter years of the reign of Charles I, in consequence associated himself at an early date with the settlers of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, and taking up his residence at Dorchester he became a member of the church there, and April 1, 1640 was chosen to one of the town offices, being made freeman by the court of Boston, May 13, 1640. Here his eldest son was born and was baptized September 1641. A few years later, however, he removed to Boston where his second son and eldest daughter was born and there baptized entered on the records of the First Church at Boston; in the entry of the son the father being noted as "a member of the church at Dorchester." This baptism was November 10, 1644. Even New England Puritanism, however, was of to militant a character for Richard Lippincott, and he began to differ more and more from his brethren of the church in regard to some of their religious doctrines, and so tenacious of his opinion was he that on July 6, 1651, he was formally excommunicated. About a year later, in 1652, Richard Lippincott returned to England in the hope that under the Commonwealth he might find a greater degree of religious liberty than was obtainable among his fellow-colonists in Massachusetts. That to some extent at least his hopes were gratified seems evident from the name of his third son, Restore or Restored, who was born at Plymount, England, in the following year, 1652, as there can be no doubt that he received his name in commemoration of his father's restoration to his native land and to the communion of more congenial spirits. Just what Richard Lippincott's religious views at the time were can only be a matter of conjecture, but they evidently harmonized more or less with those of George Fox and his adherents as became a member of the Society of Friends, and soon after his profession of faith became a partaker with his fellow believers in their suffering for their principles and in the persecutions to which they were subjected. In February, 1655 while he was residing at Plymounth, Devonshire, the mayor of that town caused his arrest and imprisonment in the town jail near the castle of Exeter, his offense being it would appear that he had made the assertion that "Christ was the word of God and the scriptures a declaration of the mind of God."

Several months, later, in May, 1655, according to Sewell's History of the Quakers, he, with others, testified against the acts of the mayor and the falsehood of the charges brought against them. In commemoration of this release from imprisonment he named his next son, born that same year, Freedom. The following few years seem to have been comparatively quite ones with him, the only noteworthy event in his life being his making of a home for himself and family at Stonehouse, near Plymount, and the birth of his daughter, Increase in 1657, and of his son Jacob in 1660. In this last mentioned year he was again imprisoned by the mayor of Plymouth for his faithfulness to his religious convictions, being arrested by the officers at and taken from a meeting of Friends in that city. His release was brought by the solicitation of Margaret Fell and others whose efforts in behalf of imprisoned Friends were so influential with the newly restored King Charles II as to obtain the liberation of many. In comparison with this treatment in Boston, Richard Lippincott experienced in Plymouth were such that he at lenght determined to make another trial of the new world, and once more bidding farewell to his native land he sailed again for New England in 1661 or 1662, and took up his residence in Rhode Island, which he found to be a Baptist colony very tolerent of various forms of belief. Here his youngest son, Preserved, was born in 1663, and received his name in commemoration of his father's preservation from persecution and from the perils of the deep. It is a curious fact that, omitting the name of his third child, Abigail Lippincott, 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.

In the Rhode Island colony each of the settlements was at first regarded as an independent establishment; but in 1642 it was determined to seek a patent from England, and Roger Williams having gone to the mother country for that purpose, obtained in 1644 through the influence of the Earl of Warwick, a charter from Parliament uniting settlements as the "Incorporation of Providence plantations in the Narragansett Bay* in New England." Complete religious toleration was granted together with the largest measure of political freedom, but owing to jealousies and exaggerated ideas of individual importance, the settlement did not become really united until 1654 and it was nine years later that they sough and obtained a charter of "Rhode Island and the Providence plantations." from King Charles II, which served as the constitution of the colony and state down to 1843. In the following year, 1664, the Dutch Colony of New Netherland came into the possession of the English, and the next year, 1665, an association was formed at Newport, Rhode Island, to purchase lands from the Indians, and a patent was granted to them, This movement has been initiated by people of Gravesend, Long Island, but the residents of Newport were considerably in the majority and the success of the movement is mainly due to them and to their efforts in raising the greater part of the money to pay the Indians for their land and in inducing persons to settle on it. Of the eighty-three Newport subscribers who contributed towards buying the Monmouth county, New Jersey, land from the Indians and towards defraying the incidental expenses in treating with the natives, Richard Lippincott gave by far the largest subscription, L16 10 shillings, which was more than twice that of any other contributor except Richard Borden, whose amount was L11, 10 shillings. * Narragansett Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in the SE part of Rhode Island.

