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"April 16, 1772. In presence of many witnesses, Mr. Fayerweather married Mr. Sylvester Sweet to Miss Martha Whalley, of Narragansett, the bride being given away by her father, Mr. Jeremiah Whalley, one of the descendants of old Colonel Whalley, who came away from Great Britain on account of being one of the regicides of King Charles the First, of ever blessed memory, and who sat in the mock court before which that excellent Prince, that blessed martyr, was arraigned, tried, and condemned, and who was called proverbially (in the day of it) one of King Charles' judges."

Who this Mr. Whalley really was is still shrouded in mystery. Until Doctor Stiles' "History of the Judges" appeared, there never had existed any doubt in Rhode Island, and particularly in Narragansett, that the Whalley who lived in concealment, at the head of the Petaquamscutt Ponds in Narragansett, was the real Colonel Whalley, one of the regicide judges, with the change of the christian name of Theophilus for Edward. His children and descendants believed it, and those now living believe it, and are confident of the fact. Hutchinson, in his History of Massachusetts, states that the regicides lived upon remittances annually sent them by their friends in England; and Colonel Willet-on the western borders of whose farm (the farm now occupied by Willet Carpenter, Esq., the descendant of Col. Willet,) Whalley had built his hut-says, that annually Mr. Sewall and other gentlemen came from Boston to his house, and would send for Whalley and privately confer with him, and after they left, Whalley would have plenty of money. That in Queen Ann's war, Col. Willet-who was educated a merchant and had retired from business, and was a man of information and reading -told Dr. Stiles that a ship of war anchored opposite the farm where Whalley lived, and a captain of the same name made him a visit, and they recognized each other with the affection of kindred. The

captain invited him on board, but Whalley neglected to go, for fear it was a snare laid to take him. That he never would disclose to any one his history. Further, that he had an University education, and was a fine Hebrew, Greek, and Latin scholar; and when he died, he was buried with the honors of war. The conclusion of Dr. Stiles is, that the Whalley mentioned by the Rev. Dr. Fayerweather was neither General Whalley nor General Goffe, the regicide judges; but that Theophilus Whalley, of Narragansett, was an officer in the Parliamentary wars and through the Protectorate. "One of the same family of the Judge was Lieutenant Whalley, who served in Hacker's regiment. Hacker, though not a judge, yet commanded at the execution of the King, was himself executed in 1660. And Goffe's journal mentions Robert Whalley, (supposing Theophilus) then in Hacker's regiment, and active at the King's execution, he might be in danger, and so fled to escape from vengeance." After the death of Whalley, about 1670, Gen. Goffe left Hadley, and went westward towards Virginia; and as Theophilus Whalley appeared in Narragansett shortly after from Virginia, Gov. Hutchinson conjectured he might be Gen. Goffe, but was unable to procure satisfactory evidence for this conclusion.

That learned and indefatigable antiquarian, President Stiles, who spent thirty years of his life in collecting the materials of his history, has brought to light all the facts, circumstances, and traditions that could have been obtained; but such was the designed obscurity that attended every movement of the exiles, that to obtain any thing definite was impossible; and after collecting and arranging all his materials, he leaves every reader to judge for himself. The only evidence of the debility of Whalley from age, and finally of his death, is gathered from the letters of Goffe to his wife; and if conjecture is to have any weight, might not these statements have been feigned for the purpose of concealing the escape of Whalley with Goffe ?

On the other hand, it is strange that Major Richard Smith, who was an officer in Cromwell's wars, and assisted in establishing the Protectorate, and in the time of Richard Cromwell fled to his father's residence in North Kingstown, and resided within seven miles of Whalley, and died in 1692, never associated with or even mentioned any thing of him, when, from circumstances, they must have been

connected in the same common cause. In addition to all this, it is singular that Dr. McSparran, whose farm was within one mile of Whalley's residence, and who was also intimate with Col. Willet, and a near relative by marriage, should never have mentioned in all his correspondence something about this extraordinary man.

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Col. Whalley, when advanced in age, moved to West Greenwich, and resided on a farm he had previously purchased. "The assignment on the deed, dated Feb., 1711, was in his own handwriting," and Dr. Stiles says, "this was the first certain writing of Theophilus Whalley which I had seen." It was presumed that if this instrument could have been obtained and sent to some one in London, a comparison of hands would settle the question whether it was the handwriting of the real regicide judge, or whose it was. As an antiquarian fact, it was worthy of attention. On the 3d of July, 1843, the writer went to the residence of the late Judge Whalley, now in the possession of one of his descendants, and examined the old title deeds, and they were all there, except the one mentioned by Dr. Stiles. Mrs. Hopkins, then over 80 years old, stated that th

deed missing was lent by the late Judge Hopkins, grandson of Judge Whalley, to Dr. Stiles, for the purpose of examination and comparison, and that he promised to return it, or leave it with Gov. Green for them. Another member of the family said he understood that the deed had been left by Dr. Stiles with Gov. Green as he promised, but that they never went there for it. Gov. Green and Judge Hopkins having died long ago, and Mr. Ward, who is possessed of Gov. Green's papers, not being able to find it, it is now lost.

The aged Mrs. Hopkins above referred to, observed, that she well recollected Dr. Stiles visit at Judge Hopkins', at the house where Whalley died that he rode in a gig, wore a wig and spectacles, and told them he should try to have a monument erected over the grave of Whalley, who was buried on his farm on Hopkins' Hill, in West Greenwich, now owned by Gideon Hopkins, a descendant of Whalley. The grave is near the highway that leads from Washington Factory to the Ten Rod road, and so near the fence that you can see it sitting in your carriage. The grave is a very long one, lying north and south, with stones, but no inscription. "He was a large tall man, six feet high when an 100 years old, and then walked upright; not fat, but thin and lathy; was 103 when he died."

"June 7, 1772. Having received two or three letters from an ancient and truly honorable society in Boston to preach to them on a particular and laudable occasion, viz., the 24th of June, I sat off on the 8th of the month for the purpose of taking Warwick and Providence on the way, and of officiating in both of those places, by desire of the Rev. Mr. Graves, from which two places he gained a most serious and a most attentive audience. But the occasion of my journey to Boston was to celebrate the Festival of St. John, and deliver a discourse adapted to the occasion, and to that day observed throughout christendom, which I did at Christ Church,

and the Rev. Dr. Byles, the pastor, read prayers-where there was the most brilliant and splendid, as well as the most numerous, assembly. After divine service, a grand procession from the church, followed with all the grand officers, clothed and adorned with their robes and jewels, to illustrate the splendor and magnificence of the day, and do honor to John the Baptist-who both by precept and example ever inculcated the Christian doctrine with emphasis, OF LOVING ONE ANOTHER.""

"June 28, 1772. Mr. Fayerweather officiated in Kings Chapel for the Rev. Dr. Caner, and for the Rev. Mr. Walter in Trinity Church, Boston.

"July 18. Sat out from Boston on my return home by the way of Taunton, and administered there the sacred ordinance of baptism to a male child of Mr. James Hill, merchant, and grandchild of the late Rev. Doctor Sewall, an independent teacher in Boston, whose zeal was always remarkably distinguished against the church of England, and particularly her form and ceremonies, and that in special as to the rite of baptism. The ordinance was performed at Col. White's, in Taunton. The sponsors were Mr. Hill and wife, the child's natural parents, and aunt, and the name of the little infantile was JAMES, after its father's name."

"Dec. 13, 1772. Mr. John Gardiner, son of the late John Gardiner, Esquire, of Boston Neck, (so distin

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