Why
did Girard decide to move to New Jersey?
When the British troops had occupied Philadelphia, Girard
wanted to get away from the noise and confusion.
When did he buy a
house in Mount Holly, New Jersey?
He bought the house on July 22, 1777 from Isaac Hazlehurst,
paying 528 pounds and nineteen shillings Pennsylvania currency.
He made considerable money selling claret to the British
officers who came to his house in Mount Holly, New Jersey. On returning to
Philadelphia, these officers turned a profit by reselling the claret to the
troops. Girard, however, did not spend all his time in Mount Holly. He would
take trips by way of the Rancoras River to Philadelphia
where he kept a watchful eye on his property which was in the hands of the
British.
Did
Girard ever go back to Cap-Français after he got married?
After the trip which brought him unexpectedly
into the Port of Philadelphia in 1776, he was not to return again to San
Domingo.1
What news did a
letter in 1776 from Mr. Thomas Randall to Girard contain?
This letter said: “The sloop Sally whereof you are now master, being complete for sea, it is our
desire that you proceed to the Cape (Le Cap) with all possible expedition and
dispose of your cargo to the very best advantage.” Due to his marriage, Girard
never took this venture. Biographer Cheesman
Herrick reports that the ship Girard owned with Thomas Randall was named L’Aimable Louise.2
During several voyages Girard had
previously taken to New York, he became acquainted with ship owners and
merchants in the teeming city.
Was
the family of Mary Lum in maritime trade as well?
No. John Lum, Mary’s father was a shipbuilder but not a very
successful one. He owned very little property and his savings were meager. Unfortunately, he died three months before his
daughter’s wedding. Biographer Herrick reports that John Lum built a small
vessel for Stephen for local trading trips and that Girard named the vessel Water Witch.3
Do
we know why this vessel was named the Water
Witch?
According to Hubbard, Girard bought one brand new boat and
named it Water-Witch, for this was
the name he had for Mary Lum when she used to come with her jug to the pump in
front of his store.
When
did Girard build his first ship?
Girard built his first ship in 1789.
Historians disagree on its name. Some claim it was the Water Witch. Harry E. Wilde claims there is no record of a ship
called Water Witch. McMaster, who
spent several years reviewing the Girard Papers, claims that the Water Witch was the first ship and since
the British captured it in its first year of operation, no records exist in the
Girard Papers. Harry Schad, Girard College Class of 1920, reporting in the
December 1963 Steel & Garnet
states: "In his lifetime he (Girard) owned a total of twenty-four ships,
but never more than six at once. Regularly he supplemented his fleet by
chartering the vessels of others."
Who
was Henry W. Arey?
He was secretary of Girard College.
His book Girard College and Its Founder,
written in 1852, emphasizes the origin and growth of the College. He relied
heavily on Simpson’s Biography although
he did not repeat Simpson’s criticism of Stephen Girard.4
How did Professor
Wagner speak about the Simpson biography of Girard?
"Any one," says Professor
Wagner in his first lecture upon Girard, "who will read this biography of
Mr. Girard, which I thus publicly pronounce a tissue of lies, sticking out on
every page, will perceive that the whole account is embittered and venomous, and
that the author has tortured his imagination to find an opportunity to falsify
and pervert. Now, before dilating upon it, let us inquire for a moment who this
biographer was. When the charter of the old Bank of the United States expired
and Mr. Girard purchased the building, establishing in it his own Bank, he
appointed George Simpson, the cashier of the former institution, to the same
position in his new concern. Stephen Simpson was the son of this latter, and,
with Mr. Girard's consent, was appointed by his father to the situation of
clerk in the Bank, in which position he continued until the death of his
father. Stephen Simpson then aspired to the cashier ship that his father had
held, but, unfortunately for him, Joseph Roberts, the first teller, stood
between him and the coveted office. Mr. Girard had confidence in Roberts, but
very little in Simpson, the result being that the former received the
appointment, and the latter became thereupon the uncompromising enemy of Mr.
Girard. "
Which of Girard's biographers did Professor Wagner favor?
