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Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752
I have posted this before but it got inadvertantly removed.I posted it on Guntherhess's site http://antiquemedicines.com/forum/
Here it is again at this forum please give me about a half hour to upload everything there are twenty pages and pictures to go with them.
This is a very important glass related manuscript from our first sucessful glass works, The United Glass works known as Wistarburgh.
Caspar Wistar founded the first successful glass house in the early American colonies in 1739.He called his glass manufactory
the United Glass Company.Caspar Wistar, an immigrant from Germany, arrived in Philadelphia in September 1717.
It had been assumed that he would follow in the footsteps of his father, forester for the Elector of Palatine, but he protested that
his "heart was so taken with the new world that I would not be able to stay.
He arrived in Philadelphia with ambition and not much money, but soon became a successful maker of brass buttons.
In 1725, he joined the Quaker faith and married a woman from a successful Quaker family. In general, Philadelphia’s Quakers
were a financially ambitious group .It isn’t known how Caspar Wistar decided to start the Glass house venture but one good
theory is that he was contacted by unemployed German glass blowers back home in Hilspach Germany.They sought sympathetic
German investors in the early North American Colonies.Wistar had been in constant contact with and correspondence with
German businessmen in his Homeland.He would have certainly been aware of such an opportunity to start a Glass works in
North American was decided that he would go into business with four master glass gaffers from the Palitinate region of Germany.
This was the first cooperative business venture in the early glass industry in this country that the workers had helped to initiate.
The names of the four men were Martin Halter,William Wentzel,Simeon Griesmeyer and Caspar Halter.They arrived in Philadelphia
in 1738 having sailed from Rotterdam on the ship (Two Sisters).Wistar had to wait until the glassmen had arrived to begin
construction of the glass factory.The factory was built in less then a years time.The first pieces of glass to be sold from the factory
was in September of 1739.
Since 1730, Caspar Wistar had been purchasing land in Pennsylvania, some of which he sold to the Penn family. When he
purchased the Alloway NJ tract, he already owned several thousand acres in Pennsylvania including property outside of
Philadelphia near an old glassworks. Since he lived in Philadelphia and had a store in the city, it might be assumed that the
glass factory was established there. This was not the case. Location was a critical consideration and the purchase of the
Alloway, NJ, tract was not coincidental with the arrival of the German glassblowers in the same year. Caspar Wistar was
aware of the particular needs of an operating glass enterprise and the location outside of Salem was ideal!
When Caspar Wistar passed away on March 21st 1752 of dropsy Richard his second son took over the glassworks for
his father and ran them successfully until 1782.It was his daughter Catherine who had been a book keeper for her father
in the business to make sure all monies owed to and paid out were taken care of. No other person affected the early glass
industry in the Colonies more then Caspar Wistar.Last year I got lucky and found descendants of the Wistar family alive
and well in England.They are slowly liquidating there collection of manuscripts,family heirlooms ect.Here is a ledger
showing repayment of loans to various investors in the glass works mostly Caspars children and there husbands and wives
but also private investors including Charles Stedman Henry Stiegels early business partner.
This is an important document which I have scanned and archived pertaining to Caspar Wistars Estate beginning 10 days
after his death.This appears to be an account ledger showing repayment of loans from the glass house business to various
family members; sons, daughters,son in-laws, daughter in-laws,investors ect.Where I am 90 percent sure of glass I have in
my collection as to being attributed to Wistarburgh,these ledger sheets show all the family easily seen in the Wistars lineal
descent with monies owed them by the glass house thus tying together the glass house,Caspars children their husbands and
their wives to the Americas first sucessful glass factory.This is an important piece of information showing the incredible wealth
attained by The Wistars and their extended family.The ledger was kept by Caspars Daughter Catherine who married Isaac Greenleaf.
Richard Wistars name is clearly shown and his sister calls him Rich on one occasion.This Diary and ledger ended up in England
via Caspar Wistar the III the doctor.He studied in England for quite a few years and would make it a logical explanation for these
papers to be over there still in the Wistar family hands.
Here are the first three generations of the Wistars in America.
