Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-03-06
THE COLONIAL ARISTOCRACY.

THE COIONIAI ARTSTOCRA
-,
Inv man VIM sh0l Wfle HlNl"rN OF lhc
nn''iC'" 'cNo'uIo" aIter ,hc SH!e IN Wmch
Macaulay mas written OF the heNoluton IN Eng
land VIII have produced work very different
from any that we no" have, or that l. promised
on the Suplect Even Mr' Bancroft work, bril-
iiahl ana interesting as II IS Is esNehuail! po-
l,tlca hlNtor!' much after the oiu Standard ana
unerlhg from most OF lts SchooI oily because lis
author had talents OF so superior character
nat IS wanted Is work that shall give US
living picture of colonial society," like that which
Macaulav has painted of English society. in his
third chapter. In such picture n prominent
place would have to be assigned TO the proyin-
cial aristocracv. a class Of men who were fast
rising to great powcr. but whose progress WAS
put stop to bv the occurrence of the Reyom-
ton. Each colony or province mad its ari,toc-
racv. with a few executions, and in each. the
we;lth that gave wcipb, 10 the ..bighcr classes
was of a peculiar character. In New England.
the most remarkable of the ariStocratical fami
lies was that of Pcpperell. interest in the for
tunes of which has been somewhat revived by
the publication of DIR. Parsons life of Sir VII
liam pcpperell. its most promincn, member. and
commander of the famous colonial cxpedition
which one hundred and fen wears aro conquer.
ed Loui,burg
The Pcpprrclls were Of Welsh oririn. The
first of their number connected with America
was born in Wales. about the middle of The sew
enteenth century. and was apprenticed 10 the
fishing business. which hi, master pursued in the
water, of New England and Newfoundland -
After he became free. William Penpereu h,v
ing first accumulated a little money. went to the
Isle of Shoals. where he engaged in the fisheries
in partnership with an Engli,hman named Glib
l.
lite, tha, GENERALLY. though not always. lead TO
fortune. GIBBONS removed. finally. to the east
ward. ana iePpereh to- hnierl Point on ms
marriage witn MargerH BRAY daughter OF snip
nuiIdcf' IN hour,mnS circumstances. Here
fcppereh greatly increased ms operations. and
hy ms success III numbering, hNmng, and ship
build'hg, soon rose To- opnl,hce lie was also
general merchant. Ills ships went 10 the West
lhdiaN ana To Enrope, and sometime, snip as
well a. cargo was sold. There was at times
as man! as an hundred vessels employed IN the
NNhcr''N pN ue ieppercAS' lhclr mouse was
thc hrNt mercantile hrm IN New England and
had great reputation IN foreign countries 1t
Is hardiN necessary To say that thclr landed prop
erty was immense. Among their purchases was
large tract OF land on Saco river now cover
cd m part b! the fine town of Saco' and by
honIiNhnS factories.
Inc eId'r Icppcr'li died IN l'3i, at very
ADVANCED age ana Itit me huik oi ms immense
property 10 ms son W llham, VINO was thrn thir-
y eight years Old. IN elder son had died IN
lh5' liiS daughters had only small legacies,
much To the di'content oi themselves ana their
husbands. Yet smaller were those left to grand
children he old gentleman was bent upon
founding a alamiiy' and he succeeded though that
idimly was not destined to endure Inc fortu-
nate helr mad been very active during his faith
ers HE time both in business and as public
man. and certainly deserved his good fortune
better than most residuary cSatees. Attwenty-
one ne was made justice OF the peace and
captain OF cavalry, both far greater offices than
they are now. At thirty he was chosen Kep-
resentatlNe to the General Court. In / I2i he
was elected member OF the Council OF Massa-
chnSettS, ana was annually reelected Tor thirty
two years, dying in the office. In 1850, he was
made chief justice OF court of Common Pleas,
which office he also held until his death. 10
complete the list of offices, he was colonel ofthe
Yorkshire regiment of militia. Our ancestors
do not seem to have had that horror OF plurali-
ties IN oitice-holdng which is so strongly felt by
ourselves.
Colonel Pepperell carried on the various
branches OF business IN which his father had
been engaged, and with distinguished success.
HIS life was almost baronial character, for he
had hundreds OF retainers, if we may so call them
fishermen, lumbermen, seamen and others
HIS social position was such as we can with dlt-
iiculty figure to our minds eye, so completely
has society changed during the century that has
elapsed since he was at the height of his pros
perity and fame. lie lived generously and hos
pitably, both at kittery and in Boston, moving
III the best society of the timc and in those
days the distinctions of rank were very closely
defined, even in the colonies. When the attack
on Louisburg was resolved upon, he was ap-
pointed to command the colonial forces, and won
much renown by accomplishing the object of the