Wagner made a notable exception among Girard's biographers
referred to above is Henry W. Arey, formerly secretary of Girard College, who,
having free access to the papers stored at the College, impliedly protests against
the false inferences drawn by Simpson, and presents in his own sketch a fair
picture of Girard as he actually appeared to his fellows. To this sketch the
present writer has great pleasure in acknowledging his indebtedness; and though
the possession of certain documents and evidence not at that biographer's
disposal compels him to differ from several of the latter's conclusions, he
recognizes everywhere the author's endeavor to present his facts with the
strictest impartiality. But, unfortunately, having depended mainly upon a
journal kept by Girard, commencing in the year 1774, this author, like the
others, has relied for information as to Girard's origin upon common report.
How does biographer Henry W. Arey speak about the relationship between Stephen and Jean?
An early intimacy between the
two brothers being thus commenced that lasted, with but one interruption,
during the long period that stretched to the death of the younger. This
friendship forms the brightest thread in the whole fabric of the elder
brother's life, and was of equal warmth on the part of both brothers, a happy
result of the patient care with which their mother had sought to render her
family a unit, and one the more worthy of remark when it is remembered that to
all other persons the elder showed an exceedingly undemonstrative disposition.
His reserve of character was no doubt rendered somewhat morbid by the
comparative isolation to which his proud and sensitive temper had relegated
him, and it is curious to consider the influence such a trivial and childish
circumstance as his playmates' ridicule had in the after-development of his
life, for it is doubtless to this event may be fundamentally traced that
distrust of, and semi-contempt for so many of his fellows which he later
displayed ; and the disposition whose most salient feature became its
self-reliance and complete indifference to the cavil or judgment of his
neighbors was primarily dependent for its direction in not a small degree upon
this He possessed excellent faculties of observation and a very retentive
memory, supplying in a great measure the routine work of the school-room, and
there can be no doubt that at the time he was not at all averse to escape from
the uncongenial labor of the latter. It is in the injudicious indulgence of
this preference upon his part that is to be found the explanation of the
neglect with which upon one occasion he reproached his father, the
consciousness of his loss having led him, in 1813, to write the following
letter, which a consideration of the foregoing remarks will show was decidedly
unjust: " I have the proud satisfaction to know that my conduct, my labor,
and my economy have enabled me to do one hundred times more for my relatives
than they all together have done for me since the day of my birth. While my
brothers were taught at college, I was the only one whose education was
neglected. But the love of labor, which has very circumstance of its original
exceeding sensibility."
In what way does
biographer Arey show himself to be politically correct in downplaying the
monetary cost of education in view of Pierre Girard’s other guidance?
In the mere amount of money expended this statement was
probably true. But it is the start in life which is most difficult to get, and
for this Stephen was indebted to his father, notwithstanding the rather
ungracious manner in which he had recognized his relative's subsequent claims
upon him. But the stress under which this letter was written was sufficient to
excuse it in a great measure, the more so as it is the only time he gave vent
to his feelings in this manner, and the tone of conscious strength in it is
certainly to be pardoned one who had indeed almost literally " made his
way alone with means gained from his nurse, the Sea."
How does Arey show Girard’s developing personality that needed correcting?
How does Arey show Girard’s developing personality that needed correcting?
From his earliest childhood
Stephen had been remarkable for precocious dignity and grave self-assertion,
and with these masterful traits was coupled a passionate and rather domineering
temper, which, when opposed, was displayed with considerable violence. His
mother was still earnestly seeking to modify this character, so directly
opposed to the usual careless high spirits of young French children, and to
teach him the necessary self-control, when her death, which occurred while
Stephen was yet quite a young lad, found him with the lesson still unlearned.
The considerable influence which, as eldest son, he doubtless wielded in the
immediate family after his mother's death, probably fostered the independence
of character already natural to him, and his impatience of discipline, speedily
reasserting its mastery, grew in time to be not only the most fruitful source
of the unhappiness of his after life, but also the proximate cause of his
leaving his father's home.
How did the arrival
of a step-mother change the lives of the Girard family?