Page 2 The Genealogy of the Caspar and Catherine (nee Jansen) Wistar
GENEALOGY
FIRST GENERATION
CASPAR WISTAR 1696-1752 Married 1726 CATHERINE JANSEN 1703-1786
SECOND GENERATION
Children of Caspar WISTAR and Catherine Jansen – (above)
Richard 1727-1781 Married 1751 1) Sarah Wyatt 1733-1771
Married 1776 2) Mary Gilbert* Nee Bacon No Chidren
Margaret 1728(9)-1793 Married 1760 Reuben Haines 1727-1793
Catharine 1730-1771 Married 1753 Isaac Greenleafe* 1715-1771
Joshua 1732-1734
Rebecca 1735(6)-1791 Married 1755 Samuel Morris 1732-1812
Sarah 1738-1815
Caspar 1740(1)-1811 Married 1765 Mary Franklin 1735-1804
THIRD GENERATION
III Children of Richard WISTAR and Sarah Wyatt
Caspar 1752-1756 Died single
Bartholomew 1754-1796 Died single
Richard 1756-1821 Married 1782 Sarah Morris
John 1759-1815 Married 1781 Charlotte Newbold
1762-1819
Caspar (M. D.) 1761-1818 Married 1788 1) Isabella Marshall -1790 No children
Married 1798 2) Elizabeth Mifflin 1774-1844
Thomas 1764-1851 Married 1786 Mary Waln 1765-1844
Elizabeth Wyatt 1766-1855 Married 1788 Richard Miller 1764-1803
Catharine 1770-1822 Married 1797 William Bache, M. D. 1773-1820
II Children of Caspar WISTAR and Mary Franklin
Johnson Died at birth 1766-
Thomas 1767-1814 Died single
Catharine Franklin 1768-1824 Married 1804 Abraham Sharples* 1748-1835
Sarah 1770-1845 Married 1790 George Pennock* 1764-1799
Mary 1772-1810 Died single
Son 1774-1774 Died at birth
Deborah 1775- Died single
Samuel 1780-1812 Died single
Genealogy from “THE WISTAR FAMILY†by Richard Wistar Davids 1896
You can reference this family chart and see the names of the family members Catherine writes about.
I have posted this before but it got inadvertantly removed.I posted it on Guntherhess's site http://antiquemedicines.com/forum/
Here it is again at this forum please give me about a half hour to upload everything there are twenty pages and pictures to go with them.
This is a very important glass related manuscript from our first sucessful glass works, The United Glass works known as Wistarburgh.
Caspar Wistar founded the first successful glass house in the early American colonies in 1739.He called his glass manufactory
the United Glass Company.Caspar Wistar, an immigrant from Germany, arrived in Philadelphia in September 1717.
It had been assumed that he would follow in the footsteps of his father, forester for the Elector of Palatine, but he protested that
his "heart was so taken with the new world that I would not be able to stay.
He arrived in Philadelphia with ambition and not much money, but soon became a successful maker of brass buttons.
In 1725, he joined the Quaker faith and married a woman from a successful Quaker family. In general, Philadelphia’s Quakers
were a financially ambitious group .It isn’t known how Caspar Wistar decided to start the Glass house venture but one good
theory is that he was contacted by unemployed German glass blowers back home in Hilspach Germany.They sought sympathetic
German investors in the early North American Colonies.Wistar had been in constant contact with and correspondence with
German businessmen in his Homeland.He would have certainly been aware of such an opportunity to start a Glass works in
North American was decided that he would go into business with four master glass gaffers from the Palitinate region of Germany.
This was the first cooperative business venture in the early glass industry in this country that the workers had helped to initiate.
The names of the four men were Martin Halter,William Wentzel,Simeon Griesmeyer and Caspar Halter.They arrived in Philadelphia
in 1738 having sailed from Rotterdam on the ship (Two Sisters).Wistar had to wait until the glassmen had arrived to begin
construction of the glass factory.The factory was built in less then a years time.The first pieces of glass to be sold from the factory
was in September of 1739.
