Samuel Rowland Fisher
Encyclopedia
Samuel Rowland Fisher was a prominent Philadelphia merchant involved in transatlantic trade
. He owned a large shipping line that ran between London
and Philadelphia, but was exiled and imprisoned during the Revolutionary War
because of his Quaker beliefs.
, into a Quaker family with historic roots, growing up in Philadelphia. His father, Joshua Fisher
, was the grandson of John Fisher who came to America
aboard the Welcome with William Penn
. His mother, Sarah Rowland, was the granddaughter of Mary Harworth, an eloquent Friends minister who had also
arrived on the Welcome. Fisher's father Joshua
moved the family to Philadelphia in 1746 and established a home and large mercantile business at 110 S Front St.
, soon after starting the first packet line of ships
to sail regularly between Philadelphia and London
. Fisher's father also purchased a country estate north of the city overlooking the Schuylkill River
from the east, and built a house there in 1753 called "The Cliffs
".
, silverware
, brass
pulls for dressers
, and every other imaginable type of merchandise from a detailed catalog. The business prospered because customers could receive reasonably priced goods within weeks. Fisher eventually took over most of the business from his father and brothers, continuing for the rest of his life to run the packet line to London
. He traveled widely in America
and England
(1767-8) and made notes on the manufacture of textile
, glassware
, and ceramic
items for inclusion in the catalog.
Revolutionary War
As many Quakers did during the Revolution, Fisher and his family tried to maintain a neutral position with respect to the war with England, but he firmly opposed belligerency in the revolutionary
cause, possibly because much of the family business, which involved in trade with London, came to a halt during the war years. He and his family suffered because of this. Much of the family's inventory of merchandise was commandeered by the military to support the revolutionary cause, but they were not fully reimbursed for it.
In 1777, Fisher and his brothers refused to deliver their firm's business records to the authorities, and since they were Quakers they refused to swear an oath of allegiance
. Fisher, along with his brothers Thomas and Meirs, and about twenty other Quakers were exiled to Winchester, Virginia
where they were kept under house arrest for a year. Although they were treated somewhat harshly they survived without severe illness, but their brother-in-law Thomas Gilpin and John Hunt
died. They were allowed out of their houses to dine elsewhere and received mail and guests. They were eventually pardoned and allowed to return to Philadelphia by order of George Washington
and the Congress
after the British evacuated.
However, Fisher, who by then had begun a course towards eccentricity, continued to show opposition to the revolutionary cause, and was arrested in 1779 on the charge of being a Tory
on the basis of a letter he sent to his brother Jabez Maud in New York
. He refused to recognize the authority of the court and was imprisoned in downtown Philadelphia for 2 years. He kept careful journals
of his trips and prison terms which have been well preserved. He had disdain for the excitement seen in Philadelphia from the Continental Army led by George Washington. Many Quakers and even some of his family opposed his strong stand against authority and the revolutionary fervor, and at one point he was threatened to be "read out of Meeting
" (disowned).
(1783-4) and continued his prosperous business. He traveled to Bristol, England, Nottingham
, Manchester
, Sheffield
, Warrington
, and elsewhere to visit textile mills and other manufacturers, comparing their quality and prices. The English could no longer appropriate cheap raw materials from the colonies and sell back the finished goods at exorbitant prices as they had before the Revolution
, but Fisher's business with reasonable prices made profits on many goods that were not yet manufactured in North America
.
Fisher often traded local agricultural products for the English
manufactured goods. Once, Fisher had shipped the yearly cargo of flaxseed to England just before the embargo preceding the war of 1812
. As a result other ship cargoes of flaxseed could not get through and the price Fisher received on his flaxseed in England rose higher than he thought was justified. From this concern, he gave the excess profits to start negro schools in Delaware
.
. He had doubts about proper conduct in both business and personal affairs, and found solace in following strict discipline. He became friends with Elias Hicks
who was a leading Quaker traveling preacher teaching simplicity and discipline.
", her choices for marrying in the Newport area were limited. On May 20, 1793 Fisher traveled by stagecoach to New York, then took a boat to Newport, proposing to Hannah immediately upon arrival the Rodman house. She at first agreed, but in June when his relatives were delayed, she had second thoughts. They were finally married on June 6, and Fisher brought her back to Philadelphia to live at his home at 110 S. Front Street. Fisher was active in the local Quaker Meeting
, became aligned with the abolitionist cause. His wife Hannah became skilled at preaching.