It was Arey's opinion that Girard was not at all unhappy at this period, however, for
during the few years following his mother's death no untoward event marred
the peace of the family circle, and probably none would have arisen had not
Pierre Girard selected a second wife in the person of Madame Giraud (née
Lachapelle), an American or West Indian, who was, unfortunately, already the
mother of several children. There is no evidence to show that Madame Giraud-Girard was unkind to or in any particular neglected her step-children; but it
was not long before the discomforts of which a second marriage is so liable to
prove the fertile source began to make themselves disagreeably manifest.
Stephen had early found a grievance in the fact that the newcomer not only
supplanted his influence in the family, but was also disposed to exercise
control of his theretofore comparatively unrestricted liberty; while his
step-mother failing to understand the peculiarities of the lad's disposition
was unable to allay the distrust with which he had immediately regarded her.
Stephen had always been amenable to kindly argument, being one of those natures
which must be led and cannot be driven, and no especial effort having been made
to win his regard, his dislike and jealousy increased from day to day, until,
since he was not at the least pains to conceal his sentiments despite his
father's frequent reproofs, it required but little foresight to predict that a
speedy climax was inevitable. The crisis arrived one day while the family was
gathered about the dinner table. Some action of Stephen's had called for a
reproof from his stepmother, and her attempt to correct him proved to be the
final increment which the lad's overburdened temper could not withstand.
Restraining his feelings no longer, he burst into a torrent of passionate
reproach, expressing so plainly the bitterness of his spirit that it was
impossible for his father, who happened to be present, to pass the matter by
without making of it a signal example. Astounded by Stephen's violence,
apparently so disproportioned to the provocation, and indignant at his
temerity, Pierre Girard, as he was able to stem the current of his son's
indignation, rebuked him in the sternest manner, commanding him to make
immediate present amends and submit cheerfully to family discipline in the
future, or else to find a home for himself as soon as he was able
elsewhere. But the young lad, having once lost his self-control, had gone
too far to turn back. He was unwilling to confess himself an offender where he
firmly believed himself to be the one aggrieved, and his father's command had
hardly been finished before Stephen passionately replied: “I will leave your
house. Give me a venture on any ship that sails from Bordeaux, and I will go at
once where you shall never see me again!"
How does Girard make
his break from his home and family?
Arey writes: "Persisting in his refusal to make amends, it was evident
that heroic measures were necessary, both for the lad's own sake and for that
of the family, whose peace was constantly imperiled by his unmanageable
presence. And while there can be no doubt that Pierre Girard felt deep
compassion for his motherless lad when the heat of his indignation had
subsided, yet it was still apparent something must be done to prevent such
scenes of domestic insubordination. In this dilemma, serious thought was given
the idea Stephen had broached himself, and the latter remaining firm in his
obstinate attitude, his father found himself reluctantly forced to surrender
his hope that his son might adopt a professional career, and consequently
sought a business acquaintance, Captain Jean Courteau, master of the ship
Pelerin, who was about to sail for Santo Domingo, one of the French
colonies in the West Indies. Finding Captain Courteau willing to take charge of
Stephen, a " venture " amounting to sixteen thousand livres was
furnished the latter by his father, who bade his son farewell, as one may well
imagine, with many regrets that the young lad's waywardness had made such a
course a necessity."
What
two events convinced Girard that he should swear allegiance to the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania?
First he was certain that the
Continental armies could make good the independence of the United States.
Second, he was now sure that his bid to become a French Consul would not be
realized.
Did
Stephen Girard become a citizen of Pennsylvania?
Girard became a citizen of
Pennsylvania. Herrick points out that Girard took the oath of allegiance and
fidelity to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania on the 27th of
October 1778. All who did so renounced allegiance to George Third, King of
Great Britain, swore to bear true and faithful allegiance to the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, never do anything prejudicial to the freedom and independence
thereof, and discover and make known to some justice of the peace all treasons
or traitorous conspiracies whereof they were cognizant.5
The oath was repeated the following
year when for political reasons the country had divided into two parties the
Federalists and the Republicans. Girard remained a loyal and devoted citizen of
Pennsylvania and repeatedly objected to being termed, in his ship's papers and
other documents,” a “naturalized citizen.” He claimed that he was a “citizen”
of Pennsylvania. He was as old a citizen of the United States as any man. If
the test of citizenship were sacrifice for and devotion to the government under
which one lived, surely Girard qualified as being a worthy citizen of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the United States.6
Was
Pennsylvania citizenship a requirement for having a rental contract in
Pennsylvania?
