RICHARD WISTAR. RICHARD WISTAR had the good fortune to descend from ancestors in whom he beheld examples worthy of imitation. His paternal grandfather, Caspar Wistar, emigrated from the dominions of the Electorate of Heidelberg, in Germany, from a place called Hilspach, where he was born February 3d, 1696, and arrived in Philadelphia on the 16th September, 1717. He was a man of strong intellect, and applied his life to useful purposes. By his exertions was established in New Jersey, about thirty miles from Philadelphia, a manufactory of glass, supposed to have been the first in North America. His maternal grandfather, Bartholomew Wyatt, emigrated from England with his wife, not long after William Penn commenced the settlement of Pennsylvania. He lived not far from Salem in New Jersey, and was active and distinguished in the affairs of his day, both civil and religious. His father was remarked for firmness of character, and paid particular attention to the morals and religion of his children. Richard Wistar, the subject of this memoir, was born in Philadelphia the 20th July, 1756. On the 14th March, 1782, he was united in marriage to Sarah Morris, daughter of Captain Samuel Morris, a distinguished citizen of Philadelphia. Mr. Wistar, in early life, had a turn of mind in favor of trade and commerce, in which he met with great success. In the year 1790, he built the large four-storied store, at the northwest corner of Third and Market Streets, which he occupied for many years in conducting the wholesale and retail ironmongery and hardware business. He was not long in business before he was enabled to purchase lands and houses in and near to the city, and in the interior of the State of Pennsylvania. He was fond of reading and domestic retirement, and was one of the early friends and supporters of the Philadelphia Library Company and the Pennsylvania Hospital, and was an active Inspector of the Prison. He was one of the Benjamin Franklin order of men, who punctually and practically adopted his proverbs and maxims on entering into life and business pursuits. Watson, in his "Annals," says, "Mrs. Shoemaker, as aged as ninety-five years, told me that pleasure-carriages were very rare in her youth. She remembered that her grandfather had one, and that he used to say he was almost ashamed to appear in it, although it was only a one-horse chair, lest he should be thought effeminate and proud. She remembered old Richard Wistar had one also.” This Richard Wistar was the father of our present subject. During the American Revolution, Richard Wistar belonged to the Society of Friends, but was disowned on account of his patriotism, and love of the lady he married, and the exercise of his just rights, in taking up arms in defence of his property at sea, when attacked, and of marrying out of Quaker meeting. Mr. Wistar often remarked in after years, that when he built his store at the northwest corner of Third and Market Streets, he could see the mechanics and workmen engaged on it from his countryseat, so few were the buildings then erected between the two places. His country-seat, called Hilspach, was situated at what is at present called and known as Fifteenth, Spring Garden, Brandywine, Green, Mount Vernon, Wallace, and Broad Streets, and is now converted into valuable city building lots of ground. Richard Wistar was a man of sound common sense and strict integrity, of good judgment and business habits. He was sternly opposed to the system prevailing in his days of mutual indorsements and accommodation paper promissory notes of hand. Richard Wistar was a Freemason in high esteem with the fraternity. His certificate of membership is dated 27th August, 1779, and signed, "John Wood, Grand Secretary, Lodge No. 2." The impression is taken from an engraving, with Masonic devices, and is in the English, French, and Spanish languages. The "Silk Stocking" lodge of Philadelphia was created for him, and he became its Master, or presiding officer. He always carried his certificate, which was printed on parchment and tied up in a silken bag, with him, when he travelled by sea or land. He died in the city of Philadelphia, on the 6th of June, 1821, in the sixty-fifth year of his age, and at this period (1859) only two of his children survive him, Richard Wistar and Sarah Wistar. |