Josiah Penfield (June 6, 1785 – 1828) was an American silversmith based in Savannah, Georgia. Penfield, Georgia, is now named for him.
Josiah Penfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 6, 1785 Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | 1828 Rye, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Silversmith |
Early life
Penfield was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1785,[1][2] to Nathaniel and Rachel Marquand Penfield. He was the middle child of three brothers.[3]
Career
Penfield moved to Savannah, Georgia, around the turn of the 19th century. He worked with the firm of his uncle, Isaac Marquand (1800–1801);[4] Marquand and (Cornelius) Paulding (1801–1810); Marquand, Paulding and Penfield (1810–1816); Penfield (1816–1820); and J. Penfield and Company (1820–1828). He worked with his cousin Frederick Marquand[5] from around 1821 to 1825 and with Moses Eastman from 1826 to 1828.[6][7] From around 1813, Marquand, Paulding and Penfield operated locations in Savannah, New York City and New Orleans.[3]
Personal life
In 1808, Penfield was baptized at Savannah's First Baptist Church,[3] where he became a deacon.[8]
He married Sarah B. Pettibone in 1813. She died around a year into their marriage. He married again, a decade later, to Elizabeth Letitia Russell.[3]
A letter dated 1873, by Penfield's nephew, wrote a short biography of his uncle, while in 1874, Frederick Marquand wrote about Penfield's life in Savannah.[2]
Death and legacy
Penfield died in 1828, aged 43, in Rye, New York.[3][9] Upon his death, he bequeathed $2,500 to the Georgia Baptist Convention, with the stipulation that they match the amount.[10] The funds helped establish, in 1833,[11] the Mercer Institute in Penfield, Georgia, which was named for him.[3][12] In 1950, the Convention installed a bronze plaque on Broughton Street in Savannah, outside Penfield's former business.[13]
He also provided funds for the erection of a "House for the religious worship of seaman in the city of Savannah." In December 1832, a brick-built Penfield Mariners' Church was consecrated on Bay Street.[8][10] It existed for twelve years.[14]
References
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