The first deed from the Indians is dated March 25, 1665, and is for the lands at Nevesink, from the sachem Popomora and his brother Mishacoing to James Huddard, John Bowne, John Tilton, junior, Richard Stout, William Goulding and Samuel Spicer, for and on behalf of the other subscribers. April 7, 1665, Popmora and his brother went over to New York and acknowledged the deed before Governor Nicolls, and the official copy is in the office of the secretary of state, New York, liber 3, page 1. Another copy is preserved in the records of the proprietors of East Jersey at Perth Amboy, where there is also a map of the land embraced in the purchase, while still a third copy may be found in the office of the secretary of state at Trenton. Two other deeds followed and on April 8, 1665, Governor Nicolls signed the noted Monmouth patent, one of the conditions of which was "that the said Patentees and their associates,, their heirs or assigns, shall within the space of three years, beginning from the day of the date hereof, manure and plant the aforesaid land and premises and settle there one hundred families a least." The reason for the founding of the Monmouth settlements is given in the patent as the establishment of "free liberty of Conscience without any molestation or disturbance whatever in the way of worship." In accordence with the terms of this patent, Richard Lippincott and his family removed from Rhode Island to Shrewsbury, New Jersey, among the earliest settlers of the place. With him went also a number of other members of the Society of Friends and they at once formed themselves into the Shrewsbury Meeting, which for a long time met at Richard Lippincott's house. He himelf was one of the most prominent in all public matters. In 1667 the inhabitants of Middletown, Shrewsbury and other settlements included under the Monmouth patent, found themselves so far advanced, with dwellings erected and lands cleared that they had opportunity to take measures to establish a local government. Their grant from Nicolls authorized them to "pass such prudential laws as they deemed advisable" and as early as June, 1667, they held an assembly for that purpose at Portland Point, now called Highlands. On December 14 following another assembly was held at Shrewsbury; and although Governor Carteret and his council considered these assemblies as irregular they are nevertheless the first legislative bodies that ever met in New Jersey. This "General Assembly of the Patentees and Deputies" continued to meet for many years and its original proceedings are still preserved. In 1669 Richard Lippincott was elected a member of the governor's council as one of the representatives from Shrewsbury, but being unwilling to take the oath of allegiance unless it contained a proviso guaranteeing the patent rights of the Monmouth towns he was not allowed to take his seat. In the following year, 1670, he was elected by the town as an associate patentee, one of the "five or seven other persons of the ablest and discreetest od said inhabitants" who joined with the original patentees formed the assembly above mentioned, wyhich according to Nicoll's patent had full power "to make such peculiar and prudential laws and constitutions amongst the inhabitants for the better and orderly governing of them," as well as "liberty to try all causes and actions of debt and trespass arising amongst the inhabitants to the value of L10." In 1667 the governor's council passed a law providing that any town sending deputies who "refused on their arrival to take the necessary oaths," shall be liable to a fine of L10; consequently Richard Lippincott who was chosen to represent his town in 1667, did not attend, and as a result the council passed another act fining any member who absented himself, ten shilling for each day's absence. In 1670 the first meeting for worship was established by the Friends; and in 1672 this was visited by George Fox who was entertained during his stay by Richard Lippincott. His residence was on Passequeneiqua creek, a branch of the South Shrewsbury river, three-fourths of a mile northeast of the house of his son-in-law, Samuel Dennis which stood three-fourths of a mile east of the town of Shrewsbury.

Soon after this Richard Lippincott made another voyage to England, where he was in 1675 when John Fenwick was prepared to remove to West Jersey; and on August 9, 1676, he obtained from Fenwick a patent for one thousand acres in his colony, which he probably purchased as a land speculation since neither he nor his children ever occupied any part of it. May 21, 1679, Richard Lippincott divided this plantation into five equal parts, giving to each of his sons a two hundred acre tract. Having at length found a fixed place of residence where he could live in peace and prosperity, Richard Lippincott settled down to "an active and useful life in the midst of a worthy family, in the possession of a sufficient estate, and happy in the enjoyment of religious, and political freedom." Here he passed the last eighteen years of his life of varied experiences, and here he died November 25, 1683.