The family with daughters Sarah and Deborah, and son Thomas continued to live at 110 S. Front Street along the waterfront of Philadelphia. They became friends with the Whartons who lived in a house nearby
. The Fishers spent summers at The Cliffs
which perched high above the Schuylkill River
was cooler and more free of mosquitoes than their city dwelling, and the Wharton estate was also nearby. Fisher's daughter Deborah
married William Wharton
, and their son was Joseph Wharton
, a prominent industrialist who founded the Wharton School of Business.
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
. He owned a large shipping line that ran between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Philadelphia, but was exiled and imprisoned during the Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
because of his Quaker beliefs.
Early years
Fisher was born in Lewes, DelawareLewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
, into a Quaker family with historic roots, growing up in Philadelphia. His father, Joshua Fisher
Joshua Fisher
Joshua Fisher was a prominent Philadelphia merchant involved in transatlantic trade and mapmaking as applied to nautical charts...
, was the grandson of John Fisher who came to America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
aboard the Welcome with William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
. His mother, Sarah Rowland, was the granddaughter of Mary Harworth, an eloquent Friends minister who had also
arrived on the Welcome. Fisher's father Joshua
Joshua Fisher
Joshua Fisher was a prominent Philadelphia merchant involved in transatlantic trade and mapmaking as applied to nautical charts...
moved the family to Philadelphia in 1746 and established a home and large mercantile business at 110 S Front St.
Front Street (Philadelphia)
Front Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a north-south street running parallel to and near the Delaware River. It was constructed when Philadelphia was laid out by William Penn in 1682....
, soon after starting the first packet line of ships
Sailing ship
The term sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage "ship" became associated with all large...
to sail regularly between Philadelphia and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Fisher's father also purchased a country estate north of the city overlooking the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
from the east, and built a house there in 1753 called "The Cliffs
The Cliffs
The Cliffs is a historic country house located near 33rd and Oxford Sts. in East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a Registered Historic Place.-History:...
".
Mercantile business
When Fisher and his four brothers came of age, their father named the business "Joshua Fisher & Sons" (1762-1783), and engaged the brothers in all aspects of it. Customers were able to order items such as porcelainPorcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
, silverware
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
pulls for dressers
Chest of drawers
A chest of drawers, also called a dresser or a bureau, is a piece of furniture that has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above another...
, and every other imaginable type of merchandise from a detailed catalog. The business prospered because customers could receive reasonably priced goods within weeks. Fisher eventually took over most of the business from his father and brothers, continuing for the rest of his life to run the packet line to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He traveled widely in America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(1767-8) and made notes on the manufacture of textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
, glassware
Glassware
This list of glassware includes drinking vessels , tableware, such as dishes, and flatware used to set a table for eating a meal, general glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry whether made of glass or plastics such as polystyrene and...
, and ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
items for inclusion in the catalog.
Revolutionary WarAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and family
As many Quakers did during the Revolution, Fisher and his family tried to maintain a neutral position with respect to the war with England, but he firmly opposed belligerency in the revolutionaryAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
cause, possibly because much of the family business, which involved in trade with London, came to a halt during the war years. He and his family suffered because of this. Much of the family's inventory of merchandise was commandeered by the military to support the revolutionary cause, but they were not fully reimbursed for it.
In 1777, Fisher and his brothers refused to deliver their firm's business records to the authorities, and since they were Quakers they refused to swear an oath of allegiance
Oath of allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to monarch or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution. For example, officials in the United States, a republic, take an oath of office that...
. Fisher, along with his brothers Thomas and Meirs, and about twenty other Quakers were exiled to Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
where they were kept under house arrest for a year. Although they were treated somewhat harshly they survived without severe illness, but their brother-in-law Thomas Gilpin and John Hunt
John Hunt (Quaker exile)
John Hunt was one of the Virginia Exiles, a group of Philadelphia Quakers that were forcibly exiled to Winchester, Virginia during the Revolutionary War.John Hunt was a merchant and Quaker minister from London, England...
died. They were allowed out of their houses to dine elsewhere and received mail and guests. They were eventually pardoned and allowed to return to Philadelphia by order of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and the Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
after the British evacuated.
