Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

POWER OF ATTORNEY.

"I, Charles Dudley, of Newport, in the County of Newport, Esq., do hereby make, and appoint, and in my place put James Honyman, and Henry Marchant, both of Newport, aforesaid, Esqrs., my attornies, and each of them my attorney in a certain action of trespass, upon the case commenced and prosecuted by Nathaniel Shaw, jun., of New-London, in the County of NewLondon, and Colony of Connecticut, merchant, against me, the said Charles Dudley, at the Inferior Court of Common Pleas, to be held at Providence, for the County of Providence, upon the third Monday of June, A. D., 1773. And do hereby empower the said James Honyman, and Henry Marchant, jointly, and each of them separately, and by himself, in my name, and to appear in the Inferior Court aforesaid, or in any other Court whatsoever, and there to plead, defend, and pursue to final judgment and execution, with full power of substitution.

"Witness my hand and seal, the 14th day of June, A. D., 1775, and in the thirteenth year of His Majesty's reign, George the Third, King, &c. CHARLES DUDLEY. (L. s.)

[blocks in formation]

"NEWPORT, SS.-At Newport, upon the day and year aforesaid, in his proper person, cometh Charles Dudley, above-named, and acknowledged the above power of attorney to be his act and deed. Before J. GRELEA, jun., Justice of the Peace."

A true copy from the original manuscript in the author's pos session. This action grew out of the seizure and sale of the molasses and coffee above-named.

George Rome, Esq., (pronounced Room,) was a native of England, and for several years a successful merchant of New. port. He owned a valuable house, with a wharf and stores, on Easton's Point, on the spot known as Gibbs' ship-yard, where he carried on an extensive business. On the commencement of hostilities, he returned to England, and his valuable pro

He

perty in Newport and Narragansett, was confiscated. lived in splendor, and entertained his friends with sumptuous hospitality. He had a summer residence in Narragansett, which he styled "Bachelor's Hall." He occasionally gave large parties, at which the ladies and gentlemen of Boston, Newport, and Narragansett, would equally mingle. Punch was the fashionable beverage at that period, and the entertainment at "Bachelor's Hall" was extravagant.

In the Stamp Act excitement, he strongly espoused the cause of the Crown. The gross charge of Mr. Rome, of corruption and partiality, against the Legislature, the Courts and Juries of the Colony, with the advice to annul the charter, and create a government more dependent on the Crown, produced an exasperation too powerful to be withstood, and apprehending dan ger, soon after his release from prison, he fled on board of the Rose, man-of-war, then lying in Narragansett Bay.

Having noticed the extensive business of Mr. Rome, on the Point, we would also notice the manufacturers of furniture, which at that period was quite extensive on the Point, and which was shipped to foreign markets. On Bridge-street was Constant Bayley, Thomas Townsend, Job, Edmond, Christopher, and John; these all had establishments, and employed a great number of hands, manufacturing furniture, for which a ready market was found in New-York and the West Indies. John Goddard, and Benjamin Peabody, had also cabinetmakers' shops on Washington-street, which carried on a large trade with Surinam.

On the east side of Washington-street and corner of the Long Wharf, stood the store of Joseph Hammond, a shipping mer chant, who built the large house, since known as the Washing ton House.

Next, north, stood the spermaceti works of Myer Pollock, who was extensively engaged in manufacturing oil and candles, and stored large quantities of goods for others.

The stores of David Huntington and Benjamin Barker, were also on the Point; both these men were extensively engaged in manufacturing furniture, which they shipped to New-York and the West Indies. Besides the above, there were three tanneries on the same street, and all in successful operation; they were owned by Robert Taylor, William Potter, and Bently.

Holmes' Wharf, was a great place for business; on it stood Carter's cooper's shop, Monroe's block-maker's shop, Graftin's sail-loft, and over that a rigging loft.

Bowen's ship-yard.

John Collin's wharf and store; he was engaged in successful trade until the war, when the British destroyed his property, one house excepted.

During the war, 17 buildings were destroyed on Bridge street.

It will, no doubt, appear quite novel to the reader to be made acquainted with these facts, when contrasted with present appearances. But in no section of the town, at that day, was there want of employment. It was the great commercial mart, and merchants resorted there, to trade and traffic, as well as to enjoy the hospitality of the inhabitants, which was then un bounded.

HENRY COLLINS, ESQ.

Henry Collins, deserves to be recorded with gratitude and respect. He was a native of Newport, and born March, 1699. He was educated in England, and on his return to his native country, adopted the profession of merchant, in which he was for a time eminently successful. He was a man of cultivated taste, and fond of literature-he animated and encouraged kindred spirits, and in 1730, with several associates, formed a literary and philosophical society in Newport, which was the first that was ever formed in the colony, and probably was one of the earliest in America. This society afterwards comprised many of the prominent men in the colony, and some in Massa chusetts and Connecticut. He is said to have been the projector of the plan for a Library Association, in Newport, for which purpose he gave the valuable lot of land on which the edifice of the Redwood Library waserected, and was for many years one of the directors of the Institution.

He was a munificent patron of the arts, and by his patronage to Smybert, Alexander, Tocke, &c., we are indebted for many valuable paintings of the ancient Patriarchs, which are still to be found in Newport.

[graphic][subsumed][merged small]
« ForrigeFortsett »