Two days before his death Richard Lippincott made his will and acknowledged it before Joseph Parker, justice of the peace, January 2, following his administratrix, her fellow bondsman being her son's father-in-law, William Shattock, and Francis Borden. There seems, however, to have been some irregularity in the will or its provisions, particularly in omitting mention of an exuctor; for on the day when the widow gave her bond, Governor Thomas Rudyard issued a warrant or commission to Joseph Parker, John Hans (Hance)and Eliakim Wardell "or any two of them, to examine Abigail, the widow of Richard Lippincott, as to her knowledge of any other last will made by her husband." An endorsement on the will, dated May 21, 1681, states that the "said Abigail has no knowledge of any other will and that she will faithfully administer the estate." The inventory of the personal estate, L428, 2 shilling, including debts due L30, and negro slaves L60, was made by Eliakim Wardell, William Shattock, Francis Borden and Joseph Parker.

The Dutch proprietors of New Amsterdam had long been engaged in the slave trade and at the surrender to the English in 1664 the colony contained many slaves some of whom were owned by Friends. As early as 1652 members of this society at Warwick, Rhode Island, passed a law requiring all slaves to be liberated after ten years service, as was the manner with the English servants, who however, had to serve but four years. In 1683 the court at Shrewsbury passed a law against trading in slaves. These are the earliest known instances of legislation in behalf of negro emancipation.

Richard Lippincott was owner of a number of slaves; and in her will, dated June 28, 1697, and approved August 7 following, his widow, Abigail Lippincott, frees most of them besides leaving to her children and grand children much real estate and considerable bequests in money.

The children of Richard and Abigail Lippincott were Remembrance, John, Abigail, Restore, Freedom, Increase, Jacob, and Presevered.

Rememberance and John remained in Monmouth County, where they have numerous descendants; Restore and Freedom settled in Burlington County also leaving numerous descendants. Abigail and Preserver died in infancy and Jacob left no descendants.

1. Remembrance Lippincott the eldest son of Richard and Abigail Lippincott. lived at Shrewsbury, married Margaret Barber, of Boston, and died in 1722, aged eighty-two years. He was prominent in colonial affairs, a bitter opponent of George Keith, and clerk of the monthly and quarterly meeting of Friends at Shrewsbury. His children, four of whom died in infancy, were Joseph, Elizabeth, Abigail, Richard, Elizabeth again, Joseph, William. Abigail again, Sarah, Ruth, Mary, and Grace. His descendants through is sons Richard and William are numerous, and many descendants of Samuel, son of William, now resides in Pittsburg and other western cities.

2. John Lippincott "yeoman of Shrewsbury," second son of Richard and Abigail Lippincott, married first Ann Barber, and on her death in 1707 he married Jeannette Austin, and died in 1720. The eight children borne by his first wife were John, Robert, Preserved, Mary, Ann, Margaret, Robert and Deborah. Their descendants are now found chiefly in Monmouth county, New Jersey, Green county, Pennsylvania, and New York City.

3. Abigail Lippincott, born January 17, 1646, died March 9, 1646.

4. Restore Lippincott is treated below.

5. Freedom Lippincott the fifth child and fourth son of Richard and Abigail married Mary Curtis, of Burlington, as the following certificate from Book A, "Burlington Meeting Records," shows:

"Burlington, ye 14 of 8th mo., 1680"

"These are to certifie whom it may concerne that Freedom Lippincott, of Shrewsbury, and Mary Curtis of Burlington, hath declared their Intentions of Marriage at two general Monthly Meetings heare, & after ye consideration and consent of ffriends and relations they weare Joyned in marriage at a Publique Meeting in Burlington, ye day and yeare above written, in ye presence of us."

The names of the witnesses number twenty-one. Early after his marriage Freedom purchased lands on the Rancocas Creek near Bridgeboro', where he settled. He died in 1697, aged thirty-seven, leaving five children, Samuel, Thomas, Judith, Mary and Freedom. Samuel, the eldest son of Freedom and Mary Lippincott, had two son, Jacob H. and Samuel who had large family, they being prominent in Evesham, Burlington County, N. J.