However, Fisher, who by then had begun a course towards eccentricity, continued to show opposition to the revolutionary cause, and was arrested in 1779 on the charge of being a Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
on the basis of a letter he sent to his brother Jabez Maud in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He refused to recognize the authority of the court and was imprisoned in downtown Philadelphia for 2 years. He kept careful journals
of his trips and prison terms which have been well preserved. He had disdain for the excitement seen in Philadelphia from the Continental Army led by George Washington. Many Quakers and even some of his family opposed his strong stand against authority and the revolutionary fervor, and at one point he was threatened to be "read out of Meeting
Quaker Meeting
Quaker Meeting may refer to:* Monthly meeting , the basic organisational unit in the Religious Society of Friends...
" (disowned).
Business after the Revolution
After the war, Fisher resumed his transatlantic business, made new business deals with firms in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(1783-4) and continued his prosperous business. He traveled to Bristol, England, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, and elsewhere to visit textile mills and other manufacturers, comparing their quality and prices. The English could no longer appropriate cheap raw materials from the colonies and sell back the finished goods at exorbitant prices as they had before the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, but Fisher's business with reasonable prices made profits on many goods that were not yet manufactured in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Fisher often traded local agricultural products for the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
manufactured goods. Once, Fisher had shipped the yearly cargo of flaxseed to England just before the embargo preceding the war of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. As a result other ship cargoes of flaxseed could not get through and the price Fisher received on his flaxseed in England rose higher than he thought was justified. From this concern, he gave the excess profits to start negro schools in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
.
Simplicity
Fisher was a typical Quaker merchant in that he was very successful because of his scrupulous honesty, but carried this much farther than others, often trying to import a moral lesson. On one occasion, because hatchets in his store were not selling well, he tried to sell them at a reduced price, but refused to sell to a customer who wanted hatchets to fight the IndiansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. He had doubts about proper conduct in both business and personal affairs, and found solace in following strict discipline. He became friends with Elias Hicks
Elias Hicks
Elias Hicks was an itinerant Quaker preacher from Long Island, New York. He promoted doctrines that embroiled him in controversy that led to the first major schism within the Religious Society of Friends...
who was a leading Quaker traveling preacher teaching simplicity and discipline.
Marriage and family life
Fisher, oddly, was cared for by his sister Esther (Hetty) until his 48th year, when he married Hannah Rodman of Newport, RI, in a hastily arranged ceremony in Newport. He had made her acquaintance on his numerous trips, and had corresponded with her from Philadelphia. She was tall and beautiful, and because Quakers at that time were restricted, as were many other denominations, to marrying "within the MeetingQuaker Meeting
Quaker Meeting may refer to:* Monthly meeting , the basic organisational unit in the Religious Society of Friends...
", her choices for marrying in the Newport area were limited. On May 20, 1793 Fisher traveled by stagecoach to New York, then took a boat to Newport, proposing to Hannah immediately upon arrival the Rodman house. She at first agreed, but in June when his relatives were delayed, she had second thoughts. They were finally married on June 6, and Fisher brought her back to Philadelphia to live at his home at 110 S. Front Street. Fisher was active in the local Quaker Meeting
Quaker Meeting
Quaker Meeting may refer to:* Monthly meeting , the basic organisational unit in the Religious Society of Friends...
, became aligned with the abolitionist cause. His wife Hannah became skilled at preaching.
The family with daughters Sarah and Deborah, and son Thomas continued to live at 110 S. Front Street along the waterfront of Philadelphia. They became friends with the Whartons who lived in a house nearby
Bellevue Mansion
Bellevue Mansion was a historic country house located between N. Marston and N. Etting Streets, off Allegheny Avenue, in North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
. The Fishers spent summers at The Cliffs
The Cliffs
The Cliffs is a historic country house located near 33rd and Oxford Sts. in East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a Registered Historic Place.-History:...
which perched high above the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
was cooler and more free of mosquitoes than their city dwelling, and the Wharton estate was also nearby. Fisher's daughter Deborah
Deborah Fisher Wharton
Deborah Fisher Wharton was an American Quaker minister, suffragist, social reformer and proponent of women's rights, and the mother of industrialist Joseph Wharton.She was one of a small group of dedicated Quakers who founded Swarthmore College...
married William Wharton
Bellevue Mansion
Bellevue Mansion was a historic country house located between N. Marston and N. Etting Streets, off Allegheny Avenue, in North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
, and their son was Joseph Wharton
Joseph Wharton
Joseph Wharton was a prominent Philadelphia merchant, industrialist and philanthropist, who was involved in mining, manufacturing and education...
, a prominent industrialist who founded the Wharton School of Business.