Samuel Casey

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• Apprenticed about 1737 to Jacob Hurd in Boston MA ¹

• Cream pot, 1745-1760
Deerfield ¹
h: 3 7/8"

• Made freeman of Exeter RI, 1745. ³

• He worked about 1745 as a silversmith in Exeter RI ³

• He worked c 1750 as a silversmith in South Kingston RI referred to there in a deed dated 15 Mar 1750. ³

• Teaspoon, 1751
Boston Museum of Fine Arts ⁸
l: 4 5/8"
wt: 7½ dwt
Engraved Ann Hurd / 1751 on back of handle. Spoons with the same stamped handle are known

• He was a partner from 1753 to 1763 with Gideon Casey in South Kingston RI ⁴

• Receipt, 1755
Yale University ²⁵
From the account book of Ezra Stiles relating to the Yale tankard; it was commissioned after Stiles had moved to Newport RI where he was appointed minister to the Second Congregational Church. An entry in his diary, dated 19 Nov 1755, reads: "Delivered to Samll [sic] Casey 30 oz Silver to make a Tankard with -- Price of making to be £30."

• Tankard, 1755
Yale University ²⁵
h: 8 1/8"
wt: 27 oz, 13 dwt
See example: Receipt

• Master to John Athan Waite abt 1755 in South Kingston RI. ³

• Beaker, c 1760-1770
Yale University ¹⁹
h: 3 5/8"
d: 2 3/16"
wt: 4 oz, 12 dwt
Engraved ESTER / HELME on the bottom. Her father, Judge James Helme, sat as presiding judge in Casey's trial for counterfeiting, 11 Oct 1770.

• Cup, c 1760
Private Collection ¹
h: 3 1/2"
Engraved M • Richardson to W • Robinson

• Tankard, c 1760
Boston Museum of Fine Arts ⁸
h: 8 7/8"
d: 5¾" (of base)
wt: 36 oz
Engraved A over I * B for Job and Bridget (Sanford) Almy.

• 1 Oct 1764: notice in Boston News-Letter and Newport Mercury of home being destroyed by fire caused by his goldsmith's forge. ³

• Cup, c 1766
Huntington Library ²³
h: 5½"
Engraved V over T * M for Thomas and Mary (Mears) Vernon, married 20 May 1766.

• 13 Apr 1770: declared insolvent in Newport Mercury. ³

• South Kingston RI, 1770: arrested for counterfeiting dollars. Tried before Judge James Helmes on 11 Oct 1770 and sentenced to death by hanging 12 Oct 1770, according to the Providence Gazette (13-20 October 1770). The same paper (27 October and 03 November 1770) mentions petition to General Assembly. The same paper (3-10 November 1770) tells of crowd breaking into gaol, setting free criminals lately convicted "of money making, one of whom (Samuel Casey) was under penalty of death." The Rhode Island State Archives show his wife Martha Casey petitioned the General Assembly in September 1779 for a pardon, stating he had "wandered in exile nine years forlorn and forsaken and destitute of every means of support to make his life even desirable, separated from his wife and offspring," and pleaded for amnesty and pardon. On 17 September 1779, declared absolutely pardoned, released and discharged from all treason, felonies and other offenses done before 19 April 1775. ³

Samuel married Martha Martin about 1753. (Martha Martin was born about 1732 in South Kingston RI.)