To Engravg plate for hatt bills 0-18-0
To 2 hund prints 0-6-0.
From June 24, 1792, to January 28, 1797, Revere entered 12 charges
against Williams for 8,500 hat bills for the total amount of
L14/15/0.[104]
_Samuel Thaxter_
Closely associated with the name of William Williams is that of another
instrument maker of Boston, Samuel Thaxter (1769-1842). Thaxter was born
in Hingham, Massachusetts, on December 13, 1769, the son of Samuel and
Bathsheba (Lincoln) Thaxter. His father, who had been born in Hingham in
1744, was married on December 27, 1768, and he became the father of six
children, of whom Samuel was the eldest. Samuel Thaxter, Sr., was
apparently a man of means, for he is listed as a "Gentleman" and a loyal
subject of King George. He resided on North Street in Hingham, near Ship
Street. He died on the island of Campobello at the age of 44 years on
May 27, 1788.[105]
Samuel Thaxter, as well as several generations of his family before him,
was born in the old Thomas Thaxter mansion that was built by the settler
of that name in 1652. During the Revolution Samuel's father, Maj. Samuel
Thaxter, concealed Tories from the Committee of Safety in a blind
passage with a secret door in the old house. From there he smuggled them
to Boston. At the massacre of Fort William, Major Thaxter was one of
those captured by the Indians. While tied to a tree, he saw two French
officers, and demanded whether this was the treatment they gave to
commissioned officers. They allowed him to go free and he dragged
himself to Fort Edward. Meanwhile, his comrades had reported him missing
in action, and Dr. Gay preached his funeral sermon in Hingham shortly
before Thaxter's return. The old Thaxter mansion was torn down in
1864.[106]
Young Samuel Thaxter moved from Hingham to Boston, where he is first
heard of in 1792. On June 14, 1792, Thaxter married Polly Helyer, the
niece of William Williams.
Within a month after the sale of Williams' property at public auction,
Thaxter acquired the instrument-making business. Apparently the new
owner of the premises required the business to move, and Thaxter
established himself at No. 9 Butler's Row. A month after the Williams
auction Thaxter announced his new location in an advertisement (fig. 50)
in _The Columbia Centinel_ of May 22, 1793.
Thaxter's new location was a wooden store structure, on the north side
of Butler's Row that was owned by Andrew Hall and Eunice Fitch in 1798.
It was in the rear of the north side of State Street, running from
Merchants Row to the water.
By 1796 Thaxter had moved from this location to No. 49 State Street, on
the north side opposite to Broad Street, a brick store owned by Joseph
Lovering & Sons, tallow chandlers. He continued to do business at this
address until 1815, when he moved to 27 State Street, on the opposite
side of the street. The new location was in a brick dwelling, opposite
Merchants Row, that was owned by Joseph Clough, a housewright.
[Illustration: Figure 50.--Advertisement of Samuel Thaxter in _The
Columbia Centinel_, May 22, 1793. Photo courtesy Harvard University
Library.]
In about 1825 Thaxter moved his business once more, to 125 State Street,
the east corner of Broad Street. This building was occupied by Charles
Stimpson, Jr., a stationer who was one of the publishers of the _Boston
Annual Advertiser_, which was annexed to the Boston Directory of 1826.
The building was owned by Jonathan Phillips, the first mayor of Boston.
In the cellar of the building was a victualler named Augustus
Adams.[107]
The dominating feature of Thaxter's shop from the time it was opened was
the carved figure of "The Little Admiral," the trade sign first used by
Williams.
The firm of Samuel Thaxter eventually became Samuel Thaxter & Son, and
it continued with that name until past the middle of the 19th century.
Samuel Thaxter died in April 1842 at the age of 72 years. The entry for
the firm in the 1843 City Directory listed S. T. Cushing as the new
owner. From the initials, it seems likely that his full name was
Samuel Thaxter Cushing, and that he was the grandson of the original
Samuel Thaxter. S. T. Cushing continued to be listed as the owner of the
firm until 1899, when he was succeeded by A. T. Cushing, presumably a
son of the former. The old store was finally demolished in 1901.[108]
Comparison of a photograph of the building just before its demolition
with a copy of Thaxter's trade card (fig. 51) of the mid-19th century
shows that the building underwent little change in the period. The
"Little Admiral" is barely visible in both views.
[Illustration: Figure 51.--19th-century trade card in collection of the
Bostonian Society.]