Yes, it was a requirement. This was the
reason he moved to have his citizenship application processed quickly. There
was also a stick that went with that carrot. Anyone travelling out of the city
or county where he resided without a certificate showing that he had taken the
oath was to be suspected of being a spy and of holding principles inimical to
the United States, was to be seized, taken before the nearest justice of the
peace, tendered the oath, and on refusing to take it, sent to jail, there to
stay till he became loyal.
Who
was Colonel Walter Stewart?
He was a twenty-one-year-old
officer in Washington’s Army which was camped in Mount Holly.
How
did Colonel Stewart’s billeting in Mount Holly impact the life of Stephen and
Mary?
Colonel Stewart, being in a merry
mood found that his spirits were rising somewhat above the level of rigid
propriety could not resist the temptation—perhaps an idle frolic of the moment.
7 George Wilson writes: “While the beautiful and playful Mary Girard
tended the store she would talk to the handsome colonel and share a laugh or
two with him. Then he kissed her just as Girard entered the store. Stephen was
angry with jealousy.”
How
did this matter end?
Girard had several options. He could
report the colonel to his superior officer; he could demand an apology or he
could insist on getting satisfaction in a duel. The pragmatic Girard accepted
the colonel’s apology.
When
did France enter the war on the side of the colonies and under what conditions?
It was June 1778 that King Louis XV1
agreed to enter the War of American Independence to help the budding nation
against the British. This action gave encouragement to the Americans and helped
greatly in the war effort.
What
happened to Girard’s first vessel named the Water
Witch.
It is not certain whether Girard
bought or had built the Water Witch.
When the British left the city in 1778, the Water
Witch was carried off with them and never again seen by its owner.8
How
did Washington’s crossing the Delaware influence the lives of Stephen and Mary?
Stephen did not expect George
Washington to cross over the Delaware into New Jersey. This action also
surprised the British. To counter this tactic, British troops were sent
directly to Mount Holly. Girard, who was planning to return to Philadelphia,
thought it would be wiser to remain in New Jersey until the war ended.
How
did Stephen tell his father about his marriage?
He wrote to his father: “I have
taken a wife who is without fortune, it is true but whom I love and with whom I
am living very happily.9
In
1780, Girard turned thirty years old. What was occurring in his adopted
country?
On May 12, 1780, Charleston, South
Carolina fell to the British after an effective siege. In Philadelphia, Ben
Franklin, prompted by poor vision both near and far, and tired of taking his
glasses on and off, invented bi-focals in the early part of the decade. It is unknown exactly when this occurred,
with Franklin admitting to friends that he had been wearing double spectacles
in 1784.
When
did Stephen and Mary get back to Philadelphia?
They returned to Philadelphia after
the British had been evacuated from the city. His was one of the first
businesses to reopen.
How
did Girard’s professional life change after he got married?
Stephen became pleasantly accustomed
to conducting maritime trade while keeping his feet on dry land.10
Was
there a matter of debts that Girard allowed to go unpaid for several
years?
Yes. He owed money to merchants in
Bordeaux from back in 1774. Although Stephen’s father reminded him of this debt
on occasion, Stephen was in no hurry to meet this responsibility. Perhaps as a
citizen of the State of Pennsylvania, he may have believed he was under no
obligation to repay this debt.
Did
Stephen ever solicit help from his father for his business?
In a letter to his father, Stephen
wrote: “I therefore appeal to your fatherly love and friendship to procure from
your friends as much commission and other business as you can.”11
Girard
was described as a King Midas in his business dealings. Was it true that everything he touched turned to gold?
