Norwich bulletin., 1917-12-22
CRAFTSMEN WHO HELPED MAKE HISTORY

| inches high, made by him, have been located in Connecticut churches. He was man of excellent connec- tions. His mother was a sister of Rev Dr. Samuel Johnson of Stratford, fla ther of Eipiscopacy in Connecticut, as te is called, and first president Of Kings college, now Columbia un1ver- sity, of New York, while his brother mont.
 He was quite intimately associated as a skilled mechanic and friend with Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton warden or vestryman of Trinity church, New Haven. He died in 1872. On the other side of Church street, New Haven, from the shop of Robert Fairchild, was located the home and | shop of Captain Phineas Bradley, who ! was a skilled workman and who saw service in the Revolution.
 l His brother, Colonel Amer Bradley, was also a silversmith. He was born in New Haven in 1753, learned his | trade there, and served in the Revo- 1 lutionary war at Crown Point and Danbury raid of TIT. He retired as | colonel of militia. After the war he settled in Waterbury, following nis l trade until his death in 1924.
 1 Marcus Mermiman, who was born in | Cheshire in 1762, moved to New Haven 1 when boy. He saw military and l naval service in the Revolution part of the time in the company of Captain i Bradley. | His first advertisement appeared in l 1787, and thereafter he was constantly i-asking for custom.
 He apparently did large business I for those times in his shop in Sta-e street. Thirteen of his beakers and ] a caudle-cup have been found in con not uncommon in New Haven county. l It is probable that he produced more 1 silver than any other Connecticut sii- tversmith.
 Amos DooIiftIe, born in Cheshire in ! 1I54, certainly began his business
 career as a silversmith, having learned his trade of Eliakim Hitchcock of that place.
 He advertised several times that he i worked in silver; but the greater nun l. Der of his advertisements had reIs tioJl
 to engraving and are of interest. He successively advised the public
 that he has published a mezzo-tint of IT Hon. John Hancock, in colors; MT.
 Laws Collection of Music. that h4
 does printing on calico; that he en- graves ciphers coats-of arms, and de-
 vices for books. or book k-plates, tn,l maps, plans and charts; that he has
 published the Chorister's Companion
 and that he does painting and gliding l and in 1792 that he is publishing an elegant print of Federal HaI the seat of congress, with a view of the chan cellor of state administering the oath of office to the president. He died fl 1882
 I Other New Haven silversmiths oi the period included John and Miles Gorham, Charles Hequemburg and Samuel Merriman, who. all did meri
 Ltorious work.
 In .Hartford, after Potwine's day tperhaps the most skilled craftsman
 was Colonel Miles Beach, who was born in Goshen in 1724 and followed he moved to Hartford and opened a shop about ten rods south of the bridge, on Main street.
 Il" His first partner was isaac San ford and later he was in business with
 his former apprentice, James Ward Spoons bearing his mark are found ir Hartford and vicinity, and there are
 four interesting chaIices- made by him in 1794' belonging to the Congrega- I tional church in Kensington, Berlin
 He saw active service during the Revolution: it is also noted that he was chief engineer of the Hartford fire
 department from it's organization 1T . 17SS to 1905. He died in 1928.
 James Ward, just mentioned, wat one of family of silversmitha.S His father brother. and probably grand ! father, all followed the trade in Gull l ford.
 as already stated was apprenticed tc ) Colonel Beach. After the firm o 1 Beach & Ward was dissolved. in 1793 Ward for a time continued alone at z l shop about ten rods nortA of ths ! bridge, at the Sign of the Golden Ket- tle."
 A number of silver pieces made b,
 him have been found in Connecticu
 | churches, as well as spoons in private . | hands. He was a good craftsman
 and, like other Connecticut smiths, dit . not conf1ne himself to his trade; fo 1, we later find him making and dealing in pewter worms for stills, dyer's matters ard kitchen coppers, and va rious sorts of brass and copper goods , and casting church bells. He becam, quite prominent and influential il Hartford, and died in 1856.
 And now the chronicle of early siI 5 versmiths brings us to James, TiIeyy 5 i a man of talent and skill, who was tn, ! Dig advertiser of his times. Attention will be paid to him and his publicit.
 methods in later paper.
 Il In connection with the account o : l the work of James Ward, in the bool s on Early Silver of Coni1ecticut and It t Makers, by George M. Curtis, iron : which these records of an importan I Connecticut industry in its arl 5 stages are taken, through the courtes, 5 of the owner of the book Mrs. ,Elish n E.. Rogers, of Norwich, two bushes 8 cards are shown.
 a One is that of the firm of, Beach ( Ward of Hartford, circular car