[Illustration: Figure 52.--Mahogany surveying compass made by Samuel
Thaxter of Boston. Length, 13 in.; diameter, 7-1/2 in. Wooden frame
slides off to permit removal of glass and adjustment of needle. Sighting
bars are of boxwood. In collection of the writer.]
In 1796, shortly after his marriage, Thaxter made his home on
Fish Street (now North Street), but in 1800 he was living at 54 Middle
Street (Hanover Street). By 1807 he had moved to a new home on Fleet
Street. His last home address, at the time of his death, was 41 Pinckney
Street.[109]
[Illustration: Figure 53.--Compass card from earlier form of wooden
surveying compass made by Samuel Thaxter of Boston. From an instrument
in the collection of the writer.]
In the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society there is a
receipted bill (fig. 55) from Samuel Thaxter dated July 1, 1801, to Sam
Brown, for touching up and repairing nine compasses for the French
corvelle _Berceau_.
[Illustration: Figure 54.--Brass surveying compass made and sold by S.
Thaxter & Son, Boston, in late 18th or early 19th century. Over-all
length, 14 in.; diameter of dial, 6 in.; length of needle, 5-1/8 in.;
height of sighting bars, 6-1/2 in. In collection of the writer.]
[Illustration: Figure 55.--Receipted bill from Samuel Thaxter to Sam
Brown, Boston, August 4, 1801. In collection of Massachusetts Historical
Society.]
_John Dupee_
John Dupee of Boston apparently was another instrument maker of the
pre-Revolutionary period actively engaged in producing wooden surveying
compasses. Three wooden instruments with his compass card exist in
private and public collections. The instruments are quite similar: the
wood in each case is walnut or applewood, with an engraved paper
mariner's compass card; a schooner at sea is figured within the central
medallion, and inscribed within the riband enclosing it are the words
"Made and Sold by JOHN DUPEE Ye North Side of Swing Bridge Boston New
Eng." One of the instruments is owned by the South Natick
[Massachusetts] Historical Society; a second example is in the
collection of the Bostonian Society; and a third is owned by a private
collector.
There is no record of a maker of scientific instruments or clocks by the
name of Dupee, although the name John Dupee occurs in the city records
of Boston during the early decades of the 18th century. An advertisement
in the February 9, 1761, issue of _The Boston Gazette_ states that
ISAAC DUPEE, Carver, Advertises his Customers and others, that
since the late Fire (on Dock Square) he has opened a shop the North
side of the Swing-Bridge, opposite to _Thomas Tyler's_, Esq.; where
Business will be carried on as usual with Fidelity and Dispatch.
The natural assumption would be that the three instruments were produced
in Isaac Dupee's shop after 1761, perhaps by the carver's son. The use
of an engraved compass card indicates that the instruments were not
unique, and that a number of others were produced or contemplated. On
the other hand, it is likely that the maker produced other types of
instruments utilizing such a card, such as mariner's compasses.
_Jere Clough_
Another instrument maker, presumably of Boston, is Jere Clough. The only
instrument bearing his name known at present is a surveying compass
(fig. 56), made of wood, in the Streeter Collection of Weights and
Measures at Yale University. Clough's name does not appear on any of the
lists of instrument makers or clockmakers, yet it is a name that is
fairly prevalent in Boston. In 1741, for instance, one Joseph Clough of
Boston was a maker of bellows. He produced bellows of all types--for
furnaces, refiners, blacksmiths, braziers, and goldsmiths.[110]
[Illustration: Figure 56.--Wooden instrument made by Jere Clough. In
Streeter Collection of Weights and Measures, Yale University.]
[Illustration: Figure 57.--Wooden surveying compass made by Andrew
Newell (1749-1798) of Boston. It is made of mahogany, is 11-1/2 in.
long, and has a diameter of 5 in. The engraved compass card is signed by
Nathaniel Hurd, goldsmith, silversmith, and engraver of Boston. In
collection of Yale University Art Gallery.]
_Andrew Newell_
An instrument of considerable significance is another wooden surveyor's
compass, in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery. This
compass (fig. 57) is made of rich brown San Domingo mahogany with
sighting bars of boxwood. A mariner's card, set into the opening with a
metal vernier scale, is in the usual form of the mariner's compass card
of the 18th century; it is executed as a line engraving. A ship and the
Boston harbor lighthouse are featured in the central medallion. On a
riband encircling the medallion is the inscription "Made by ANDW. NEWELL
East End of the MARKET BOSTON," Engraved in script at the southern tip
of the star is the signature "N. Hurd Sct."