He had plenty of good luck but
Girard would have called it sound business practices but he was not always
fortunate. For example, a schooner he had shared ownership in was wrecked on
the Virginia coast a year after he had invested in it. In 1780, another
schooner he owned in part was captured by pirates in the West Indies only two
months after investing his money in it. In 1783, he became the sole owner of a
schooner that he named Mary after his
wife. It was wrecked three months later.12
Another of his contemporaries, Job
R. Tyson spoke about Girard's business success: “We may cease to wonder at the
magical transformations of his Midas touch. His secret lay in the patient
application of a remarkably clear and sagacious intellect to the single work of
accumulation, aided by inexpensive personal habits and the observance of
general frugality. He sought through a long life the philosopher's stone with a
sedulous and untiring assiduity.”
Did
the Pennsylvania Assembly ever doubt the validity of Girard’s citizenship?
The assembly complicated matters for
Girard in December 1778 by passing a new law that would cause Girard the need to
pledge to another oath of allegiance.13
Did
he cease all business with St. Domingo after 1776?
No because he went into partnership
with his brother John (Jean) who took up residence there.
Was
this John’s idea in order to work with his brother?
John wrote:
“I am at Le Cap, writing to my
brother with whom I ardently wish to form a partnership. I believe that if he
came here we could between us, do a great deal of business, as one of us could
look after the store, while the other was away on a voyage." John Girard,
shortly before this time, had established himself as a commission merchant and
trader at Le Cap. "Get," said Girard to him, " if you can, a
solid insurance in France, buy a bark or schooner at Le Cap, load her with salt
or syrup, select a good sailor and honest fellow for captain and come with the
vessel to Philadelphia, where you will make a big profit on your cargo after
deducting the insurance premium. Syrup is now worth four gourdes a gallon and
salt twenty-four a bushel. When you arrive here, we might form a partnership to
carry on the business in which I am engaged.”14
John and Stephen kept regular
contact; John would advise or forecast the market and Stephen would acquire and
send the cargo with explicit instructions for the return lading. Thus, Girard
did not have to rely upon the customary international "network" of
merchants who traded on potentially inaccurate market prices.
While
Stephen was awaiting the evacuation of the British from Philadelphia, was he
still exploring other means of employment?
In a letter to his father he wrote:
"There is some prospect of
the English evacuating New York, in which case the position of French Consul
would become vacant. It is an honorable and very lucrative post and I humbly
beg you to use your influence with your friends to get it for me. If, however,
you should experience difficulty because of my being so far from you, send me
if possible a letter of introduction to M. De Gérard, ambassador to this
country from the Court of France, for the purpose of informing him who I am. I
should be very glad to establish myself in New York where all my old
acquaintances live.”15
What
advice did Stephen give his brother John concerning the purchase of farmland?
Stephen did not want John to do that. He wrote: “The wisest course
would be to invest 5,000 pounds in St. Domingo, in coffee, sugar or syrup and
ship the goods to Philadelphia.”
Was
there a specific reason that Girard chose to make part ownership in ships and
cargoes?
He reasoned, perhaps, that by having part ownership in
several ships might give him a better chance of avoiding
disaster than a single ship into which he had placed a great fortune in wares.
What
was the victory that gave the American Army the advantage and brought about the
defeat of the British?
On September 5th, 1776, the
French naval forces reached the Chesapeake Bay and sealed off the only escape
route the British had.
How
did Yorktown play a significant role in the war?
Biographer George Wilson writes: “By
September 11th, American troops were already at Yorktown under the
command of General Marquis de Lafayette. Cornwallis made a tragic mistake by
not attacking a relatively weak force in early September.”
Was
this a mistake?
By September 28th, some
sixteen thousand American and French troops had gathered in a semicircle around
Yorktown. They had now outnumbered Cornwallis by about ten thousand troops.
How
did George Washington manage to hold together his army in such difficult times?
Washington gained his men’s
confidence, respect, and even love. His men followed him barefoot through the
snow at Trenton. They wintered with him at Valley Forge, without proper food or
clothes, or firewood. Surely they fought not only for independence, but also
for Washington.
How
did Girard manage to coordinate business operations with his brother John in
The West Indies?
