Steve/sewell
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The Capewell family has always been associated with the finest of flint glass in the United States whether it was in Cambridge Massachusetts at the New England glass works in 1818 or the Union Glass works in Kensington near Philadelphia in 1824 or at the Excelsior Flint Glass Works of Kaighns Point Camden new Jersey in 1841 and lastly the Westville Flint Glass works in Westville New Jersey in 1864.
The Capewell family originated in England.Joseph Capewell (1791 - 1834) Born in England in the year 1791 to his father George Capewell. Joseph married Mariah Hodges and had 4 children. He passed away on the 10th of May 1834 in Kensington, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.In 1824 a group of very diversified glass men from various regions of the United States and England formed the Kensington Flint Glass Company in November of 1824. The following workmen a Glass blower and Cutter Joseph Capewell from Cambridge and James Venables glass bower of Boston Mass,left the New England Glass Company bound for Philadelphia to join in the venture of establishing a new flint glass factory. He was one of the founders of the Union Flint Glass Works in Kensington Pennsylvania in 1825.Joseph Capewell was an owner of the glass works until his death in 1834.
His two sons James who was 23 and John who was 18 at the time of their fathers death stayed at the Union Works until the year 1840. The Union glass works had many ties to Camden New Jersey just across the Delaware river as many main carriage roads left Camden bound for the various towns scattered through out Southern New Jersey. When strife took over at the Union works because of feuding between the widow of one of the original owners and the current owners the Capewell boys had their sights set on establishing their own glass works in Camden New Jersey where they had many business acquaintances.
James and his Brother John and a gentleman named John Bamford built and successfully owned and operated the Excelsior Flint Glass Works of Kaighns Point Camden new Jersey from 1841 to 1859.I will have more information on these works at a future date. The next year in 1860 the young United States was festering on the brink of a civil war.In April of 1861 the civil war began and young James enlisted in the Union forces. The war had a staggering effect on a lot of businesses and the glass factory was no different and had already officially closed before the start of the war in December of 1859.
When James returned from the battle front in 1864 he founded again with his two sons John and Joseph the Westville Flint glass works which were located on the Southern bank of the Big Timber Creek at a location just east of current day Delsea Drive. The new Glass works was located about 4.7 miles south of where the Excelsior Glass works were located in Camden New Jersey.The Westville works specialized in cut glass but also realized there was a market for common utility and beer and soda bottles and made these also in great number. The city of Gloucester in Camden County located on the Southern border of Camden City and located just across the Delaware river from Southern Philadelphia was a town full of taverns and bottlers and no doubt the Westville works being located less the a mile away supplied the city with all of its bottle and glass utility needs.
The Westville Flint glass works were most known for their cut glass as James had won numerous awards at the glass expo's in Philadelphia on an annual basis while producing cut glass at his Camden glass works. The Westville venture churned out the same award winning products and James actually had a U.S. patent in his first year in business on glass Castors designed for bed posts. They were so highly regarded that President Johnson had the Capewells make a set for his bed at the white house. They also had a patent on a castor designed for Pianos which enriched the sound quality of the Piano.
I have in my collection a tall footed cut glass that has the word CENTENNIAL engraved in cursive and pressed on opposing sides is a star design with the dates 1776 and 1876. The Centennial Exposition held at Philadelphia in 1876 was the largest show of its type ever seen in the United States up to that point in our young history. I obtained this glass from my Great Grandfather George Barton born in 1885 and who was a neighbor and good friend of one of the Capewells John Batt Capewell (1878 - 1951) a son and grandson of one of the owners of the Westville Flint Glass works. Here is the tall glass.
The Capewell family originated in England.Joseph Capewell (1791 - 1834) Born in England in the year 1791 to his father George Capewell. Joseph married Mariah Hodges and had 4 children. He passed away on the 10th of May 1834 in Kensington, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.In 1824 a group of very diversified glass men from various regions of the United States and England formed the Kensington Flint Glass Company in November of 1824. The following workmen a Glass blower and Cutter Joseph Capewell from Cambridge and James Venables glass bower of Boston Mass,left the New England Glass Company bound for Philadelphia to join in the venture of establishing a new flint glass factory. He was one of the founders of the Union Flint Glass Works in Kensington Pennsylvania in 1825.Joseph Capewell was an owner of the glass works until his death in 1834.
His two sons James who was 23 and John who was 18 at the time of their fathers death stayed at the Union Works until the year 1840. The Union glass works had many ties to Camden New Jersey just across the Delaware river as many main carriage roads left Camden bound for the various towns scattered through out Southern New Jersey. When strife took over at the Union works because of feuding between the widow of one of the original owners and the current owners the Capewell boys had their sights set on establishing their own glass works in Camden New Jersey where they had many business acquaintances.
James and his Brother John and a gentleman named John Bamford built and successfully owned and operated the Excelsior Flint Glass Works of Kaighns Point Camden new Jersey from 1841 to 1859.I will have more information on these works at a future date. The next year in 1860 the young United States was festering on the brink of a civil war.In April of 1861 the civil war began and young James enlisted in the Union forces. The war had a staggering effect on a lot of businesses and the glass factory was no different and had already officially closed before the start of the war in December of 1859.
When James returned from the battle front in 1864 he founded again with his two sons John and Joseph the Westville Flint glass works which were located on the Southern bank of the Big Timber Creek at a location just east of current day Delsea Drive. The new Glass works was located about 4.7 miles south of where the Excelsior Glass works were located in Camden New Jersey.The Westville works specialized in cut glass but also realized there was a market for common utility and beer and soda bottles and made these also in great number. The city of Gloucester in Camden County located on the Southern border of Camden City and located just across the Delaware river from Southern Philadelphia was a town full of taverns and bottlers and no doubt the Westville works being located less the a mile away supplied the city with all of its bottle and glass utility needs.
The Westville Flint glass works were most known for their cut glass as James had won numerous awards at the glass expo's in Philadelphia on an annual basis while producing cut glass at his Camden glass works. The Westville venture churned out the same award winning products and James actually had a U.S. patent in his first year in business on glass Castors designed for bed posts. They were so highly regarded that President Johnson had the Capewells make a set for his bed at the white house. They also had a patent on a castor designed for Pianos which enriched the sound quality of the Piano.
I have in my collection a tall footed cut glass that has the word CENTENNIAL engraved in cursive and pressed on opposing sides is a star design with the dates 1776 and 1876. The Centennial Exposition held at Philadelphia in 1876 was the largest show of its type ever seen in the United States up to that point in our young history. I obtained this glass from my Great Grandfather George Barton born in 1885 and who was a neighbor and good friend of one of the Capewells John Batt Capewell (1878 - 1951) a son and grandson of one of the owners of the Westville Flint Glass works. Here is the tall glass.