Relatively little is known about Andrew Newell (1749-1798) except that
he was a maker of mathematical instruments. An entry in the first Boston
directory, in 1789, listed "Andrew Newell, instrument maker, 61 State
Street." The directory of 1796 mentioned Newell as having a shop on the
"East side of the Market," the address that appears on the surveying
compass.
Two years later the Boston directory listed Andrew Newell and Son, and
in 1800 the listing included only the name of Joseph Newell, who may
have been the son. Another mathematical instrument maker named Charles
Newell may have been another son of Andrew Newell; his name does not
appear in the city Directory until in the 19th century. An instrument
with the signature "Newell & Son, Makers, East End of Faneuil Hall,
Boston" is in the collection of the Bostonian Society.
An important feature of the Newell instrument is the fact that the
engraver of the compass card was Nathaniel Hurd (1729-1777), the peer of
goldsmiths and engravers of the colonial period. This compass card is a
previously unrecorded example of Hurd's work, and constitutes a work of
art, making the compass a historic scientific instrument.[111] The
compass was presented to the Yale University Art Gallery by a Yale
alumnus, Mr. Henry G. Schiff of New York City. No other examples have
thus far been found.
_Aaron Breed_
Aaron Breed (1791-1861) is a relatively unknown maker of mathematical
instruments who worked in Boston into the 19th century. He specialized
in nautical, mathematical and optical instruments, with an address at
173 Broad Street, and another at No. 2 Rowe's Wharf, "At the Sign of the
Quadrant." Breed made surveying instruments in brass and in wood. A
brass instrument is in the Henry Ford Museum, and a wooden instrument is
in the collection of Old Sturbridge Village. The latter is fashioned
from walnut with an engraved compass card inscribed "Aaron Breed
Boston."
_Charles Thacher_
The name of Charles Thacher appears on the compass card of a wooden
surveying compass (fig. 58) in the collection of the Mariners' Museum,
Norfolk, Virginia. No record of this maker has been found, but the
engraved compass card indicates that he probably worked in New England.
[Illustration: Figure 58.--Wooden surveying compass made by Charles
Thacher. It is made of cherry or maple; sighting bars are of oak.
Over-all length, 13-5/8 in. Photos courtesy Mariners Museum, Newport
News, Virginia.]
_Benjamin King Hagger_
Benjamin King Hagger (c. 1769-1834) was the scion of two well-known
families of instrument makers in New England, so it is not surprising
that he worked in the same craft.
It is believed that Hagger was born in Newport, Rhode Island, about
1769, the son of William Guyse Hagger and of a sister of Benjamin King.
Although his father made instruments--at first in partnership with
Benjamin King, and then working alone--in Newport at least as late as
1776, the family appears to have moved after the Revolution. William
Guyse Hagger's name did not appear in the 1790 census of Newport, and it
is presumed that he moved with his family to Boston.
Benjamin King Hagger was listed in the first city directory of Boston in
1789 as "a mathematical instrument maker" with an address on Ann Street;
he was only 20 years of age at this time.
On November 10, 1793, Benjamin King Hagger, "mathematical instrument
maker," purchased land with buildings on Prince Street near Snow Hill
Street from one Peter Greene. Two years later, on December 1, 1795,
Hagger, now listed simply as a "merchant," purchased a brick house, a
wooden house, and a shed with land from William Ballard, a tailor of
Framingham and an heir of Samuel Ballard. The property was located on
the east side of North Street, south of Mill Creek. At the time of
purchase, Hagger mortgaged the property to Ballard, and also mortgaged
to him the house and land previously purchased from Greene.
Hagger was listed as a ship chandler in the following year when on March
24, 1796, he deeded part of his land on Prince Street to William and
George Hillman, minors.
