Of Wharves and Curls Tales Do Make

In the beginning, the shores of the new world seemed to be the solution to all of mankind's problems. Colonists flocked to the New World for many reasons - economic, religious, and philosophic. With them came their culinary heritage, their varied beliefs, values, and their folktales and legends from the old country. In light of this, every now and then, I come across an unknown or a not-well-known storyteller.
The first one in my collection is Catherine Moffatt, daughter of Captain John Moffatt, a wealthy merchant and shipowner, who lived in the prosperous seaport of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. As a child, Catherine was fond of making up stories to tell to the children who were often seen waiting for the ships to dock. Some of her favorite stories were tales of bright sunflower faces which had marvelous sea adventures, and were also the friends and helpers of the Indians.

There is an art to storytelling and apparently Catherine possessed all of the entertaining requisites which attracted the children of this busy colonial seaport.

In 1767, Catherine married her cousin, William Whipple, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a military hero who commanded the First New Hampshire Brigade.

They moved into a three-story mansion which Madame Whipple's father had built overlooking the harbor. From a third floor window she had a perfect view of the Piscataqua River and the wharves owned by her family. Her viewings became the basis for many tales which she contrived, though Catherine has never been thought to have penned any of them. That Catherine was a "folklorist" may in itself be folklore, but interesting, none the less--perhaps she was more fond of storytelling than of tedious needlework!

In time their home became the center for social and political life. The prosperity of Catherine Whipple's father and husband allowed her the privileges of upper-class society. She became known as a congenial hostess and an entertaining storyteller who had developed her own unique style.

When her husband was elected to the Continental Congress and left for Philadelphia, Catherine remained in Portsmouth to attend to their home and properties as well as to her father, who had become quite frail. In spite of her increased duties, she always found time for the children to whom she had become a favorite storyteller.

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