Walker packet ship owners

Quaker Yorkshiremen; merchants from Rawden shake up New York  port, USA.

(Thompson’s, Walker’s & Grimshaw’s. at al.)

(a). I have always been intrigued that Joseph Walker of Darley, New York and finally Darley left over £48,000 when he died in 1835, a very considerable sum, and that other Walker relatives had in their time been merchants in New York.

When I first voiced this to the Local Studies Archivist in Harrogate it was pointed out that New York was a small manufacturing village in Nidderdale some six miles from Darley where the family lived. But we now know that this New York was in the United States of America.

From a rather fragmented group of facts the jigsaw has recently come together, the picture is now more or less complete. The title might seem preposterous but judge for yourselves!

All the following players in this story belonged to the Society of Friends or Quakers as they are more commonly known. This religious group were well known for working together in business. Quakers were expected to marry within the Society or loss of membership would follow. Individuals could remain as “attenders” with possible inclusion at a latter date. Quakers working in co-operation with one another and Quaker marriages weave throughout this story.

(b). In May 1773 Robert Walker (1717-1785) of Gildersome, near Leeds travelled to America on a Quaker ministerial visit, returning via New York in May 1775. He was a master clothier by trade. During his travels he would have become aware of the many opportunities for business between England and America in the cloth and cotton goods trade. 

(c).One of his sons, Joseph Walker (1757-1814) married Sarah Armistead and lived in Leeds. Joseph was apprenticed in the tobacconist trade, and also “accumulated property fast, as the time was exceedingly good to the tobacco trade in England, as tobacco was abundant at a low rate”. It was shipped from America via Liverpool to Leeds; perhaps his father had enlightened him as to this opportunity.

(d). Another son of Robert of Gildersome was Robert Walker (1755-1820) who married Rachel Spence and lived in Darley. Robert & Rachel’s son Joseph Walker (1781-1835) was taken to New York at an early age by his uncle Thomas Walker (1763-1842), yet another son of Robert of Gildersome. Thomas married first Elizabeth Jackson in 1792 and they almost immediately emigrated to New York taking the above Joseph with them. Following his father Robert’s death in 1785 – a maker of cloth Thomas as a young man had “carried forward the family business”. After the death of Elizabeth, Thomas remarried in 1802, Elizabeth H Hoyland. They lived in New York where Thomas was recorded as a “very well to do merchant in the dry goods import business” Thomas retired from business in 1809, his nephew Joseph carrying on the business as an import/exporter in the dry goods trade until about 1828/29. Joseph returned to Darley, Yorkshire, a very wealthy man but died suddenly in 1835 leaving over £48,000. 

(e). Joseph Walker and Sarah Armistead’s son, also a Joseph Walker (1798-1866) was apprenticed in the cloth trade and became a “stuff merchant” of Springfield Mount in Leeds. In 1824 this Joseph emigrated to New York City to work with his uncle, the above mentioned Thomas Walker (1763-1842) and was also successful. Joseph would have also been in the dry goods trade and succeeded in business. Thus two Joseph Walkers working with their father and uncle respectively. 

(e2). In 1832 Joseph Walker, (1798-1866) who later had a packet ship named after him married Sarah Thompson (1810-1842) in New York. Her parents Francis & Mary Thompson Snr. had emigrated some years before from Rawden, Yorkshire. Francis was a very wealthy merchant and ship owner in New York. Their daughter Sarah was born in New York.

(f). Rawden, West Yorkshire has for three centuries prior to the 1880’s, been in the heart of the cloth making centre of Great Britain. Utilizing the natural abundance of water flowing through major rivers from the Pennine hills to wash the wool and drive the machines, and the wool from the large flocks of sheep on the same hills.   

(g). In Rawden the Thompson family had for some generations been engaged in manufacturing cloth. William Thompson Snr. built Low Mills and Park Mills and his son William Thompson Jnr. built Larkfield Mills.  William Jnr had a son Jeremiah Thompson (1778 -1832) born in Rawden who becomes the central figure in this whole story. Living also in Rawden was John Walker (1794-1866) son of Robert and Rachel of Darley who owned a cloth & woollen mill. John’s account books (1820-23) will later become very important in this story. I have little doubt that Jeremiah and John were known to each other and were not only good friends but discussed their respective cloth businesses.  This John Walker married in 1818 Mary, daughter of Richard & Hannah Thompson of Rawden and niece of William Thompson Snr. mentioned above. Mary had a brother, Francis Thompson Jnr. who lived in New York, and was another central player. He was the son of Francis Snr mentioned in Para (e).