On June 22, 1796, three months later, Hagger, now listed as
"mathematical instrument maker, and ship-chandler" deeded to a mariner
named Thomas Wallis a house and land that formed part of his original
purchase near Copp's Hill from Peter Greene. Then on July 21, 1796, he
purchased from William Ballard all his right to the brick house and land
on North Street (Ann Street), at the same time mortgaging the property
to William Ballard, Jr., of Framingham. This mortgage was cancelled on
April 11, 1798.[112]
These negotiations took place before marriage. A report of the Record
Commissioners of Boston, states that "William King Hagger of Boston and
Mehitable Ballard of Framingham were married October 6, 1796." The
entry appears to be in error because the marriage intentions had read
"Benjamin King Hagger." It is presumed that Mehitable was the daughter
of William Ballard, the tailor of Framingham, from whom Hagger had
bought his house on Ann Street, south of Mill Creek.[113]
Benjamin King Hagger is listed in the city directory of Boston for 1798
as a "mathematical instrument maker" on Ann Street. This, however, is
the last listing for his name in Boston, as his name does not appear in
the 1803 or subsequent directories.
Shortly after 1798 Hagger appears to have left Boston together with his
wife, and it is probable that he established himself as an instrument
maker in another Massachusetts community, at present unknown. In about
1816 Hagger moved with his family to Baltimore and continued his
instrument-making business.
The records of the 1850 Federal census of Baltimore indicate that two of
Hagger's sons, John W. and William G. Hagger, had been born in 1800 and
1806 respectively, in Massachusetts, presumably in the community to
which Hagger had moved from Boston before moving once more to Baltimore.
According to Matchett's Baltimore directory for 1824, Hagger was a
"mathematical and optical instrument maker" with a shop at 57 South
Street. His advertisement in the directory stated that he
Respectfully acquaints his fellow citizens that he executes all
orders in the line of his business with punctuality and confidently
professes to give satisfaction to his employers, from the
experience of a regular apprenticeship and 37 years practice.
This indicates that Hagger completed his apprenticeship in 1787, when he
was 18, and since then had been established in his own business or had
worked for another as a journeyman instrument maker. His first
advertisement in the Boston directory appeared in 1789, wherein his shop
was listed as being on Ann Street.
Hagger died in Baltimore on November 8, 1834, at the age of 65, after a
residence of 18 years in that city.[114]
Thus far only one instrument by Hagger has been found--a wooden
surveying instrument or semicircumferentor (fig. 59). It is in the
possession of the writer.
[Illustration: Figure 59.--Wooden graphometer made by Benjamin King
Hagger (c. 1769-1834) of Boston and Baltimore. Made of yellow birch,
with the name and gradations and lines incised into the wood by means of
tiny punches, and filled. Trough compass; sighting bars mounted on a
swivelling brass bar; collapsible tripod made of maple. In collection of
the writer.]
_Benjamin Warren_
[Illustration: Figure 60.--An advertisement of Benjamin Warren in _The
Plymouth Journal & Massachusetts Advertiser_. Photos courtesy The
American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts.]
Production of wooden surveying compasses was not limited to Boston.
Another instrument maker who produced them was Benjamin Warren (c.
1740-?) of Plymouth, Massachusetts. The name of Benjamin Warren was a
fairly common one in Plymouth, being a name handed down in the family
from father to son for at least five generations before 1800. The first
Benjamin Warren at Plymouth was married in 1697, and his son Benjamin
(2) was born in 1698. Benjamin (2) was married in due course, and his
son Benjamin (3) was born in 1740. The third Benjamin was the father of
Benjamin (4), who was born in 1766. In 1789 Benjamin (4) married Sarah
Young, the daughter of Daniel Young, and their son Benjamin (5) was born
in 1792. The Benjamin Warren who operated the shop in Plymouth probably
was Benjamin Warren (3), who was then about 45 years of age.[115]
A search of _The Plymouth Journal & Massachusetts Advertiser_ has
revealed several advertisements and notices (fig. 60) about Benjamin
Warren from which some information can be derived about the man and his
business during this period. The first known notice dated March 19,
1785, probably is the most important one. Later in the same year, on
August 16, 1785, Warren published the following notice:
WHEREAS on Friday Morning of the 5th inst. eloped from the House of
the subscriber, _Inholder_ in Plymouth, JOHN MOREY, of NORTON, of
tall stature, & round shoulder'd. Had on when he absconded, a
shabby claret coloured coat, adorned with patches, and a pair of
dirty smoak'd coloured breeches; without knee-buckles; and an old
flopped hatt, defaced with grease.
As he appeared to be an enterprising genius, without abilities,
politeness or honesty, and went off in an abrupt and clandestine
manner; a reward of _Sixpence_ will be paid, to any person or
persons, who will persuade or induce the said Morey to make his
appearance once more to the subscriber.
