Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
Source Information: HISTORY OF BERGEN AND PASSAIC COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY,COMPILED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF W. WOODFORD CLAYTON, PHILADELPHIA: EVERTS & PECK, 1882
John Mabie.— The Mabie family of Bergen County are descendants of the French Huguenots of the same who, during the latter part of the seventeenth century, left their native country and found a home, first in Holland, and subsequently along the banks of the Hudson and on Long Island.
His father, William Helimus Mabie, born at Tappan, Rockland Co., N.Y., was a mason by trade, and spent his active business career in New York City and Hoboken, where he followed his chosen avocation, and in the latter place he was engaged for many years, and did business for Robert L. Stevens.
He died in 1828, aged thirty-nine years. His wife was Maria, daughter of Henry Verbrycke, a Revolutionary soldier, who was in Gen. Washington’s army, and at the battle of Yorktown, and who resided near Ramapo, N.J.
Their children were Ann, wife of Robert W. Higgs, of New York City, and John, subject of this sketch.
John Mabie was born in New York City, June 19, 1819. At the age of nine years, being thrown upon his own resources for support on account of the death of his father, he started in life to carve out a fortune for himself. Like many others who have attained opulence, but who when young met the obstacles incident to poverty, young Mabie had also these to contend with, but met them with that perseverance and resolution that have characterized his subsequent business career. He spent one year in the tobacco-factory of Mr. Lorillard, followed by two years’ service in Mr. Booth’s printing-office; the remainder of his minority, eight years and four months, being spent as an apprentice in the manufacture of gold-pencil cases with Thomas Addison, the first man to engage in that business in this country. For three years following he continued this business as a journeyman, then, with John H. Roanch, Patrick Kean, and Louis Baulman, journeymen, he, in 1843, established business for himself, and was one of the founders of the gold-pen and pencil-case house of Roanch & Co., which continued business until 1849, when the partnership was dissolved.
That year Mr. Mabie purchased fifty-one acres of land at Fairview, in Bergen County, upon which in 1857 he built a substantial brownstone mansion, which with its well laid out grounds has been his homestead since.
Restless under too much ease, Mr. Mabie remained from business only a few months, and in 1850 established in New York City the world-renowned gold-pen and pencil-case house, first known as "Mabie, Knapp & Co.," afterwards as "Mabie, Smith & Co.," and for the past ten years as "Mabie, Todd & Bard," the sales of which extend to the most distant parts of the world. Their office is at 180 Broadway, and the manufactory at 138 Wooster Street.
In 1871, Mr. Mabie retired from the business in favor of his sons, George Whitfield and John Henry, who have since represented the Mabie interest in the concern.
His life has been wholly devoted to business, nor has political place or the emoluments of office ever been a part of his ambition.
Mr. Mabie is naturally of an ingenious turn of mind, and besides inventing the screw-pencil, he invented a "car replacer," which has been successfully used on railroads.
His wife, whom he married April 22, 1841, was Eliza Jane, daughter of Samuel Smith and Eliza Ossa, of Westchester County, who died in 1870, and bore him children as follows: Ann Maria, wife of Charles Sageman, George Whitfield, John Henry, Mary Eliza, wife of William Newcomb, and Charles Edgar, who died at the age of fourteen. His present wife is Emmagene, daughter of Samuel Sweetland, of Providence, R.I.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/mabie/messages/6.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|