As an introduction to justify the title of this work, I can do no better than quote from the preface to Robert G Albion’s book, “The rise of New York Port 1815-1860” (1967).  (NYP) 

(1) “We had originally planned to cover the port’s entire history since the early Dutch days, but once this mid-period was completed, the pre-1815 and post-1860 seemed anticlimactic. 

The research for this study ranged far and wide from records in the basement of the New York Custom House to manuscript collections, statistical records and a wide range of books and periodicals. The most valuable ……… consisted of 45 years of daily “marine news” gathered at the rate of a month an hour at the New York Public library. We recorded 7,400 trips to New York. (In this book 46 pages are taken up by the Bibliography)

Our findings were to undermine the popular tradition that the opening of DeWitt Clinton Erie Canal in 1825 had been the reason for New York’s primacy among American cities. It became clear to us that long before the triumphal procession of canal boats from Lake Erie in 1825, several other factors had given New York such a lead over its rivals that they were never able to catch up. A particularly lucky break came from the British. With the coming of peace in 1815, they decided to concentrate their dumping of industrial products at New York. To a Yorkshireman from Rawden, Jeremiah Thompson, New York owes much. It was through his initiative that the city prospered so much from two other British projects – the inception of the transatlantic packet service, and the “Cotton Triangle” to provide return cargoes for the packets. Thus it was the British – not the building of the Erie Canal – who gave impetus to New York………the city became the “great commercial emporium of America”, whilst Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore were in for a frustrating stern chase. 

The most significant period of the ports development lay between the years 1815 and 1860. To narrow things down still more radically, it may be said that the first decade of peace, from 1815 to 1825, determined that New York would outstrip the other sea ports of America. One may even fix upon the year 1817 as the annus mirabilis when all-important innovations were decided upon.”  (NYP). 

(2). The first trading liners were square-rigged sailing packets and were crucial in seeing trade in general flow into New York rather than Boston. A regular trader in the transatlantic service made two voyages or a “round trip” during a year, a “spring sailing” and a “fall sailing”. During the worst of the seas and bad weather they normally lay in the comfort of the home port. These traders sailed without regard to the sailing of the others. Six might leave for Liverpool in a single week and then no other sailings for six weeks. They postponed their departures many times to secure as much freight as possible. This caused much annoyance to the merchants, who had freight aboard or mail deposited in the letter bag. Passengers had to “cool their heels” whilst awaiting the further filling of the ship’s hold or a comfortable wind.

(3). A change towards an Ocean packet service came with the “Pacific”, a ship of 384 tons built in 1815 for Isaac Wright, a Quaker merchant of Long Island who was active as a merchant textile importer of British goods who had been active in this field previously for about ten years. Our early Walker emigrants would have known Isaac.  Soon associated with him was William Wright his son, also Francis Thompson Snr, a Quaker who came to New York to market the woollens manufactured by his father and brothers and relatives in Rawden, West Riding of Yorkshire. By 1816, the joint owners of the Pacific also included another Quaker, Jeremiah Thompson, nephew of Francis. Jeremiah was an importer of woollens and one of the most extensive exporters of raw cotton to Liverpool. Both were regarded as prosperous and highly competitive woollen manufacturers. The fifth owner was Benjamin Marshall another Quaker Yorkshireman from Huddersfield.  For the next ten years this was the basis of ownership for the ships. Not only was religion a common bond between the owners but marriage also cemented the relationship. Francis Thompson married the daughter of Isaac Wright while Marshall married the daughter of the Pacific’s captain, also a Quaker. In late 1816 the four owners bought two new regular traders, the Amity built in 1816 and the Courier built in 1817. 

They built a fourth, slightly larger vessel, the James Monroe of 424 tons also in 1817. The last two ships were built by Sidney Wright, Isaac’s shipbuilder nephew, who I read later had a very fine name for his quality built ships. 

(4) From the Liverpool end, the house of Cropper, Benson and Co., also Quakers and connected with some of the owners in their extensive handling of raw cotton from Lancashire and woollen goods from the West Riding of Yorkshire, became their agents.

(See photo taken from the Liverpool Mercury of that time.)

(5) In the New York newspapers in late October 1817 four little ships in a row appeared for the very first time. (See photos) Maritime adverts up until that time consisted of one ship, so four was significant. The public were informed that from the first week of January 1818 the Amity, Courier, Pacific and James Monroe would sail in regular succession, on specific days each month throughout the year from New York to Liverpool. 

