Henry Mancer Shippee, son of Mancer C. and Harriet R. (Dawley) Shippee, was born in 1859, at Shady Lea, in South Kingstown, R. I., but a few years later was taken to the homestead at Shippeetown in East Greenwich. He attended the Shippeetown public school and upon arriving at a suitable age learned the the carpenter's trade with the contracting firm of Holland & Shippee. He became an expert workman in wood, and about 1890 began contracting under his own name. He continued in successful business as a contractor, also built several houses for himself which were later sold, although he is still the owner of a great deal of real estate and residence property in Washington, R. I. He retired from business about four years ago and is now residing there, retired from business cares, his time occupied with the management of his own estate. He has no political ambitions, and has persistently refused to accept office although often urged to become a candidate. He is a member of the Six Principle Baptist Church.
Mr. Shippee married Edna Priscilla Johnson, daughter of Philip and Tryphena Howe (Greene) Johnson, and a granddaughter of Philip Johnson and of Benjamin and Abbie Greene. In 1917 Mr. Shippee bought the place in East Greenwich in which he was married forty-one years ago, in 1877. Mrs. Shippee is the owner of the old Johnson homestead farm. Henry M. and Edna P. (Johnson) Shippee are the parents of six children: 1. Henry Elmer, married Anna R. Rathbun, of Washington, R. I. 2. Charles Ernest, married Winnie Carr, of Sterling, Conn. 3. Gertrude May, married James Bigbee, of Washington, R. I., and has a daughter, Gertrude Edna Bigbee, married George E. Greene, and resides in Coventry, R. I., and they are the parents of two children, Marjory Hazel and James Elmer Greene. 4. Jessie Christine, married Henry Amend, of Harris, R. I., and has two sons, George Henry and Raymond Stanley Amend. 5. Gerald Arthur, maried Helen Ada Barns, and they have a daughter, Edith Priscilla Shippee. 6. George Edwin, married Flora Andrews, and they are the parents of two children, Elmer Mancer and Gerald Andrew Shippee.
