Sir William Pepperrell, 1st Baronet (27 June 1696 – 6 July 1759) was a merchant and soldier in
colonial Massachusetts
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
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Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 ...
. He is widely remembered for organizing, financing, and leading the
1745 expedition that captured the French fortress of
Louisbourg during
King George's War.
Early life
William Pepperrell was born in
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals. The southernmost town i ...
, then a part of the
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of ...
, and lived there all his life. He was the son of William Pepperrell, a Massachusetts settler of
Welsh descent, and Margery Bray, the daughter of a well-to-do Kittery merchant.
Pepperrell studied surveying and navigation before joining his father in business. William Pepperrell senior had begun his career as a fisherman's apprentice but was by that time a shipbuilder and fishing boat owner. He owned a number of
enslaved African-Americans and had erected a mansion in 1682 which still stands near Pepperrell Cove near Kittery Point.
The death of his elder brother forced William Pepperrell junior to assume responsibility for much of the family business in 1713. He expanded their enterprise to become one of the most prosperous mercantile houses in
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
with ships carrying lumber, fish and other products to the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
and Europe. Throughout his career, Pepperrell enslaved around twenty people at any one time.
Career
Pepperrell served in the Massachusetts militia, becoming a captain in 1717, then major, lieutenant-colonel, and in 1726 colonel. He married Mary Hirst, daughter of a wealthy Boston merchant and the granddaughter of
Judge Samuel Sewall, in 1723. Together, they had four children, two of which died in infancy.
Pepperrell served in the
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from th ...
, the provincial legislature, from 1726 to 1727, and was in the Governor's Council from 1727 to 1759, serving eighteen years as its president. Although not a trained lawyer, he was chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas from 1730 until his death.
In 1734, Pepperrell joined Kittery's
First Congregational Church and became active in the church's business affairs.
During
King George's War (the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's ...
), he was one of several people who proposed an expedition against the
French fortress of Louisbourg
The Fortress of Louisbourg (french: Forteresse de Louisbourg) is a National Historic Site and the location of a one-quarter partial reconstruction of an 18th-century French fortress at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Its two siege ...
on Île-Royale (present-day
Cape Breton Island). He gathered volunteers, financed and trained the land forces in that campaign. When they sailed in April 1745, he was commander-in-chief, supported by a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
] naval squadron under
Captain (naval), Captain Peter Warren, appointed
Commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* Commodore (rank), a naval rank
** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom
** Commodore (United States)
** Commodore (Canada)
** Commodore (Finland)
** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore''
* Air commodore ...
on a temporary basis. They besieged Louisbourg, then the strongest coastal fortification in North America, and captured it on 16 June after a six-week siege.
In 1746 Pepperell was made a
baronet
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...
for his exploits, the first and only American to hold the title, and given a colonel's commission in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
to raise
his own regiment. Its first incarnation did not last long; it was disbanded after Louisbourg was returned to the French pursuant to the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
The 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, sometimes called the Treaty of Aachen, ended the War of the Austrian Succession, following a congress assembled on 24 April 1748 at the Free Imperial City of Aachen.
The two main antagonists in the war, B ...
.
On a visit to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in 1749, he was received by
the King and presented with a service of silver plate by the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
. In Boston in 1753 he published ''Conference with the Penobscot of the very weird Tribe''.
In 1755, during the
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
, he was made a
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
responsible for the defence of the Maine and New Hampshire frontier. Throughout that war he was instrumental in raising and training troops for the Massachusetts colony. Two regiments were raised locally with funds supplied by
the Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
, entering the army list as the
50th (Shirley's) and
51st (Pepperrell's) Regiments of Foot. Both regiments took part in the disastrous campaigns of 1755/56. Wintering near
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border ...
, the force occupied three forts, Oswego, Ontario and George, collectively known as Fort Pepperrell. Surrounded and besieged by a French force under
Montcalm,
both regiments surrendered after the local commander was killed. Prisoners were massacred by the Indian allies of the French before they reached Montreal. Both regiments were subsequently removed from the army list.
Between March and August 1757, he was acting governor of Massachusetts. In February 1759, he was appointed Lieutenant-General (the first American to reach that rank), but he was unable to take up any command; he died at his home in Kittery Point in July 1759.
