Loyalist Collection at the University of New Brunswick

Sir William Pepperrell (1696-1759) was born at Kittery Point, Maine, then part of Massachusetts, the son of William Pepperrell Sr., a prosperous New England merchant. At a young age he worked in his father's store and later became a partner in the business. They dealt in lumber and fish, built and sold ships, sent cargoes to Britain and the West Indies, and imported goods from these countries and from Boston where they established a flourishing business and dealt in real estate. This commercial activity brought William Pepperrell into contact with the leading citizens of the town and in 1723 he married Mary Hirst, the grand-daughter of Samuel Sewell. He was appointed to the Massachusetts Council and served as president for many years. Although he had no formal education or legal training, he was appointed chief justice in 1730. On the death of his father in 1734, he inherited most of his estate and possessed one of the largest fortunes in Massachusetts. After Britain declared war on France in 1744 and the French commander at Louisbourg attacked the British outpost at Canso, Nova Scotia, Governor Shirley of Massachusetts placed Pepperrell in command of the militia forces raised for an attack on Louisbourg. Although Pepperrell had very little military experience, he was popular with the troops and had qualities of leadership that helped lead to the success of the expedition. The French garrison at Louisbourg surrendered on 17 June 1745 and following the victory, in September 1745, Pepperrell was commissioned a colonel in the British army. In November 1746, he was created a baronet and became Sir William Pepperrell, the first man born in the colonies to receive such an honour.

After the capture of Louisbourg, Pepperrell acted as joint governor of the conquered territory with Sir Peter Warren, the commander of the British naval forces during the attack, and remained in Louisbourg until the spring of 1746. In 1749, he travelled to London where he was received by the King and honoured by the City. When the French and Indian War began he was ordered by the King to raise a regiment of 1000 men and was elevated to the rank of major-general in 1755. With the departure of Governor Shirley in 1756 and the death of the Lieutenant Governor, William Pepperrell in his position as President of the Council, became the de facto Governor of Massachusetts until August 1757 when the new Governor Thomas Pownall arrived to take up his duties. In 1759, he was commissioned a lieutenant-general in the British army, but did not continue to take part in the war due to failing health. When he died on 6 July 1759, his baronetcy became extinct and his estate was left to his grandson William Pepperrell Sparhawk on condition that he change his name to Pepperrell. In 1774, this William Pepperrell was created a baronet, but because he was a committed Loyalist, the whole of his estate in Massachusetts was confiscated by the rebel government. He fled to England in 1775 and died there in December 1816.

Call Number:	MIC-Loyalist FC LMR .M3P4P3
Name:	Massachusetts Historical Society.
Title:	William Pepperrell Papers : 1683 - 1769.
Description:	2 microfilm reels of textual records (3 volumes) ; 35 mm.
Background Information:	Sir William Pepperrell (1696-1759) was born at Kittery Point, Maine, then part of Massachusetts, the son of William Pepperrell Sr., a prosperous New England merchant. At a young age he worked in his father's store and later became a partner in the business. They dealt in lumber and fish, built and sold ships, sent cargoes to Britain and the West Indies, and imported goods from these countries and from Boston where they established a flourishing business and dealt in real estate. This commercial activity brought William Pepperrell into contact with the leading citizens of the town and in 1723 he married Mary Hirst, the grand-daughter of Samuel Sewell. He was appointed to the Massachusetts Council and served as president for many years. Although he had no formal education or legal training, he was appointed chief justice in 1730. On the death of his father in 1734, he inherited most of his estate and possessed one of the largest fortunes in Massachusetts. After Britain declared war on France in 1744 and the French commander at Louisbourg attacked the British outpost at Canso, Nova Scotia, Governor Shirley of Massachusetts placed Pepperrell in command of the militia forces raised for an attack on Louisbourg. Although Pepperrell had very little military experience, he was popular with the troops and had qualities of leadership that helped lead to the success of the expedition. The French garrison at Louisbourg surrendered on 17 June 1745 and following the victory, in September 1745, Pepperrell was commissioned a colonel in the British army. In November 1746, he was created a baronet and became Sir William Pepperrell, the first man born in the colonies to receive such an honour. After the capture of Louisbourg, Pepperrell acted as joint governor of the conquered territory with Sir Peter Warren, the commander of the British naval forces during the attack, and remained in Louisbourg until the spring of 1746. In 1749, he travelled to London where he was received by the King and honoured by the City. When the French and Indian War began he was ordered by the King to raise a regiment of 1000 men and was elevated to the rank of major-general in 1755. With the departure of Governor Shirley in 1756 and the death of the Lieutenant Governor, William Pepperrell in his position as President of the Council, became the de facto Governor of Massachusetts until August 1757 when the new Governor Thomas Pownall arrived to take up his duties. In 1759, he was commissioned a lieutenant-general in the British army, but did not continue to take part in the war due to failing health. When he died on 6 July 1759, his baronetcy became extinct and his estate was left to his grandson William Pepperrell Sparhawk on condition that he change his name to Pepperrell. In 1774, this William Pepperrell was created a baronet, but because he was a committed Loyalist, the whole of his estate in Massachusetts was confiscated by the rebel government. He fled to England in 1775 and died there in December 1816.
Contents:	An introductory statement at the beginning of the first microfilm reel provides background information on the provenance and arrangement of the Sir William Pepperrell Papers. Volume 1 and Volume 2 were given to the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1791 by Jeremy Belknap and are owned by the Society. Volume 3 was purchased by the Society early in the 20th century. The Papers were origianlly organized into groups by the correspondents, then later organized as a collection relating to the Louisbourg Expedition of 1744/1745. In 1851, they were arranged again in their present chronological order and bound. The earliest materials date from 1683, but the greatest concerntration of correspondence and other records is for the years 1745-1746 and concerns the Louisbourg Expedition. Volume 1 has been microfilmed on the first reel, and Volumes 2 and 3 on the second reel. There is no indication of this arrangement on the microfilm, and no detailed finding aid to the Papers. While the Papers contain correspondence for the most part, in Volume 2 there are financial accounts and long lists of officers and men who took part in the Louisbourg Expedition. The names are recorded by company and regiment in which they served. The correspondence also includes letters to and from individuals other than Sir William Pepperrell including: Robert Auchmuty, Charles Chancy, Benjamin Colman, Thomas Cushing, Henry Flynt, Thomas Hancock, Andrew Oliver, Thomas Pownell, William Shirley, Samuel Shute, Nathaniel Sparhawk, Edward Tyng, Samuel Waldo and others. The Sir William Pepperrell Papers and the Louisbourg Papers are both available in the Loyalist Collection and are so closely related in content they are, in effect, one collection, and should be used in conjunction with each other.
Originals:	The original records are held by the Massachusetts Historical Society.
Notes:	In addition to the Louisbourg Papers, 1744-1758, which are shelved in the Loyalist Collection at MIC-Loyalist FC LMR .M3L6P3, researchers may wish to consult two additional sources: Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Sixth Series, Volume 10, Boston: 1899, p.3-562; and Catalogue of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 3, p.665-673.
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