The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. VII, 1907Various
History
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. VII, 1907
Various
American-Irish Historical Society -- Periodicals; Ethnology -- United States -- Periodicals; Irish Americans -- Periodicals
The Crehores and John Cogan were not the only Kelts who were business
pioneers here in the early days. The first paper manufactured in America
was made in Dorchester and three Irishmen, while not actually starting
it, may be said to have been among the founders and promoters of the
industry (their predecessors having for only a short time conducted it).
These were Capt. James Boies, Jeremiah Smith and Hugh McLean. Cullen in
his _Story of the Irish in Boston_, says: “If to Mr. Smith belonged the
credit of being the first individual paper manufacturer, to others of
his countrymen is due the fact that the Neponset River was made by them
the basis of paper manufacturing in the North American colonies.”
Boies was born in Ireland in 1702 and died in Milton at the age of
ninety-six years. He was with General Wolfe in the battle on the Plains
of Abraham. By direction of General Washington, Captain Boies directed
the work of transporting the fagots, in which 300 teams were engaged,
that were used in fortifying Dorchester Heights, following which event
the British evacuated Boston. Boies was one of a committee of three
which drew up instructions for the representatives of the town of
Milton, wherein it was voted that the colony would support the
Continental Congress with their lives and their fortunes in the event of
hostilities with England.
Jeremiah Smith was a native of Ireland and born in 1705. At the age of
twenty-one he came to Boston and in 1737 removed to Milton. In that year
he became superintendent of a paper industry started by some men,
including Thomas Hancock, a few years before. Four years later he was
its owner. He carried on the business until 1775, when he retired, after
amassing a fortune.
Smith was an intimate friend of Governor Hutchinson and also of Governor
Hancock, at whose hospitable board the wits of the day were wont to
gather. Smith was seldom absent on such occasions, and if he were
blessed with the characteristic Keltic wit, as presumably he was, he
must have added largely to the entertainment of Hancock and his guests.
Hugh McLean, the third of the trio, was born in Ireland in 1724. He
married a daughter of Boies and while in partnership with him became
wealthy. He died in Milton at the age of seventy-five.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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