(6).”The commanders of them are all men of great experience and activity and will do all in their power to render these packets eligible conveyances for passengers. It is also thought that the regular times of sailing, and the excellent condition in which they deliver their cargoes, will make them desirable opportunities for the conveyance of goods”.

(7). That advertisement heralded the appearance of the first liners, New York’s famous ocean packets, and some of the stoutest sailing ships that ever bore the American flag. It constituted a land mark in maritime history not only for New York but the whole world as well. It marked the beginning of the practical application of the “line” to ocean navigation, with several vessels under coordinated private management sailing in regular succession on specific dates between specific ports. From the beginning of this line which was to win the popular name of “Black Ball”, the principle has steadily developed to the present, for those pioneer sailing packets were the direct ancestors of the great steamship liners of to-day”. (NYP)

(8). The Black Ballers derived the names from the black ball at the top of their main masts and the big black circle which would come into view when their top sail was unfurled. These could easily be seen with a telescope when a ship entered home waters and the ships owners, representatives and dockers could assemble to meet it. This gave a better and quicker service to the owners of the freight carried, also a quicker turn around time.   

(9). Regular sailing contained risks, sailing “full or not full” was a possibility so losing potential revenue; three trips a year placed one trip in the worst of the North Atlantic weather causing great strain on the vessels with expensive repair bills. On the other hand a third voyage gave 50% more service which would greatly offset the investment in the ships. The principal of punctuality, it was hoped, would be appreciated by merchants and travellers who in return would favour their ships. This included “fine freight” which represented large value in small bulk and paid very high rates, particularly woollen and cotton goods. Specie or coined money which was always crossing the Atlantic and special Government or mail were also examples of “fine freight”. Correspondence was put in a packet’s letter bag, hanging at the Tontine Coffee House, (see photo of 1798 painting) the maritime rendezvous of the day, instead of mailing it at the post office for transportation by the British Packet brig which would have been slower and less reliable. As far as initial outlay was concerned, no new capital was needed since they owned the vessels and the total value insured was $140,000. This was not an excessive sum of money as Jeremiah Thompson was one of the wealthiest merchants in the country and his four colleagues were all well to do.

New York docks, Wall Street and Water Street would have been very familiar to our Walker relatives. They would have been in the Tontine Coffee House doing business and would have known David Gelston, the Customs Officer for the Port of New York for some thirty years, spanning the period discussed here. (See photo)

(10). The new service was to start with the sailing of the “Courier”, captained by William Browne on January 1st from Liverpool and with the “James Monroe”, captained by James Wilkinson on 5th January from New York. Such was the announcement of the celebrated “Black Ball Line”.

(11). During the first twenty years from 1818 to 1838 the functional importance of these packets was at its height. Fulfilling the anticipation of the promoters, the liners conveyed most of the cabin passengers, specie, mail, “fine freight” and the news between Europe and America. Most significant of all, from the owners’ point of view, were the cargoes of “fine freight”. The dry-goods merchants, auctioneers, and manufacturing agents on Pearl Street were intensely interested in obtaining their goods from abroad as quickly and easily as possible. The last Black Ball sailing came in 1878. (NYP) 

(12). “The Black Ball Line was the only early instance of a line which some of the Captain’s didn’t participate in ownership, this left no question about their relationship to the management”.  Square riggers on schedule. (S R).

(13). Even for shipments from Liverpool to Boston, Philadelphia or Charleston it was quicker to use this packet service and send the goods on from New York than wait about for an irregular sailing service.

The cost of an east bound cabin passage during this time was “40 guineas, wines include”.

(14). “Foreigners and local society shared the honour for the invention which gave New York its lead over its rivals. Probably the man who did the most of all was the Yorkshire man Jeremiah Thompson. 

(15). Once New York was on the road to success outsiders came from every direction. A considerable part of this immigration resulted from the common practice of sending a partner, relative or junior to handle the business at another port and thus keeping all the profits and commissions under control .Whilst many of these men returned home after they had “making their pile” a number naturalized and settled down as permanent residents of their adopted country.” This comment fits some of our Walker relatives.

Because of the volume of the trade with Liverpool, more businessmen came from England……they swelled the membership of the society of St. George. These transplanted Britons had a journal of their own in the weekly Albion. Despite their numbers, not very many of them reached first rank in New York commercial circles. Many of them were manufactures’ agents, the “dammed Yorkshiremen” of the protectionists, who transmitted the incoming Liverpool textiles to the auction rooms and lived in the numerous boarding houses which catered to British business.

