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Thomas Charles Fletcher (1787-1866) |
Thomas Charles Fletcher
General notes: Silversmith and merchant Events in his life were: 
• Alternate Mark 
• Alternate Mark 
• Alternate Mark 
• Alternate Mark with additional marks of Jacob Bennett. • Apprenticed as a shop keeper from circa 1800 to 1806 to Joseph C. Dyer in Boston MA. • Advertised in the Columbian Centinel (Boston MA), 1808-1811, 4 
• He was a partner from 1809 to 1810 with Sydney Gardiner in Boston MA as FLETCHER & GARDINER. 4 • He was a partner from 1810 to 1827 with Sydney Gardiner in Philadelphia PA as FLETCHER & GARDINER with shop located at Third and Chestnut Streets until 1822. 4 
• Alternate Mark for FLETCHER & GARDINER 
• Alternate Mark for FLETCHER & GARDINER 
• Alternate Mark for FLETCHER & GARDINER 
• Alternate Mark for FLETCHER & GARDINER 
• Tea and coffee set by FLETCHER & GARDINER, c 1815-1820 
• Nutmeg grater, c 1815 
• Sword hilt, c 1815 
• Bread Basket by FLETCHER & GARDINER, c 1815-1820 
• Apple corer, c 1820 
• Cruet stand by FLETCHER & GARDINER, c 1820 
• Advertised on 9 Aug 1822 (Philadelphia PA), broadside offering 150 dollars reward: "The store of the subscribers was entered last night, and the following articles taken therefrom, viz ... Fletcher & Gardiner. No. 130 Chestnut Street." 
• Presentation vase by FLETCHER & GARDINER, 1825 • He worked from 1826 to 1836 as a silversmith and jeweler in Philadelphia PA listed in the 1826 city directory with a shop at 130 Chestnut Street. 4 • Letter to his wife Meline in Lancaster MA You made a small mistake in directing your last letter which came to hand this morning – instead of Fletcher you wrote Fleather, and I should not have got it if you had not put the number of the street on it. Tim Vernon says if he had a wife that didn't know how to spell her own name he would give her a blowing up – I tell him we shall see what he will do when he has a wife. To be sure, a little more care in spelling would not be amiss -- The Post Master at Lancaster made a mistake also by marking it Sept. 23 – instead of August – what is the matter with the folks in Lancaster – they had better go to school to Mr Carter - I answered your letter before it came, as you will see by mine of last Sunday, wherein I informed you that I should not leave here till about the middle of next month – and I told you I thought you had better leave Lancaster about the first of next month, – and stay at Boston two or three weeks – You say you have written to Martha Sejourney that you should be there the first week in September and I think you had better go soon after you get this, and write to me as soon as you can after you get there – we will determine afterwards which way we shall come here – The sale of Mary's furniture is fixed for the 9th or 10th of September – my sale will not commence till about 2 weeks after and I intend to go to Boston & fetch you as far as New York & leave you there till the sale is over- Ma Veron has not written to Mary or anyone else since she has been gone – but we heard from her last night by Miss Pattersen who has just returned from there – she was well, and in good spirits. Mary seems very well contented at Mr Eaton's – Mr Stone is at home and Mr Braser (?) expected tomorrow – Mrs E is not expected for several weeks – perhaps she may come with us. – The weather has been very warm for the week past but today it is almost insufferably hot – Thermometer above 90 – so you must excuse me if I don't write a very long letter – The city is still very dull no business doing – but I am still occupied in attending to repairs – I hope to finish this week. – Mary took a walk with me last evening in Washington Square – it was very pleasant – the moon was very bright & we said perhaps Melina is just now looking at the moon and thinking of us – We met Mr & Mrs Merrick – she looked something as the moon did – that was at the full – She said she was very well – Merrick said he had just met Charly walking with some fair damsel – I suppose it was Miss H. and perhaps she was explaining away his suspicions about her trip up the North River with him – I am told they deny it. – Tell mother I should like to come while you are there but my business will not admit of it. You can keep money enough to pay your passage to Boston say 10 or 12 dollars & give the rest to Betsey or pay it away yourself – I shall try to send you the things you wrote for – Tell Lewis he must behave well when he gets to Boston – Tell Thomas I shall not undertake to advise him what to do – he has got his own fortune to make and he must choose for himself – I have met with bad luck in giving advice to Timothy and I am determined not to fall into the same fault with him – my trade will give him a living if he is industrious and the best would not if he is indolent. He must determine for himself – • Advertised in the U. S. Gazette (Philadelphia PA), 2 Jan 1829, as surviving partner of FLETCHER & GARDINER. 4 • Advertised in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily Courier (Philadelphia PA), 10 Jun 1834, offering fine watches for sale. 4 • Letter to Henry Fletcher in Louiseville KY I have yours of the 2nd inst. – The draft in favor of Blake has been accepted – The goods you have ordered will be sent off as soon as they can be got ready – I shall send you also a dozn Musical Boxes same as last at $5.50 having obtained a lot a little lower than the last - I shall also send you a few more silver amusements which are very salable here – Earrings with stones are coming into fashion – you must sell off your filigree & chased if you have any – Gold levers [?] are scarce at present – I have very few on hand – I will send you one or two – I have now two plain spoonmakers – if you can send me some stock to make them with I can now get up a good assortment for you — 
