The life of Joseph Priest.

New York City

Joseph joined a firm called Evans, Milward & Priest as a full partner?, in New York City, and then, within a year he sold out, and went to Lichfield Conn., where he was employed by the Lichfield Manufacturing Company. He stayed with the company for several years, before returning to New York City, where he founded his own business, under the name of Joseph Priest, 96 Walker Street, New York City. This can be seen in an advertisement that appeared in the New York City Directory for 1856.

This was the trade that Joseph learnt some few years previously in Wolverhampton, and the trade, that would now provide him and his sons with a living for the rest of their lives. And indeed, future records indicate that he went on to amass quite a fortune from this predominantly Black Country Trade.

Dun's revue, the forerunner of Dun & Bradstreet's Credit Report, states:

In 1859, he invested between $5,000 and $6,000 in the business. His liabilities never exceeded 2 %. Other persons report that he is of good character, industrious and an excellent workman. During this time, he worked for publishing houses.

By 1865, the business directory shows that he had moved home, and had a new business address at 23 Elizabeth Street.

In 1869, a new advertisement appeared in the directory. Joseph took his eldest son Edgar into the business. Edgar was just 20 years of age.

But this partnership was to be short lived, as Edgar, at the age of 28, like his grandmother in England before him, died of consumption. He died on the 2nd June 1877. Just three years later, his mother Maria died, and as the administration of her will shows, she was quite a wealthy woman in her own right:

Maria Priest, April 10, 1880. Line 34, Page 384. Administration.

Wife of Joseph, petitioner, died Nov 9, 1879. She is survived by her husband and seven children. Her daughter, Maria, died on 18^th February, 1879, and her son, Edgar, in 1877. Arthur E, Ellen L., George W., and Joseph E., all having reached their majority, Frank W., 17 years, Florence, 15 years and Charles E., 17 years.

Joseph, her husband, attested that her estate was worth $4,000.

In 1999 Dollars, the $4000 would amount to $69,447.

Joseph and his first wife Maria had six sons and three daughters. All of the sons went on to work with their father in the japanning trade. It was one of Joseph's grandsons from this first marriage, that went on to write up the family history.

Joseph married for a second time in 1882. A copy of the information from the marriage registration, is set out below:

Harold Joseph Walter Priest, son of Joseph Priest. It was taken on his honeymoon, in 1914. He is the father of Harold Joseph Michael Priest, author of the letter that appeared in the Black Country Bugle, in 1999. His new wife was Catharine A. Kerin.

There were two children from Joseph's second marriage. One daughter, born in 1883, and one son born in Brooklyn, 28th September, 1888. There is much more information on all of Joseph's children and their subsequent families, right up until the present day. But it is with Joseph's death in 1905, that we leave this much talented Wolverhampton artist, who made it big in Brooklyn. Joseph's estate, when he died in 1905, was worth $67,067.51. Based on 1999 Dollars, this amounts to a staggering $1,206,871.97.

I leave you with an extract from Harold Priest's notes.

Information compiled by Maureen Hunt, with much help and input from Harold J. Priest. Email address:   Haljean@aol.com