(16). None of the later comers from Great Britain approached the eminence of Jeremiah Thompson, his closest rival for honours would be also found among that little group of Black Ball pioneers. Benjamin Marshall went upstate to supervise his cotton factories. Jeremiah’s uncle Francis, besides helping to manage the Black Ballers, was one of the first to raise the steerage trade to the level of big business. Samuel Thompson, another nephew of Francis, continued this in an even more extensive fashion and acquired ownership of several large immigrant “packets”. (NYP)

(17). Most settled families lived either in or around New York but “Long Island was represented by three families of Quakers; Isaac Wright and his son, one of the Black Ball pioneers; Samuel Hicks and his son, wealthy shipping magnates and the Lawrences, noteworthy in several fields. (NYP) (The Lawrence family had freight on the very first Black Ball line crossing as did Robert I Walker. We record a marriage of Robert I Walker (1795-1845 to one Hannah L Lawrence on 10-4-1833).

(17A) In 1796 George Crowther moved his family to Churwell, nr Leeds and had about nine acre’s of land  on which stood a house and workshop A small brook and a small coal seam enabled him to drive a mill wheel. (Keith Freeny , “Loidees”. 17A to 17I)

(17B) In about 1805 George died leaving George Jnr and brother Thomas to run the cloth production from home while David the youngest brother age 22 years went to America. He arrived in New York in November 1810 and settled in a boarding house at the tip of Manhattan near the wharves and warehouse. Writing home he said:-

“Mrs Atterbury’s (the landlady) are a very nice family. There are seven boards, and most of them are very intelligent men and all very steady and orderly. Jeremiah Thompson is my greatest friend and the following are almost the only persons I keep company with: Joseph Walker of Leeds, George Coghill from Mill Shaw, William Robertson from Wortley, J Bakewell from Derbyshire , J Lister from Leeds and two other men. All are respectable young men, or I should no longer know them.”

(17C) “In 1798 there arrived a man who would make an impact in New York, Francis Thompson, youngest of the seven Thompson brothers, cloth manufacturers of Rawden.He was about thirty years old and found adapting to the ways of the New World easy. He was Quaker, which gave him easy access to many of the Yorkshire traders, including Thomas Walker, a Leeds trader in Philadelphia. He soon found his feet, sold Rawden products, handled consignments from other Yorkshire and Lancashire exporters, entering into various deals with Thomas Walker, obtained a warehouse and sold goods direct from there and utilised auctioneers in New York and Boson.”

(17D) in 1801 Francis took his first trip home and saw first hand the enormity of the markets. The Mars, on which he made his journey, was so heavily laden with cloth that customs duties came to thirty four thousand pounds Sterling.

(17E) In June 1811 David Crowther wrote to his sister;-

“Ever since I arrived things have been in a very uncertain and awkward state as respects trade between England and America, and present prospects are by no means flattering…should I come home, stop here or go to Canada. I asked Mr Thompson what he thought it would be best to do, and he says don’t be in a hurry, wait and see what’s to be done…” 

(17F) It was thought that proof would soon be forthcoming that Napoleon’s Decrees had been rescinded allowing Britain to revoke its Orders. Merchants took and placed orders. Mail to Yorkshire carried orders for all manner of cloth goods.  Crowther declared his intention by visiting Court House to become a citizen of America.  By the end of June 1812 Crowther and his fellow Yorkshire men found themselves in the unusual category of “enemy aliens”. Older immigrants still had to become naturalized citizens but those of Crowther’s generation still had to get their “second papers” which required a five year residency. 

(17 G) Crowther was agreeably surprised when in July 1812 a decree ordered all British subjects to register with the US Marshal of their state. Furnishing their names, age, address, length of residence, occupation, number of dependants and their names, and, if, and when, they had made application to the courts preparatory to their naturalization. These details were forwarded to Washington but nothing much happened. 

