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- 1). SOURCE: Book--THE DIRECT ANCESTRY OF THE LATE JACOB WENDELL OFPORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, WITH A PREFATORY SKETCH OF THE EARLY DUTCHSETTLEMENT OF THE PROVINCE OF NEW NETHERLAND, 1614--1664. BY JAMESRINDGE STANWOOD, OF BOSTON; COPYRIGHT, 1882, pages 17-34 & 47. Theentire book is 51 pages in length.
www.neflin.org/srrl; Heritage Quest Online
The genealogy lineage was obtained beginning with the ancestor fromthe Netherlands to America and the subsequent generations listed inthe book to c.1882 A.D. Even though the book is well over a hundredyears old and the copyright laws are now somewhat laxed with it'susage, only excerpts were noted in this work. The full lineage forthose that are interested is available on the Internet site listedabove.
START: (Page 28): "JACOB WENDELL, the sixth child of John by hissecond wife, Dorothy (Sherburne) Wendell, was born in Portsmouth,N.H., December 10, 1788. Educated in his native town, he enteredbusiness life on leaving school, and acquired, within a comparativelyshort period, such thorough mercantile training and familiarity withcommercial matters, as enabled him, a few years later, to become amerchant and importer on his own account, in the Russian and WestIndia trade. In this pursuit he was remunerated by abundant returns,and with judicious and conservative management, he rapidly accumulatedwhat was for those days a handsome property, becoming a prominent andrespected citizen.
The responsibilities of affairs unquestionably tend, in a greater orless degree, towards absorption of the social and domestic tastes.Too often is the man of business, engrossed in watchful scrutiny ofhis interests, and (Page 29) wrapped in contemplation of fresh plansfor added influence and profit, inclined to subordinate to anindifferent place those cheering and brightening associations of homeand its surroundings, which do so much to render life desirable andhappy. This could not be said of Mr. Wendell. He possessed strongpoints of character. He was energetic, clear-headed and prudent, ofsterling integrity and honor; devoted to his business, and unceasinglyfaithful to its demands upon him; but he did not allow it to mar orlessen the force of social ties. He was a loving and affectionatehusband and father, a generous brother and indulgent friend, and itwas in the congenial domestic circle that he sought and found hisrespite from the care and bustle of business life.
It was in 1815 that he embarked with his brother Isaac Wendell andothers in the enterprise of establishing and operating some of theearlier mills founded in New Hampshire for the manufacture of cottoncloth. The industry of weaving textile fabrics was then in itsinfancy upon this side the Atlantic, very little being known here atthat period of the improved machinery patented in Great Britain, whichwas prohibited by the government from exportation abroad. The embryomanufacturers purchased, through Daniel Webster, then resident inPortsmouth, several fine water privileges, the first acquisition beingthe estate in Dover, known as the Waldron farm, upon which theyerected successively several structures. In the fall of 1821, thefirst mill was ready to commence operations, and its machinery wasstarted in control of a skillful superintendent, under such favorableauspices, and with such satisfactory results, that two years lateranother mill was built upon the Salmon Falls river, upon a sitepurchased of Mr. Gershom Horn, which was the pioneer factory of theGreat Falls corporation.
For some time everything went prosperously. The mills earned ahandsome profit upon the capital invested, the stock advanced to apremium, and all seemed to augur well for the future, when the notablecommercial (Page 30) panic of 1827-28 swept the country, and onemercantile crash succeeded another. The destruction of all confidencein business credit and financial strength was rapid and wide-spread,involving on all sides extended commercial ruin, among which was thefailure of the Great Falls Manufacturing Company, and the consequentprecipitation of heavy losses upon Jacob Wendell, with others, whichwere terribly severe. The shock of this calamity, though it veryseriously and almost hopelessly crippled him financially, did not,however, cause him utter discouragement. While overwhelmed by thesudden and terrible revulsion of fortune, his spirit was not crushed,and accepting the unwelcome circumstances in which he was placed, hedevoted his energies, for the long years which were to come, towardsthe amelioration of the catastrophe.
He held firm and pronounced religious convictions, being from earlyyears connected with the well known South Parish society ofPortsmouth. He united with its church membership during the memorablepastorate of the Rev. Dr. Nathan Parker, between whom and himselfexisted the most cordial friendship, while the active interest heevinced in all relating to the welfare and prosperity of the ancientparish in which he was brought up, continued to the time of hisdecease. He had marked taste for historical and antiquarian matters,and was a corresponding member of the New England HistoricGenealogical Society from 1847. He was married (Aug. 15, 1816) toMehetabel Rindge, only daughter of Mark and Susanna Rogers, (Page 31)of Portsmouth, with whom he lived most happily for a long period ofyears, only terminated by her death, which occurred April 30, 1859.They were blest with a family of eight children, six of whom theylived to see grow to years of maturity, and occupy reputable anduseful relations in society. Jacob Wendell survived his wife sixyears, dying at the homestead on Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, Aug. 27,1865. Issue:" See Listing
[Transcribed 08 January 2007, SLJuhl, compiler]
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