Stephenie Meyer‘s Twilight series has sparked considerable interest in vampires. (The interest promises to heighten further as Twilight the Movie appears in theaters on the 21st of this month [November 2008].)
The History Channel recently aired a series on Vampires in America. The second episode of the series mentioned a Simon Whipple Aldrich, who was thought to have been a vampire. Simon’s headstone in Union Cemetery Annex, Great Road, North Smithfield, Rhode Island, bears this inscription:
In memory of
Simon Whipple,
Youngest son of
Col. Dexter Aldrich
& Margery his wife,
who died May 6,
1841,
aged 26 years.
Although consumption’s vampire grasp
had seized thy mortal frame
Simon Whipple,
Youngest son of
Col. Dexter Aldrich
& Margery his wife,
who died May 6,
1841,
aged 26 years.
Although consumption’s vampire grasp
had seized thy mortal frame
FamilySearch lists a Simon W. Aldrich born 13 Apr 1814 in Smithfield, RI, the son of Dexter and Margery Aldrich. We probably ought to add Simon to the Whipple Genweb? [Thanks to one of the Whipple Genweb’s major genealogical contributors, Simon Whipple Aldrich now appears in the Whipple Database. Simon’s sister, Hannah Aldrich, married John Dexter, a direct descendant of Captain John Whipple, of Providence, R.I., who immigrated to New England in 1632.]
By the way: I’m planning on going to see Twilight the Movie when it appears later this month. Are you? (No, it doesn’t mention anyone named Whipple …)
[P.S. Did anyone go see New Moon–the sequel to Twilight?]
By the way: I’m planning on going to see Twilight the Movie when it appears later this month. Are you? (No, it doesn’t mention anyone named Whipple …)
[P.S. Did anyone go see New Moon–the sequel to Twilight?]
Weldon,
Simon Whipple Aldrich’s mother has been identified as Margery White, a lineal descendant of Peregrine White, supposedly the first child born after the Pilgrims landed. One of your readers who is a Mayflower descendant might may be able to verify this.
Where Simon middle name, Whipple, came from is unknown but I am presuming one of his ancestors married into the large Whipple family who descended from Capt. John Whipple of Dorchester, Mass. and Providence, RI.
Blaine Whipple
I'm watching "Skull and Crossbones", an episode of "Tales of the Living Dead" today. This headstone is featured as a link between the perception of vampirism and "consumption" (tuberculosis). It is very clear to me that there is at least one other line to the epitaph than the sensational ones highlighted. Does anyone know what the rest of the words are? The next line ends in "mind", but I couldn't make any of the rest of it out.
20 years ago my friend who lives 2 house down from the cemetary, showed me simon's grave,i am also from north smithfield.. at that time the stone was not cemented and faced the other way, we actually picked it up a few times when it was knocked over..sad thing is i can't remember what the rest of the stone said where now cement covers…also i know members of the aldrich family today.