(17H) In November he wrote that “..the present war seems to prove the war is rather betwixt the two govenments than the people” 

(17 I) In February 1813 the Department of State issued an order requiring all alien enemies residing within 40 miles of tidewater to apply for a passport and retire to a place  designated by the Marshal. Those not engaged in commerce, farmers, artisans etc. and had settled before the conflict could stay where they were. The New York Marshall summoned all British traders to go to him immediately and be issued with passports with their new place of residence. The traders were treated kindly. They were given time to settle their affairs. New York City is so near tidal waters and tidal rivers that to get forty miles away and be in a sizable town would require travelling 200 miles away. Crowther amongst other traders was allowed to stay in New York City on condition that they report to the Marshal every month.  (Keith Freeny )  

(18). The first announcement of new competition came in 1822 from Byrnes, Trimble & Co of New York who copied the methods of the Black Ball line owners. Byrne & Trimble’s line was named Red Star Line or Second Line. The Quakers were quick to respond and announced a doubling of their service, expanding to eight ships, now sailing two each month from each port, New York and Liverpool. Ships names were William Thompson, James Cropper, New York and Orbit. The Black Ball line then became known as the “Old Line” because of its four year seniority 

(19). “The carrying of the British manufacturers westward was the financial backstay of the packet service. There is no need to go into the story of what the Industrial Revolution was doing to make England the “workshop of the world”. The new power looms ands spindles were enabling the woollen factories of Leeds, Bradford and elsewhere in the West Riding of Yorkshire to turn out vast quantities of fabrics which were both the largest item in the British export and also in the American imports”. (SR)

(20).The “Courier on her initial packet trip from Liverpool brought 1,330 separate packages, plus a quantity of coal. These were listed as 402 bales, 251 cases, 247 trunks, 112 casks, 110 bundles, 85 chests, 53 packages, 35 crates, 15 hogsheads, 14 boxes, 4 trusses and 2 parcels. Trunks and bales would have held cloth. 

(21). The consignees who received the contents are listed, showing the confidence of the owners, Jeremiah Thompson received 83 bales and 3 cases; Francis Thompson 86 bales; Benjamin Marshall 37 trunks, 16 cases and 2 bales and Isaac Wright and son 35 crates, 35 casks, 31 cases etc. (SR)  (See photo)  

(22). “The James Monroe arriving in Liverpool had wares worth one tenth of this, 1,148 barrels of apples, 860 barrels of flour, 200 barrels of pot and pearl ash, 101 barrels of turpentine etc etc. Tobacco came via the Chesapeake region and New Orleans”. (SR)

(23). “Several immigrant services (later) advertised, Liverpool to New York and return. Samuel Thompson, (nephew to two of the founders of the Black ball) service, was for many years one of New York’s leading immigrant agents, closely related both in business and by marriage to the house of Grimshaw”.   (SR)

(24). By 1822, Thomas Cope, a Philadelphia Quaker organised a four ship line to Liverpool from Boston.

(25). This host of imitators, the steady increase in the number and size of the ships, and the extraordinary vitality of the packet lines, even after they met the competition of steam, all demonstrated the soundness of vision and initiative of Jeremiah Thompson and his Quaker colleagues when they organised the Black Ball line in 1817. It was said of the development of these lines in 1839; “In a national point of view, the Thompsons, the Wrights and the Marshalls are, with their packet ships, scarcely less of public benefactors than Fulton and Whitney were with their steamboats and cotton gins”.  (SR)

(26). “The death of Isaac Wright and Francis Thompson in 1832, following the crash of Jeremiah Thompson, the first of the “cotton kings” in 1828 due in great part to the selfishment and fear if his Liverpool partner associates in a weak market lead to the sale of the Black Ball line in 1834 to New Englanders”. (SR).

(27). “In 1828 Jeremiah Thompson “the heaviest cotton trader in the world and the leading packet ship-owner in the US” came out of a frenzied cotton boom bankrupt”.(AS) In 1826/7 cotton mills through out England closed, cotton sold for less than the raw material i.e. wool.  

Of his beginning and end Jeremiah Thompson wrote “We Quakers had no small reputation for being in sound business in this town”. (New York). “My brother Francis Thompson and I had been some what successful in the cotton trade for some time. That is what brought us to these shores, New York out of our own native England. We had found it convenient and profitable to operate our own ships and were heavily involved in the shipping business.

(28). With three Friends of ours Isaac Wright and his son William Wright, Benjamin Marshall also a cotton merchant and ship owner we formed a partnership and joint venture. Together we owned four ships and intended to sail them even through during the winter on a regular schedule to Liverpool on certain days each month, no excuses of tide, weather or cargo. We would be regular, the best and safe. All this came to pass.

We dressed the crew in uniforms, paid the best for the best, no tarpaulin pats or packet rats were to be seen on board the Amity, Courier, Pacific or James Monroe. I helped found packet lines from New York to Belfast and Greenock and from Philadelphia and New York to Liverpool. I was reported as being the larges ship owner in the United States and the most extensive cotton dealer in the world at that time. In 1827 large bills in Liverpool were not met. I withdrew from the helm of the venture”.

