Christopher Champlin (173l-1805) was a merchant, ship owner and financier of Newport, Rhode Island. He was born in Charlestown, Rhode Island, the oldest son of Colonel Christopher Champlin (1707-1766) and Hannah (Hill) Champlin. Earlier generations of the Champlin Family had moved from Newport to the Narragansett Country. The Colonel became a fairly prosperous "Narragansett Planter"; however, all three brothers, Christopher, Robert and George, chose to move back to Newport in the 1750's and established themselves in the mercantile community.
Christopher's merchant career lead him to engage in various trades, so long as the profits were high. He and his brother George often worked together; George was often master of the ships, with Christopher the financier. Their first ventures included illegal trade with Spain and France. Depending on the financial climate, he dabbled in privateering, the slave trade and the West Indies trade.
In 1764, he won a contract to become a "victualizing agent," a job which provided food, drink and other items for the British naval ships docking at Newport. His wife, Margaret Grant, was an asset in obtaining this contract; it was Sir Alexander Grant, a London relative, that awarded the contract to Margaret's husband and her sister Jane's husband, John Powell of Boston. Victualizing was not necessarily profitable; however, it did provide well-needed sterling specie, a rare commodity in depressed Rhode Island.
During the War, Champlin fled Newport and supported the colonies, as did his brother George (1739-1809), who became Lieutenant-Colonel of the First Rhode Island Militia. George later was a member of the Continental Congress and the Rhode Island Legislature. He was a staunch supporter of the Constitution, as was Christopher.
Champlin did continue his trading activities during Newport's occupation. In 1780, he tried to secure a contract for supplying the French fleet, but received only a contract for flour. He expanded his trade with the West Indies, Northern Europe and Holland. After the Paris Peace Treaty, he continued to ship flaxseed to Ireland, in partnership with Samuel Fowler.
