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- Samuel Howell (March 11, 1723 – December 9, 1807) was a Quaker who became a prominent merchant in colonial Philadelphia and a leading patriot, proponent, leader and financier for American independence. When Samuel Howell married Sarah Stretch in 1745, he was a hatter, but became a merchant and importer, and rose to prominence becoming one of the leading and wealthiest merchants of his time. Typical advertisements Samuel Howell placed in the Pennsylvania Gazette show the wide variety of goods and services he offered, examples being on October 24, 1751, page 2 and October 18, 1753, page 3 announcing a large variety of goods, which he had just imported from London, for sale in his shop at the "Sign of the Beaver in Chestnut Street", located at the corner of Chestnut Street and Strawberry Alley. A Quaker, Samuel was disowned by his meeting on 12 September 1762 for "fitting out his ships in a warlike manner"; his wife was disowned four years later. "Whereas Samuel Howell of this city merchant, professeth himself convinced of the Christian testimony of Friends against Wars of Fighting, yet persists in fitting out his ships in a warlike manner for which he hath been long treated with in much love and tenderness, and the inconsistency of his conduct laid before him, but as he does not show a proper regard to the advice of friends by discontinuing the practice, and no grounds to expect his compliance therewith, this meeting for the clearing of truth disowns the said Samuel Howell being in religious fellowship with us, until from strict sense of his breach of our testimony he shall seek to be reconciled to friends, and condemns the same to the satisfaction of this meeting, which it is our desire he may be enabled to do, by a more steady attention to the dictates of the peaceable principle of the gospel in his own heart." He was drawn into the political life of pre-Revolutionary Philadelphia. In 1765 Samuel Howell "the Merchant" was a signer of the historic Resolution of Non-Importation Made by the Citizens of Philadelphia, October 25, 1765, and one of the prominent merchants selected to solicit other signers and to see that the agreement was put into effect. He was a member of the local Committee on Correspondence in 1774, Committee of Safety in 1775 and served as a member, 1776-1777. The Committee of Safety was, in fact, a board of war, and had the direction of military affairs in the province. and in 1776 elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly. He served as chairman of the Philadelphia Committee of Safety and member of the Pennsylvania Council of Safety, discharging executive duties of the state government during the Revolution. Two days after his appointment, the Convention adopted the Declaration of Independence. After the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British he served as a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Howell gave his family's silver to make the first U. S. currency. Samuel Howell became a contributor to Pennsylvania Hospital in 1754, was one of its Board of Managers, 1784-9, and President of the Board 1786-9. In 1757 Samuel Howell was a signer of Pennsylvania colonial currency. Notes totaling £45,000 were authorized March 10, 1757, a total of 72,825 notes, to be signed by any three of twenty-four signers, one of who was Samuel Howell. In 1788 Howell was one of the port wardens of Philadelphia, and on March 19, 1791, was appointed by President George Washington as a Commissioner of the Bank of the United States. Howell became a member of the Schuylkill Fishing Company, member No. 133 elected May 1, 1769. His father-in-law's brother, Thomas Stretch, was the founding Governor, member No. 1 elected May 1, 1732; father-in-law Joseph Stretch was member No. 14, elected May 1, 1732, son-in-law Peter Stretch II (1746-1793), member No. 128 elected May 1, 1769; and Samuel Howell's son, Samuel, Jr., member No. 150 elected March 10, 1784. After the Revolution, when the United States began to trade directly with China, Samuel Howell was an investor in many of the early ventures. In 1788, one of his ships, Sampson, captained by son Samuel Jr., was among the first to sail to China, leaving Philadelphia on November 28, 1788, and returning July 3, 1790. Advertisements in Dunlap's American Daily Advertiser in 1792 announced the sale of nankeens and several varieties of tea that he had imported from China in the ship Sampson. In addition to his residence and store at 54 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, he owned another lot with stores and a wharf on the east side of Water Street. The Pennsylvania Museum of Art collection of several pieces of China imported by Samuel Howell and his son can be seen here. He possessed a large landed and personal estate, the latter alone, as shown by the account of his executors, amounting to over $284,000. In today's terms this sum indicates a wealth of $8.1 billion, excluding the value of massive land holdings. In his Last Will and Testament, Samuel Howell chronicalized three generations of his family, distributing to his surviving children and grandchildren portions of his estate, in many instances with specificity. In his six-page Will, recorded in Philadelphia Will Book Z, at pp 210–213 12 Dec 1807 - "Samuel Howell of the City and County of Philadelphia . . . bequeaths to my daughter Sarah Stretch widow of Peter Stretch . . ." [pg 210]". . . bequeaths to the Contributors to the Pennsylvania Hospital . . ." [pg 211] (on whose Board he served, 1784-1789)". . .grandson Samuel E. Howell and his heirs . . .my mansion and lot situated at the north west corner of Chestnut Street and Strawberry . . ." [pg 212]. This location, also known during colonial times as the "Sign of the Beaver", is where Samuel Howell "the Merchant" began his business selling hats, dry goods and other commodities.. This key detail helps distinguish and clarify Samuel Howell, the Merchant, as the American colonial patriot whose service for the Independence of the United States had its beginning with signing the Non-Importation Agreement.. . . to my grandson Joseph E. Howell . . .lot where he now resides, No. 54 Chestnut Street and which I formerly dwelt. . . also wharf and water lot of ground situate on the East side of the water, between High and Chestnut Streets in said City of Philadelphia and in tenure of Jones and Howell Brokers and is bounded by my wharf and lot of ground known by the name of the Crooked Billet Tavern . . .[pg 213] (en)
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