Of Ships and Quakers

I took a break from following the Sparling line of my lineage in order to rest my brain and allow some time for my internet queries to possibly yield some information. In the meanwhile, my dad fed me a tidbit about his Tripp ancestors. He told me that his mother had said that five Tripps had taken passage to America from Europe together. Well, that was something I might be able to discover!

I haven't found any record of just that tale, but I did find something as interesting and might be the origin of the family story of five Tripps. Except for the commonality of ships, I'm not sure why the story set me in mind of this folk song, The Sloop John B.

The Sloop John B.
Lee Hays/Carl Sandburg

We come on the sloop John B, my grandfather and me.
Around Nassau town we did roam.
Drinkin' all night. Got into a fight.
Well, I feel so break up, I want to go home.
(I want to go home. So now,)

Hoist up the John B's sails.
See how the main sails set.
Call for the captain ashore, let me go home.
(Let me go home.)
Let me go home.
(I want to go home.)
I want to go home.
(Why don't you let me go home?)
Well, I feel so broke up, I want to go home.
(I want to go home.)

Well the First mate, he got drunk.
Broke up the Captain's trunk.
The Constable had to come and take him away.
Sheriff John Stone (Sheriff John Stone),
why don't you leave me alone?
Yeah, Yeah (Why don't you leave me alone?)
Well, I feel so break up, I want to go home.
(I want to go home. So, now)

Well, the poor cook he caught the fits.
Threw away all of my grits.
Then he took and he ate up all of my corn.
Let me go home.
(I want to go home.)
I want to go home.
(Why don't you let me go home?)

This is the worst trip since I've been born.
(Since I have been born. So, now)

Hoist up the John B's sails. (John B. sails)
See how the main sails set. (Main sails set.)
Call for the captain ashore, let me go home.
(Let me go home.)
Let me go home.
(I want to go home.)
I want to go home.
(Why don't you let me go home?)
Well, I feel so break up, I want to go home.
(I want to go home.)

When my ancestor, John Tripp, immigrated to America he was on a ship of colonists, many of whom eventually became related by marriage. It was a kind of Founder's Ship. John Tripp, my ancestor, has been called "The Founder" by some, because so many individuals can now trace their lineage back to him. Below is a letter originally written in the hand of my ancestor, an immigrant from England. It begins with a paraphrase by Holly Tamer, and credit for interpretation of the hand-written document goes to Carl Boyer. The "persacuted people" John writes about refers to the persecution of the Quakers.

By his own hand, he wrote that he had 11 brothers and sisters, "and much kindred...was put an apprentice to a ship carpenter of Thoresby 3 miles from Alford in Lincolnshire where I served 7 years...and after that I bound myself to Frances East for 4 pounds a year for 4 yeares who...after I had served him for about a year and a half sold me to Robert Jafra then living in Boston...and boston church members persacuting som to the ofending of others my master came to Rhod Island with the said parsacuted people and I with him and his wife being sickly and they could not git their maid to Rhode Island with them because Boston members cried out against Rhod Island people whom the said members had expelled from them therefore my master was forced to se.. me to Randal Houlding of portsmouth on Rhode Island and I served a while and after bought out the rest of time of him and after a whil I married a wife hose madon name was mary paine I being about thirty or twenty eight years old or there abouts and the Lord hath given us Eleven Children of which one is ded the eldest is 29 yeares old and upward this 17th the Second month 1670 prased be the our Rock who hath been help and unto us at all times given what thou please it is marcy from thee to receive anything for the Earth."