Queens of the Western Ocean.  (QWO). 

In accordance with the views of Friends, that prudence and caution must be observed in dealing of trade, that your word is your bond and that bankruptcy is unacceptable, both Jeremiah and Francis Thompson resigned as members of the Society of Friends. This did not stop them remaining as “attenders”.

(29) Francis Thompson sold his shares in the ships and went into business with two nephews. After he died in 1832, of cholera the business was carried on by Samuel Thompson, one of the nephews, with two nephews of his own. 

(30). Leeds Mercury Oct 20th 1831. (Sent from New York to the Leeds Mercury)

“On the morning of 11th month Jeremiah Thompson aged 53 yrs. His friends are invited to attend his funeral from his residence at Kips Bay this afternoon at £ o’ clock. Carriages will be waiting at half past two o’clock in Franklin Square. 

The death of Jeremiah Thompson is well calculated to call forth a feeling of regret from those who knew him (as the writer of this communication did in the days of his propriety). For many years there was no merchant or citizen who stood higher in the esteem of the public either as to private character or commercial endeavour. As the original founder of the “Old Line” of Liverpool packets he deserves great praise for the present extension of similar lines to almost every port with which we trade”.  (QWO).

(31). In the first rush after1815, the handling of the immigrant (the word immigrant was generally used then), was on a pretty much of a catch-as-catch-can basis. Like the freight business in the pre-packet days, regularity and organisation seemed to be completely lacking. The irregularity and uncertain of the arrangements tended to place hardships on the poor immigrants. Often they fell into the clutches of boarding house keepers and had to spend most of their substance while waiting for the ship. Sometimes after they had paid for their passages, dishonest agents absconded with the money, or sailings were indefinitely postponed, because the vessels were libelled for debt. (NYP)

(32). It did not take business men long to see the profits which might follow the systematic organisation of this traffic. The business had by the 1830’s, fallen into the hands of a small group of Englishmen, with closely related houses in Liverpool and New York. Outstanding amongst these pioneers was the Grimshaw-Thompson combination. A principal centre of the business in Liverpool was the firm of “Caleb Grimshaw & Co, 12 Goree Piazzas”. Linked to the Grimshaw concern both in business and marriage was the “Old Established Emigrant Office” of Thompson’s in New York. It was founded about 1829 by Francis Thompson, one of the Black Ball Line’s owners (at that time) and a few others built or purchased immigrant liners of their own and provided a service similar to 

that of the regular packer lines. Many of them also copied the service, first inaugurated by Francis Thompson, enabling immigrants, settled in the United States, to transmit funds for passages of relatives and friends who were to follow them from the old country. (NYP)

(33). The story has been told in some detail, quotes have deliberately been used from a variety of sources so no special slant or emphasis has been imparted by this writer to convey anything more than is due. It remain now to add into this story the family players, the Walkers, Thompsons and Grimshaws all who intermarried both in Rawden, Yorkshire and in New York, USA. Besides these names others in the Liverpool Quaker community have a significant part to play. 

(34). Whilst in New York, Joseph corresponded with his father Robert Walker in Darley. In 1815 he requested his father buy the “Wilkes estate” for about four thousand guineas. He also bought the “Manor of Hampsthwaite” around 180 acres. Robert wrote two letters in return to his son Joseph, one in July 1801 and a second August 1803, the address on the first is Joseph Walker with Thomas Walker, New York. The second is addressed to Joseph Walker, merchant, New York. America.  Such a meagre address in both cases can only satisfactorily be explained by believing that both went on one of the Quaker Black Ball line packet boats. The Liverpool agents were Quakers, so were the Captains, and the Walker relatives would meet for worship in New York on a Sunday and letters easily and safely exchanged. 

(41). In the 1801 letter Robert says. “Thou mentioned two barrels of flour that thy uncle had sent us as a present the which we received safe, and I am much obliged to him for his brotherly affection. It is good flour as I think it can be made use of.” 

These would have come via one of the Packet ships prior to the Black ball liners, quite likely on the Quaker ship belonging to Issac Wright.

(35). Thomas Walker (1763-1842) and his first wife Elizabeth had three boys and one daughter. All three boys would have had the experience of his dry goods import business in New York from their father and a share of his undoubted wealth. Nothing is known of Eliza J Walker their daughter. The eldest son Robert I Walker (1795-1845)  and second son John Jackson Walker (1796-1863) would appear to have been two of the consignees on the first historic Black Ball sailing from Liverpool in 1818 shown as R.I and J J Walker; one also can read the names of J Thompson & son and Thompson & Co. John Jackson Walker married Rachel in Philadelphia about 1830. As his brother Thomas Edward Walker (1798-1871) was also “of Philadelphia”, the family may have been living there. 