• He was a partner from 1836 to 1839 with Calvin W. Bennett in Philadelphia PA as FLETCHER & BENNETT. 4 • Letter to Fletcher & Reeves in Louisville KY Bot [sic] of Fletcher & Bennett PhiladaMay 24th1836 Gentn — Herewith we have the pleasure to hand you an invoice of goods a part of your order of the 23rd ulto, which we have forwarded to Meß A. & G. Baldwin Balt– Respectfully Your Obt Servants Fletcher & Bennett • Letter to Fletcher & Reeves in Louisville KY Mesrs Fletcher & Reeves Gentn Your favour of the 12th inst enclosing Bill of Exchange for $500 on Mesrs Grigg & Elliott is received, the bill has been accepted and will be placed to your credited at maturity. We shall forward your accounts current as soon as possible. The goods for Mr Wickliffe were sent direct to Lexington some months since – the article for Mr Wallace only waits an opportunity to be forwarded. We are obliged to you for this remittance and remain Respectfully Your obbt servants Fletcher & Bennett • Letter to Henry Fletcher in Louisville KY Dr brother, I hand you a draft on Genl Lytte at thirty days sight for $66.50 which Mr Gardiner supposed might be in your power to collect. I wrote you from New York and informed you of the gloomy situation of things there. Matters did not get quite so bad here, but money is very scarce, notwithstanding the stoppage of specie payments, which enables the bank to extend a little — I succeeded in getting goods from B. G. to the amount of my liabilities for him, but I shall be obliged to pay the drafts as they fall due, unless can be renewed which is very doubtful as the Bank which has them has failed. — I do not know what mode you can adopt to make remittance, but hope you can get U. S. Bank notes – and I shall be very greatly obliged if you can help me by the 10th of next month at farthest.— I hope to hear from you soon to learn that you arrived safe home and that business is better with you than it is here — our families are all well Yr brother 
• Cup, c 1838 • Letter to Henry Fletcher in Louisville KY Dear Brother, Your favour of the 10th inst was duly rec'd enclosing a bill for $700 – which we have placed to your credit and now annex your account current showing a balance in your favor of $4.93 – This remittance has come to us very opportunely when we are greatly in want of funds, and we are happy that you have had it in your power to send it to us. We shall settle with Mr Gessimen at your request and send you his receipt — We have made arrangements with the son and successors of M. J. Tobias* for a supply of their fine watches and shall be able to supply you with the quantity you may want this fall – we expect also a large assortment of fine geneva Anchor & l'Epine watches gold & silver – if you want any before you visit Philada we will send you some. – The fall business has not yet commenced, but we hope for a good business yet before the year closes. The weather continues hot here — Yr truly • He worked from 1839 to 1842 as a silversmith and jeweler in Philadelphia PA • Letter from Franklin Woodman Mr Thomas Fletcher Dear Sir I write to know the lowest price you will take for the Meadows — also to Rent them — I have an application to Rent for 3 Years — at 60 per Year, but they are not willing to take for one Year only — owing to the fact of the Rushes not being cast off & mowed last year. They are now in a sad Condition — the fencing must also be kept in order — to prevent others Cattle from breaking in — Truly Yours Franklin Woodman • Letter to Henry Fletcher in Louisville KY Yours of the 24th Sept. came duly to hand since which I haven't had occasion to write until this time. The goods left with me by Calvin W. Bennett are still on hand, with the exception of some of the spoons, which I have used to fill up orders I received to manufacture the same kinds, and I thought it would suit you as well to let me have them as the same prices they would cost to manufacture, rather than keep them longer on hand. The amount of sale I have given on the other side – Only a part of the money has been received but I expect to get the whole by the time I get your answer to this. I haven't yet paid any of the Bills you mentioned in your last. I now write to inform you that Calvin has returned to the City and hired a store at the corner of 8th & Chestnut Street. He called on me today, and made a demand of the goods belonging to you which were left in my hands by — page two — him, before he went to the country. I answered that I had receive orders from you to dispose of the goods and pay over the proceeds as directed - He denied my right to do so, and said he had only stored them here and had a right to take them away again – I asked him whether he had renewed his agreement with you and he declined answering the question – He inquired whether I had paid away any of the money, I told him I had not but intended to do so – he intimated that he should expect me to pay it over to him if I had not parted with it – Under these circumstances I have thought it proper to write to you for instructions what to do, and await your answer, which I hope to receive by return of mail, in the mean time I shall hold everything in suspense* – In this stage of the business I shall not pretend to offer any opinion in relation to the course you may see fit to take presuming your own good sense will be your guide in the matter Remaining always Yr friend & brother Thos Fletcher — page three — P. S. We have had little business since October began but now the Elections are over I hope it will begin to move Goods are scarce and likely to be so this fall & winter - We are all in good health – Account of Sale Made *I wish you to say what I shall do with the goods and what I shall do with the money? Thomas married Melina Degrasse Veron, daughter of Etienne Veron and Mrs. Etienne Veron, on 29 Sep 1818 in Philadelphia PA. (Melina Degrasse Veron was born about 1797 in Boston MA.) |
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© Wm Erik Voss 2005