Thomas Lippincott, second son of Freedom, an active and useful citizen, in 1711 purchased one thousand and thirty four acres of land lying in present townships of Chester and Cinnaminson; has also numberous descendants, as Rev. Thomas Lippincott of Illinois, his son, War of the Rebellion General Charles E. Lippincott, politician and editor, California Senator during his residence in that state, and one time auditor in Illinois, now banker at Chandlerville, Illinois. James I. Lippincott, of Haddonfield, N. J. editor of the American revised edition of "Chambers' Encyclopaedia,"and author and genealogist, who is now engaged in writing a complete history of the Lippincott family. Many many more renouned descenants are named not least of which is Charles Lippincott of Cinnaminson, Burlington County, N. J., the originator and publisher of the Lippincott family, which contains more than ten thousand Lippincotts, At the end of the nineteenth century it is stated that "undoubtedly the most numerous family in New Jersey is the Lippincotts and perhaps an exception of that of Haines, whose maternal ancestors were in many instances Lippincotts." It was further noted that the family is found in nearly every part of the United States and parts of Canada.

The youngest son of Freedom and Mary Lippincott, Freedom also settled in Evesham and had ten children; the descendants of but few reside in Burlington County, N. J. Of the sons, Solomon and Samuel settled in Gloucester County,

6.Increase Lippincott born in 1657 at the family home "Stonehouse", near Plymouth, England. Increase married Samuel Dennis. They established their home three-fourth of a mile east of Shrewsbury and three-fourth of a mile southwest of her father. Being among the earlest settlers of Monmouth County, New Jersey.

7.Jacob Lippincott settled in Gloucester County, N. J. but left no family, his children dying in infancy.

8. Preserved Lippincott the youngest son of Richard and Abigail Lippincott was born in 1663 in Rhode Island and died in infancy. His birth occurred the year following his parents return to New England after the family's 10 years residence at and near Plymouth, England.

4. Restore Lippincott is in the line of ancestry through his daughter Rebecca Lippincott and it is with him and his family we take greater interest.

Restore, the third son of Richard, was a member of the Council of New Jersey several years, and an active public-spirited citizen, who was much respected for his regard for truth and justice. In 1692 he bought five hundred and seventy acres of land in Northampton Township of Burlington County, N. J. upon which he settled, and in 1698 he, in company with John Garwood, purchased two thousand acres of land near Pemberton.

Restore Lippincott married Hannah Shattock daughter of William Shattock, of Boston, in 1673-4 by whom he had nine children all of whom lived to marry except one daughter. His second wife was Martha (Shinn) Owens, by whom he had no issue. Thomas Chalkley, and eminent Friend, in his journal states that he was present at the funeral of Restore Lippincott, at Mount Holly, in 1741, and was informed that "Restore left behind him nearly two hundred children, granchildren, and great-grandchildren."

Among the very numerous descendants of Restore may be mentioned James, of Mount Holly, a surveyor and conveyancer, well known throughout the county for his large experience and ability in settling estates, who owns part of the old homestead farm of his grandfather, Arney Lippincott, near Pemberton: the Rev. Caleb A., his brother, who was a distinguished Methodist minister; Morgan and William G., retired farmers at Mount Holly; Charles, of Burlington; Stacy B. James, Wilkins, Joshua, Joseph, and many other thriving farmers near Mount Holly; also Crispin, of Vincentown, father of the Rev, Benjamin C., an able Methodist divine, and Rev. Joshua A., now Professor of Mathematics at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa.; Albertson C. and Freedom W., of Evesham, influential and successful farmers; Judge Benjamin H., of Moorestown, and many others. It is proper to state J. B. Lippincott, the celebrated publisher of Philadelphia, is a direct descendant from Richard and Abigail, through Restore 's son James, and his fourth son Jonathan.

Among the children of Restore and Hannah Shattock Lippincott is: Jacob Lippincott who married Mary Burr in 1716, -- much is reported of Jacob and his son Restore of Gloucester County,

N. J. His. Soc. Bulletin Sept. 1955 Vol. 5. No.1.

A daughter of Restore and Hannah Shattock Lippincott was Rebecca Lippencott born November 24, 1684 in Monmouth Co., New Jersey. Her marriage to Josiah Gaskill on April 5, 1704 in Burlington Co., New Jersey became the link to generations yet unborn.

History of Burlington Co., New Jersey "Lippincott" pps. 222-223.

Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey pps. 531-542.

Bulletin of the Gloucester Co., Historical Society Vol 5 No. 1 Sept. 1955.