(36). Maria Walker of York (1845-1932) talked about family history to my father Benjamin Walker (1906-1968). His notes show that she referred to this Thomas as “the boat owner who left a lot of money”.

(37). The third son of Thomas (1763-1842) and Elizabeth was Thomas Edward Walker (1798-1871) whose business address was “Thomas E Walker & Co, Shipping agents, Philadelphia”.   

(38) Hannah Walker, (1820-1898) daughter of John (cloth manufacture) and Mary of Rawden married Charles Thompson Grimshaw (1831-1903) of Liverpool. Charles was the son of Caleb Grimshaw (1801–1847) and first wife Sarah Thompson (1799–1833) both born in Rawden but by 1826 all three were living in Liverpool. Caleb was a “merchant, ships broker and ship owner”. Whilst living in Rawden Charles was named as a “shipping clerk” probably in his father’s or father-in-law’s business.

Caleb’s eldest son George Grimshaw was by 1848 and until 1867 shown as a “ships broker” of “George Grimshaw & Co”, Birkenhead. Between 1848 and 1849 he lived at the family home of Bootle Villa.

(39). Francis Thompson Snr of Rawden, New York and later Liverpool had a daughter Sarah born in New York, she married there Joseph Walker (1798–1866).

(40). Following the death of his first wife Mary Barrow, (4 children out of 5 died within two years of birth) Robert I. Walker (1795-1845) married for a second time Hannah L. Lawrence. Was she a Lawrence from one of the well to do New York families? (See para 17) 

Hannah (Walker) Grimshaw’s father, John Walker was a merchant from Rawden selling cloth to New York, Caleb was a ship owner at a later date, but also responsible to the Black Ball Line for overseeing their ships and loading in Liverpool. It is almost certain the parents would have known each other in Rawden. The marriage of the daughter and son respectively of this pair may have been viewed as a most satisfactory arrangement for both families.

(41). Caleb Grimshaw in 1842 moved to a newly built house, “Bootle Villa” Derby Road, Bootle, just north of Liverpool. The 1841 and 1851 census returns show this as an area of wealthy merchants, ships captains and captains of industry. His house looked out across the Mersey estuary and Liverpool bay, giving him a superb view of all boats entering and leaving the port, including the Black Ball liners. Though his house doesn’t exist to-day the street where it stood is named Grimshaw Street. (See map for “Bootle Villa”.)

Caleb died in 1847 and was buried two days later (following a coroner’s inquest) at the Quaker burial ground in Hunter Street, next to the Quaker meeting house. His second wife Hannah by the year 1881 lived in Claremont Road, Southport and was buried in Southport Public Cemetery in 1887.

(42). Caleb Grimshaw & Co.  In 1829 Gores Liverpool directory gave his address as 1 Queen Street, Liverpool and a “Merchant”. In 1832 Caleb was in partnership with 

William Sudlow Fitzhugh (possibly not a Quaker, I need to check) at 10 Goree Piazzas, Liverpool under the name “Fitzhugh & Grimshaw, merchants”. By 1842 he was Caleb Grimshaw and Co, merchants, passenger brokers and ship owners, the office address was as above, but the companies “Emigration Office” was at 29 Waterloo Road opposite Waterloo Dock where their vessels moored and unloaded. (See map)

An 1860 aerial line drawing of Prince’s dock basin (right) and leading (centre) to Waterloo Dock (left). Highlighted in yellow is 29 Waterloo Road, Liverpool the Emigration Office of Caleb Grimshaw & Co Ltd. (see photo) This was drawn by Jackson & Sulman in about 1860 from a tethered balloon using telescopes and photographs. The whole drawing is over two metres in length by about 10cm in depth and shows about three miles of the Liverpool water front. Unfortunately the north edge of the drawing stops about 50 metres short of Bootle Villa, Caleb’s home! 

(43). Caleb Grimshaw & Co were agents for:-

        Jeremiah Thompson’s Black Ball line boats.

        Rathbone & Cropper’s Black Ball line boats.

        Taylor & Merrill (Quaker- pos not) line 1842

        Samuel Thompson’s line 1842

        Empire Line (Quakers)1844.

        Slater’s Liverpool line. (Quaker- pos not) 1846.

        Black Star line with John Taylor Crook. (Quaker- pos not) 1847 and others.

