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BIOGRAPHY: Joseph Blackwell; New York co., NY
surname: Blackwell, Howell, Manning, Hazard, Lawrence, Ireland, Livingston,
Bleecker, Forbes, Davis

submitted by Elizabeth Burns (burns at asu.edu) 
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Submitted Date: June 3,2005
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Author: Walter Barrett

Joseph Blackwell
Page 132
Old Merchants, 
Walter Barrett, 
Thomas R. Knox, 1885

One of the most prominent merchants in iron was Joseph Blackwell, who kept his 
store and resided in Hanover Square in 1780. Old Joseph was a son of Jacob 
Blackwell, who was a grandson of Robert Blackwell, who was a merchant and came 
out from England in 1661, two hundred years ago.  He first did business at 
Elizabethtown, New Jersey.  He moved from there in 1776 and came to New York, 
being a widower with several children. He married a second wife.

She happened to be Miss Mary Manning, of Manning's Island, East River, where 
he took up his residence and gave it his name--Blackwell's Island. It was 
originally called Verken or Hog Island. It was granted to a Dutch officer in 
1651 named Fyn.  In 1665 when the English conquered this country, it was 
confiscated.  In 1668 it was given to Captain John Manning, whose sword was 
broken over his head for surrendering the city of New York to the Dutch in 
1673.

After marrying the daughter and heiress of Manning, Robert Blackwell became 
proprietor and it remained in the family until about thirty years ago, when it 
was sold to the Corporation.  His youngest son Jacob succeeded to old Robert's 
property when he died in 1717. In size Jacob was the greatest man in the 
country. He stood six feet two inches high and weighed 429 pounds.  The door 
jamb had to be removed to get his coffin out of the house when he died in 
December 1744.

His son Jacob was born the very year old Robert died, 1717. He was a Whig in 
the War and fled when the British took New York; his estate was seized and 
confiscated by the British.  The losses he sustained hastened his death. He 
died in 1780, aged sixty three years.  Colonel Jacob was one of the deputies 
in the New York Provincial Congress.

I presume that it was owing to pecuniary embarrassments of this sufferer in 
the war that led his sons, Joseph, Josiah and Jacob, all to embark in trade 
again as the former of the house, old Robert had done in 1670.  Joseph started 
after the war, as I have said, in Hanover Square and here I must mention in 
order to avoid confusion that his son Joseph was also in commercial business 
in this city and of the firm of Blackwell and Ayres.  

Old Joseph married Miss Mary Hazard, a daughter of N. Hazard; and besides 
Joseph, there as a son named William Drayton and a daughter named Harriett.  
Joseph married William Bayard's daughter, Justina. He was of the firm of 
Leroy, Bayard and Company, and gave his son-in-law $20,000.  In after years, 
when Leroy, Bayard and Company was embarrassed, Mr. William Bayard asked his 
son-in-law to endorse for him.  He declined.  Said he never endorsed but would 
give him back the $20,000 that he had received with his daughter.  Never was 
there such a kind hearted, loving father to his children, as Mr. Blackwell.

In 1792 one Joseph kept at 45 Great Dock and the young one corner Coenties 
Slip and Little Dock Street. The next year it was kept at 8 Coenties Slip and 
corner Water Street for many years after.  Josiah, another brother, kept his 
iron store at 31 South Street. In 1796 Joseph made a partnership with Henry 
McFarlane under the firm of Blackwell and McFarlane.  Mr. McFarlane had been 
in the iron business for some time and I think was connected with John 
McFarlane who had charge of the "air furnace" out on the Greenwich Road at the 
close of the last century.

In 1801 there were two Blackwells in the concern, and it was Blackwells and 
McFarlane. I think the other Blackwell was his nephew Jacob, who succeeded 
afterwards to the business of Josiah.  Josiah never married.  Josiah, the 
brother of Joseph, was in the iron business at 31 South Street as late as 1805 
when I think he died.  He was succeeded by Jacob who kept up the firm until 
1810 when he moved round into Cherry Street and went into business afterwards 
under the firm of Blackwell and Smith. He was a son of Samuel Blackwell, who 
was a son of Colonel Jacob and father of Joseph.  He had a brother named 
Samuel; one named Robert M, another Henry F, another John. There were several 
daughters.