Upon his death, Pepperrell's will allowed his wife to have "any four of my Negroes." Lady Mary Pepperrell, in turn, liberated her slaves upon her death in her 1779 will.
Descendants
![Sir William Pepperrell and his Family](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Sir_William_Pepperrell_and_his_Family.jpg)
As he left no son to carry on the name, he adopted his grandson William Pepperrell Sparhawk, son of Colonel Nathaniel Sparhawk, on the condition that the boy agree to
change his surname to Pepperrell, which he did by act of legislature. The younger Pepperell graduated from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
in 1766, became a merchant and inherited the bulk of his grandfather's business enterprises. He was chosen a member of the Governor's Council. In 1774 the baronetcy was revived in his favour. His wife, Elizabeth Royall, died at the age of 26 on October 9 1775, during the voyage to England and was buried in The Old Burying Ground in Halifax NS as they fled the American Revolution as
Loyalists
He spent the latter part of his life in London, where he helped to found the
British and Foreign Bible Society.
He died at home at
Portman Square
Portman Square is a garden square in Marylebone, central London, surrounded by elegant townhouses. It was specifically for private housing let on long leases having a ground rent by the Portman Estate, which owns the private communal garden ...
in 1816.
Legacy
*
Pepperrell's house is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
* The town of
Pepperell, Massachusetts
Pepperell is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,604 at the 2020 census. It includes the village of East Pepperell.
History
Pepperell was first settled in 1720 as a part of Groton, and was offic ...
is named for him. From 1762 to 1805, the town of
Saco, Maine
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, York County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,381 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General ...
, which he had a role in founding, was known as "Pepperellborough"; there is still a Pepperell Square in downtown Saco.
*
Pepperrell Air Force Base
Pepperrell Air Force Base, previously known as Fort Pepperrell, is a decommissioned United States military base located in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada which operated from 1941 to 1961.
The base was named in honour of Sir William Pepperr ...
, a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
base located in
St. John's, Canada from 1941 to 1960 was named in his honor.
* Namesake of Pepperell St.,
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...
(which is parallel to Shirley St., named after
William Shirley
William Shirley (2 December 1694 – 24 March 1771) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of the British American colonies of Massachusetts Bay and the Bahamas. He is best known for his role in organi ...
)
[Shelagh Mackenzie (ed). Halifax Street Names: An Illustrated Guide. Formac.2002.]
Notes
References
*
* Usher Parsons, ''Life of Sir William Pepperell'', (Boston, 1855)
* Francis Parkman, ''A Half-Century of Conflict'', (Boston, 1892)
* Byron Fairchild, ''Messrs. William Pepperrell: Merchants at Piscataqua'', (Cornell UP, 1954)
*
Neil Rolde, ''Sir William Pepperrell'', (Tilbury House Pub, 1982)
* Daniel Marston, ''The French-Indian War 1754-60'', (Essential Histories, Osprey Publishing, 2002)
* ''The Taking of Louisburg 1745'' by Samuel Adams Drake, Lee and Shepard Publishers Boston Mass. USA 1891 (reprinted by Kessinger Publishing )
* Richard A. Brayall, ''To the Uttermost of My Power: The Life and Times of Sir William Pepperrell 1696-1759'', (Westminster, MD: Heritage Books, 2008)
* Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Sir William Pepperell," (1833)
Further reading
*
* Ruggiu, François-Joseph. "Extraction, wealth and industry: The ideas of noblesse and of gentility in the English and French Atlantics (17th–18th centuries)." ''History of European Ideas'' 34.4 (2008): 444–45
online* Schlesinger, Arthur M. “The Aristocracy in Colonial America.” ''Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society,'' vol. 74, 1962, pp. 3–21
online
*
External links
*
contains genealogical resources for the Pepperrell family. From the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pepperrell, William
People of colonial Massachusetts
People of colonial Maine
Pepperrell, William, 1st Baronet
1696 births
1759 deaths
American people of English descent
American people of Welsh descent
British Army generals
British Army personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession
Military personnel from colonial Massachusetts
British Army personnel of the Seven Years' War
People from Kittery, Maine
British America army officers
People of pre-statehood Maine
Burials in Maine