In 1842 Samuel Thompson began his New York to Liverpool line for passengers. Caleb became his Liverpool representative also secured freight for the Thompson packet line ships. They sailed under the Grimshaw “New Line” flag. (See photo taken in New York)

(44). John Walker of Rawden, cloth manufacturers accounts Page 26a dated 1821 and 1822 show that he used Rathbone, Hodgson & Co, shipping merchants  of 6 Gower Street, Liverpool as his shipping agent from Liverpool to New York. Details show bales (of cloth) sent on the packet boats Amity, Albion, William Thompson, JM (James Munroe) and J.(ames) Cropper. Rathbone was a Liverpool Quaker. 

Receiving bales and cases of woollens in 1822 in New York is an account to Francis Thompson Jnr. Page 37. Over an eight month period the total sum for goods sent was £1597-5-3. Ships used were Jas. Monroe, Amity, Jas Cropper, William Thompson and Panthea. By the end of the year this bill (page 38 and 38a) had risen to £1804-10-0

Goods to Francis Thompson Snr in 1822 New York were totalled at £845-5-2.

Accounts to Francis Thompson Nephews of New York for the year 1823 amounted to £21-9-0 for one bale of wool.

Cropper, Benson & Co, shipping merchants of 31 Paradise Street, Liverpool in the year 1821 shipped cases of woollens and chests of indigo on the Albion totalling £187-7-0. 

(45). James Cropper (1773-1840) was apprenticed to Rathbone and Benson in 1790 where he “showed great diligence and a keen business sense which earned him considerable promotion and respect”. When Cropper joined Benson he did so as a ship owner. By 1823 he had accumulated sufficient wealth to secure a lease on land at Dingle Bank where he proceeded to build three houses one for himself and his wife Mary nee Bridson and one each for his sons, John and Edward. James Cropper’s father was a Quaker as was James himself, his wife and their children. Eliz his daughter wrote to her uncle Thomas Cropper of Harrogate in 1812 that she had visited the Thompson family in 

Rawden and that Francis Thompson was about to return to New York. James Cropper’s son Christopher married a Mary Thompson of Rawden.

(46). It was said that Benson and Cropper were “soon making £1000 per day”. As an influential Quaker it is interesting to see in his archived papers letters from William Gladstone (Prime minister), William Wilberforce and Elizabeth Fry with regard to anti-slavery laws.

The Liverpool Mercury of 1823 shows Cropper, Benson & Co and Rathbone, Hodgson & Co advertising the sailing of the Black Ball liners. 

Following the Great crash in New York in the mid 1820s Francis Thompson returned with his family to live in Liverpool and then Southport.

(47). Of the original five Quaker business men who set up the Black Ball line of four packet boats  in 1817 Jeremiah Thompson and Isaac Wright  were honoured by having boats named after them. Later William Thompson, Caleb Grimshaw and Joseph Walker were also honoured in the same fashion, as was their home county, the Yorkshire. Only one other individual, James Monroe (a USA President) was named amongst their entire fleet of packet ships.

“Quaker merchants from Rawden shake up the Port of New York”.  Well, did they?

Bibliography :-

• The rise of New York port 1815-1860 by Robert G Albion & Jennie B Pope 1967. (NYP). Quotes and paraphrased facts are liberally used from this book.

• Square-riggers on Schedule by Robert G. Albion 1938.  (SRS). ). Quotes and paraphrased facts are liberally used from this book.

• Cropper family papers. Liverpool Maritime archives.

• Benson & Cropper papers. Liverpool Maritime archives.

• Rathbone papers, Liverpool Maritime archives.

• Queens of the Western Ocean. Carl Cutler. Liverpool Maritime archives. (QWO). . Quotes and paraphrased facts are liberally used from this book.

• America & the sea.  Ben W Labone 1998.

• Gores Liverpool Street directories.

• Gleaning and reminiscences. T Ellison. Liverpool. Maritime archives.

• Quaker records. Society of Friends. London.

• Hardshaw West MM, Quaker records, Liverpool.

• Ackworth School records.

• Leeds local history library.

• Photos of New York prior to the Civil war. Liverpool Maritime Archives.

• Quaker records, Knaresbrough MM, Brotherton library, Leeds.

• Census Returns. 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881.

• Southport Cemetary records.

• Liverpool Mercury newspapers, Liverpool Local History Archives.

• Keith Freeney, “Loides”. Webpages.

• Walker Archives, Richard Walker, England and Bud Walker, Canada.

 RBW Formby Oct 2005