Jacob, above alluded to, married a daughter of Thomas Lawrence, of the firm of 
Thomas and John F. Lawrence.  Thomas was a son-in-law of George Ireland, who 
is still living in this city.

Jacob was a boy in the counting room of his uncle Josiah. When he died in 1805 
Jacob succeeded him. He was only eighteen years old when he married.  His fate 
was singular. Many will remember a large fire that occurred a few years ago at 
the corner of Burling Slip and Front Street in the daytime.  Jacob was in the 
store. He walked to the front window of the second floor and put out one leg. 
He was told by hundreds to jump.  He deliberately pulled off his spectacles, 
wiped them, and turned to descend the stairs.  He was never seen alive again, 
but his bones were found at the foot of the stairs.

His brother Robert M. is of the firm of R.M. Blackwell and Company. Mr. Zophar 
Mills, Jr, so well known in the Fire Department, is the partner.  They still 
do a large commission and naval store business and keep up the old merchant 
stock.

Joseph continued in business under the same firm of Blackwell and McFarlane 
until he died in 1827. The firm was kept up as B. and McF. Until 1830 when it 
changed to McFarland and Ayres. Mr. Henry McFarlane senior, formed a 
partnership with Daniel Ayers, and his son, Henry McFarlane, Jr.

Joseph Blackwell left several children--one son and several daughters. The son 
was named Drayton. Josephine married Alfred Livingston of Trenton. She died. 
He afterwards married her sister Eliza.  One daughter married a Mr. Bleecker.  
Another married Mr. Forbes.

The widow of Joseph lived in the old house, No. 16 State Street, as late as 
1836 when the family moved uptown.  Joseph lived in State Street many years, 
having gone there before the War of 1812.  He was always a First Warder, 
living many years at 55 Broadway.  For over thirty years Blackwell and 
McFarlane was one of the heaviest houses in the iron trade.  They did an 
immense business. They bought out entire cargos of iron without hesitating. 
When such houses as Boorman and Johnston received a cargo of Swedish iron, 
James Boorman would walk into the store of B & M and say, "Well I have just 
got my invoice for a cargo of iron. I give you, as usual, the first chance. Do 
you wish to buy it?"

"What do you ask?"

Mr. Boorman would name his price.

"Very well, we will look around, see what we can do and let you know by 
Saturday."

Blackwell and McFarlane would then write to their correspondents at Albany--
Erastus Corning, Isaac and John Townsend--and state the facts.  They would 
also see J.G. Pierson and other leading iron houses in this city and then 
divided up among them one or ten cargos of iron. Sometimes they would tell old 
Boorjman "We can't take your cargo." He would replay "Well I must sell it, if 
you will not buy it, gentlemen, then I will start out an iron store myself."  

Mr. Boorman did carry out his threat in after years much to the annoyance of 
the great iron dealers.  He took in a Mr. Clark, whose father had been in the 
iron business but had failed.  Another house that used to co-operate with 
Blackwell and McFarlane in buying cargos of iron was David Watkinson and 
Company of Hartford Connecticut.  He died a short time ago, worth a million 
dollars. He left a large portion to public charities.

I mentioned William Drayton Blackwell who was a brother of Joseph.  He has 
been dead many years.  He was rich and eccentric. He prided himself on being 
indifferent as to dress. He certainly was extremely slovenly in his habits. He 
speculated in stocks heavily and his brokers were Dykers and Alstyne.  A 
sister of the above brother, Harriett married William Howell. I think he was a 
captain in the Navy. After his death she resided at No. 365 Broadway, corner 
of Franklin Street. She lived there as late as 1838 when Charles A. Davis of 
the firm of Davis and Brooks took it. Mr. Davis married the only daughter of 
Mrs. Howell.  Those who frequent Taylor's immense establishment, if they sit 
on the south side, occupy the same ground as Mrs. Howell did in her days of 
glory.