It is obvious that Warren was not considerably concerned about the
return of John Morey, for the reward offered was scarcely conducive to
obtain the public's cooperation. Warren's first ventures with public
sales must have been successful, for early in the next year, in the
issue of January 3, 1786, he announced that
_Benjamin Warren_,
PROPOSES to open a convenient AUCTION-ROOM, over the Shop he now
trades in, next week. Any Gentlemen that will furnish him with
goods of any kind for Public or Private sale, on Commission, shall
be served with fidelity, and the smallest favours in that way
gratefully acknowledged.
The next notice of the auction-room appeared on February 21, 1786, when
the newspaper advertised that
_To-morrow_ will be SOLD, by Public Vendue, At WARREN'S Auction
Room,
A VARIETY of articles, _viz_. Nails, Bar Lead, Glass Pewter,
Buttons, Buckles, Chairs, Stands, &c, &c, &c.
*** The SALE to begin at 10 o'Clock, A.M.
No other notices of public sales appeared in the _Journal_ for the next
several months. The last notice of this period was another announcement
of a sale, which was published in the issue of May 30, 1786:
_Publick Vendue_,
_At_ WARREN's Auction Room, in PLYMOUTH: at Ten o'clock this
morning. WILL be Sold, a quantity of bar lead, boxes of glass, 6 x
8. English Shovels and Tongs, bridle-Bits, and a variety of other
articles of Hard-Ware. Also, a few Anvils at private sale.
Only one instrument signed by Warren is known to survive; it is a wooden
surveying compass (fig. 61) in the Streeter Collection of Weights and
Measures at Yale University. The instrument, which appears to have been
made from walnut, has a compass card with the following inscription
around the central medallion: "Made and sold by BENJAMIN WARREN Plymouth
New Eng^d."
[Illustration: Figure 61.--Wooden surveying compass made by Benjamin
Warren (c. 1740-c. 1800) of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and detail of the
compass card. The compass, made of cherry wood, is 12 in. long and has a
diameter of 6 in. In Streeter Collection of Weights and Measures, Yale
University.]
[Illustration: Figure 62.--Detail of card, Warren surveying compass
shown in figure 61.]
The medallion (fig. 62) encloses a harbor scene with a brigantine of the
1740 period off a promontory on which is prominently situated a
lighthouse with a smaller building partly visible at the left. The
lighthouse is unusual in construction in that it features twin towers
rising from a large rectangular wooden building.
As far as can be determined from available records, the only lighthouse
in America of this period having such construction was the noted Gurnet
Light, which was built at the tip of Duxbury Beach in Plymouth Bay in
1768. D. Alan Stevenson[116] relates that the Governor's Council of
Massachusetts, when it decided in 1768 to erect the Gurnet Lighthouse
at Plymouth, adopted a novel plan to distinguish it from other American
lighthouses. "This consisted of double lights set horizontally in the
same structure. A timber house built at a cost of L660, 30' long and 20'
high, had a lanthorn at each end to contain two four-wick lamps.
"In 1802 fire destroyed the house but the merchants of the town promptly
subscribed to replace it by temporary lights, as the Government had no
immediate funds at its disposal. An Act of Congress of 1802 allotted
$2500 for building another set of twin lights and reimbursing the
merchants for their expenditure.
"Though the idea of twin lights at Plymouth seemed an excellent
distinction from a single navigation light shown at Barnstable harbor in
the vicinity, they proved not entirely advantageous and a sea captain
blamed them for causing his shipwreck. He had seen the light from only
one tower and identified it with confidence as the Barnstable light;
apparently, from a particular direction one tower hid the other. But
local prejudice in favor of retaining the twin lights as a distinction
prevailed until 1924 when, at last, opposition ceased to the
recommendation which the Lighthouse Board expressed frequently that a
single light would be preferable."
It seems quite likely that the compass card bears one of the very few
surviving contemporary representations of the first Gurnet Light in
Plymouth Bay. A search of the archives of the historical societies in
Plymouth, Boston, and Worcester and the files of the U.S. National
Archives has failed to reveal any illustration of this famous
lighthouse.
Quite by coincidence, the name of Benjamin Warren was discovered among
the entries of the day books of Paul Revere, the famous patriot,
silversmith, and engraver. The entry[117] (fig. 63) appears as follows:
1786 March 13. Benjm Warren Dr. Plimouth
To printing one hundred Compass Cards 0-18-0.