Since 1730, Caspar Wistar had been purchasing land in Pennsylvania, some of which he sold to the Penn family. When he
purchased the Alloway NJ tract, he already owned several thousand acres in Pennsylvania including property outside of
Philadelphia near an old glassworks. Since he lived in Philadelphia and had a store in the city, it might be assumed that the
glass factory was established there. This was not the case. Location was a critical consideration and the purchase of the
Alloway, NJ, tract was not coincidental with the arrival of the German glassblowers in the same year. Caspar Wistar was
aware of the particular needs of an operating glass enterprise and the location outside of Salem was ideal!
When Caspar Wistar passed away on March 21st 1752 of dropsy Richard his second son took over the glassworks for
his father and ran them successfully until 1782.It was his daughter Catherine who had been a book keeper for her father
in the business to make sure all monies owed to and paid out were taken care of. No other person affected the early glass
industry in the Colonies more then Caspar Wistar.Last year I got lucky and found descendants of the Wistar family alive
and well in England.They are slowly liquidating there collection of manuscripts,family heirlooms ect.Here is a ledger
showing repayment of loans to various investors in the glass works mostly Caspars children and there husbands and wives
but also private investors including Charles Stedman Henry Stiegels early business partner.
This is an important document which I have scanned and archived pertaining to Caspar Wistars Estate beginning 10 days
after his death.This appears to be an account ledger showing repayment of loans from the glass house business to various
family members; sons, daughters,son in-laws, daughter in-laws,investors ect.Where I am 90 percent sure of glass I have in
my collection as to being attributed to Wistarburgh,these ledger sheets show all the family easily seen in the Wistars lineal
descent with monies owed them by the glass house thus tying together the glass house,Caspars children their husbands and
their wives to the Americas first sucessful glass factory.This is an important piece of information showing the incredible wealth
attained by The Wistars and their extended family.The ledger was kept by Caspars Daughter Catherine who married Isaac Greenleaf.
Richard Wistars name is clearly shown and his sister calls him Rich on one occasion.This Diary and ledger ended up in England
via Caspar Wistar the III the doctor.He studied in England for quite a few years and would make it a logical explanation for these
papers to be over there still in the Wistar family hands.
Here are the first three generations of the Wistars in America.
Page 2 The Genealogy of the Caspar and Catherine (nee Jansen) Wistar
GENEALOGY
FIRST GENERATION
CASPAR WISTAR 1696-1752 Married 1726 CATHERINE JANSEN 1703-1786
SECOND GENERATION
Children of Caspar WISTAR and Catherine Jansen – (above)
Richard 1727-1781 Married 1751 1) Sarah Wyatt 1733-1771
Married 1776 2) Mary Gilbert* Nee Bacon No Chidren
Margaret 1728(9)-1793 Married 1760 Reuben Haines 1727-1793
Catharine 1730-1771 Married 1753 Isaac Greenleafe* 1715-1771
Joshua 1732-1734
Rebecca 1735(6)-1791 Married 1755 Samuel Morris 1732-1812
Sarah 1738-1815
Caspar 1740(1)-1811 Married 1765 Mary Franklin 1735-1804
THIRD GENERATION
III Children of Richard WISTAR and Sarah Wyatt
Caspar 1752-1756 Died single
Bartholomew 1754-1796 Died single
Richard 1756-1821 Married 1782 Sarah Morris
John 1759-1815 Married 1781 Charlotte Newbold
1762-1819
Caspar (M. D.) 1761-1818 Married 1788 1) Isabella Marshall -1790 No children
Married 1798 2) Elizabeth Mifflin 1774-1844
Thomas 1764-1851 Married 1786 Mary Waln 1765-1844
Elizabeth Wyatt 1766-1855 Married 1788 Richard Miller 1764-1803
Catharine 1770-1822 Married 1797 William Bache, M. D. 1773-1820
II Children of Caspar WISTAR and Mary Franklin
Johnson Died at birth 1766-
Thomas 1767-1814 Died single
Catharine Franklin 1768-1824 Married 1804 Abraham Sharples* 1748-1835
Sarah 1770-1845 Married 1790 George Pennock* 1764-1799
Mary 1772-1810 Died single
Son 1774-1774 Died at birth
Deborah 1775- Died single
Samuel 1780-1812 Died single
Genealogy from “THE WISTAR FAMILY†by Richard Wistar Davids 1896
You can reference this family chart and see the names of the family members Catherine writes about.