The only means of coordination was
through the mail. This was difficult because the mail was slow—sometimes taking
two months for a letter to arrive and the mail was not secure because of
pirates and sea disasters.
Was
this the reason that John Girard planned to visit Stephen in Philadelphia?
At the end of the war, John
accompanied a cargo from St. Domingo to Philadelphia and visited his brother
for both personal and business reasons.
What
was Stephen’s advice to his brother concerning John’s travel to Philadelphia?
Girard wrote: “Take nothing but your
clothes so as to appear to be a passenger on the ship’s register on a visit. The British privateers are active.
Above all bring no Negroes.” 16
Who
accompanied John besides the crew?
John arrived with his black slave
Hannah who was then in her twenties and Hannah’s daughter Rosette—a light
skinned girl who was clearly sired by John.
Who
was Eleanor McMullin?
Eleanor McMullin was an attractive
nineteen-year-old Irish girl that John had taken a fancy to. She had come to
the colonies as an indentured servant and was bound by contract. John bought
out her contract and planned to take her back to St. Domingo on his return
voyage.17
Was
it his plan to return with his two slaves as well?
No. He asked his brother Stephen to
take both Hannah and Rosette.
Was
the fact that Girard had accepted two female slaves from his brother a problem
for Mary?
At first not so much, but as people
began to notice and remark that Rosette had the facial features of the Girards,
she complained to her husband.
Did
Stephen plan to use Hannah as his brother had for bedroom duty?
There is no evidence that he had or
that he had not wanted her for this reason but we do know that Hannah stayed
with Girard until his death and that she was the first person he mentioned in
his will.18
What
provisions did the will have for Stephen's mistress Polly Kenton?
Polly who had been a member of
Girard’s household longer than any other woman, except for Hannah was given
$300 a year for life. Emeline, Polly’s niece who succeeded Polly as
housekeeper, received the same amount as Polly.
Did
Rosette remain in the household of Stephen and Mary?
After repeatedly asking John who had
returned to San Domingo to send for the twelve-year-old Rosette, Girard packed
her up and sent her back to live with John and Eleanor.19
Why
did Stephen make this decision?
Mary was always
reminded that John had fathered the child and she was constantly angered by
Rosette’s presence. She also felt that John had been unfaithful to her and
was not as attentive as he had been in his letters.
Were
Stephen and Mary happily married?
Stephen’s biographers seem to agree
that the early years, before Mary’s mental illness, were very happy ones for
the couple. James Parton writes: “Stephen was establishing himself as a
merchant in Philadelphia and Mount Holly. Because of the war, he was unable to
travel abroad which allowed him to cement their union. With the passage of
time, their differences were no longer those that would enhance their marriage.”
Parton describes the early years together in this way: “Instead of bringing
happiness into their home, his young wife merely embittered their lives. It was
a union of mere fancy on his side and self-interest on hers. He was intelligent
and industrious; she was ignorant and lazy. For about nine years, the couple
managed to co-exist. In 1785 Mary began to show signs of mental instability.
She was subsequently declared incurable.”
Chapter 5 Notes
1. Ingram, Life and
Character, 35.
2. McMaster, Life and
Times, 11.
3. Herrick, Stephen Girard,
Founder, 18.
4. Ibid.
5. Steel & Garnet,
December 1963, 12.
6. Wildes, Lonely
Midas, 62.
7. Ibid., 33.
8. Herrick, Stephen
Girard, Founder, 115.
9. Simpson, Biography,
32.
10. Wildes, Lonely
Midas, 33.
11. George
Wilson, Stephen Girard, America's First
Tycoon, (Conshohocken, PA: Combined
Books, 1995), 83.Wilson quotes [a letter] Stephen Girard to Pierre Girard,
circa February 1779 cited in The Papers of Stephen Girard.
12. Ibid., 84.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid., 38.
15. Herrick, Stephen
Girard, Founder, 128.
16. McMaster, Life and
Times, 18.
17. Ibid., 20.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Wildes, Lonely
Midas, 35.
21. Wilson, Stephen
Girard, 89.
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