Rakestraw, William

Metadata

Title

Rakestraw, William

Description

Master builder William Rakestraw is probably the son of William (d.1736)) and grandson of William (d. 1718), making it difficult to sort early references. As a lad he was apprenticed to the leading master builder James Portues who bequeathed him 40 pounds in 1736. In 1755 Rakestraw charged 6.12.6 pounds for "pulling down" the Second and Market Streets Friends Meeting House. An early member of The Carpenters' Company, he is only recorded as present at the meeting of April 27, 1767. The date of his election is unknown.

Written by Roger W. Moss, from the Philadelphia Architects and Builders website.

Member Number

61*

Last Name

Rakestraw

First Name

William

Birth Date

1/1/1718

Deceased Date

10/13/1772

Married

9/1744 Radnor, PA

Spouse Name

Jane bevan

Children

Ann, Bevan, Martha

Father

William (1680 - 1736)

Mother

Ann in 1712

Descendant

Mr. Brad Feldmaier

Edward Rakestraw

Date Elected

1/5/1763

Business Address

Northern Liberties

Reference

Tatman & Moss Bio Dictionary Phila. Architects page 642. Master builder who is probably the son of William (d. 1736) and grandson of William (d. 1718), making it difficult to sort early references. As a lad he was apprenticed to the leading master builder James Portues (q.v.) who bequeathed him 40 pounds in 1736. In 1755 Rakestraw charged 6 pounds 12 shillings 6d for "pulling down" the Second and Market Sts. Friends Meeting House. An early member of The Carpenters' Company, he is only recorded as present at the meeting of April 2, 1767. The date of his election is unknown. See Selected Bibliography in Tatman & Moss Bio Dictionary Phila. Architects. Also note possible article references. See "Growing With America, The Fox Family of Philadelphia,"by Joseph M. Fox, published 2006. Copy in Fox file. page 37 - William Rakestraw lived on Water Street. ---------------------- Hannah Roach paper, page 5aa This William Rakestraw, who died in 1772, was one of three Rakestraws who were all carpenters and members of the Company. William's first cousin Joseph Rakestraw, who died in 1750, had married Elizabeth Fox, sister of Joseph Fox. Their son Joseph Rakestraw, Jr., lived to be an Incorporator of the Company and died in 1794. He married Rachel Ogilby, and their daughter Hannah Rakestraw married Abraham Colladay, another member of the Company, whose father , William, had been a member from 1769 until his death in 1823. Grace Rakestraw, sister of Poertues's apprentice William, married the carpenter Tobias Griscom, grandson of Andrew Griscom. Andrew was one of the very first carpenters to work in Philadelphia. He died in 1694 and of course was not a member of the Carpenters' Company, but his other grandson, Samuel, father of Betsy Ross, Tobias's brother, was, and died in 1793. ------------------- Hannah Roach notes - copy of will from Will Book P/319 - #211:1772 ----------------- In Joseph Rakestraw member file, article on family history from "The American Genealogist." ---------------- E-mail from descendant on three wifes of Rakestraw and 20 children, plus the "family line." ---------------- PA Gazette 4/5/1753 - #2895 William Rakestraw living at the upper end of Fourth St., "to lett a commodious house and wharf in Northern Liberties near Vine St. Also, a (river) bank house with large cellar under the house. (This is probably an example of early house built over a cellar dug into the river bank.) PA Gazette 6/6/1754 - #4476 Living in "uppermost house in Water St., near Vine." Selling lumber and several nearby properties. PA Gazette 1/7/1755 - #5273 Advedrtising lumber for sale and house at upper end of Fourth St. PA Gazette 3/4/1756 - #6745 Selling prop;erties and lumber business in Northern Liberties "as subscriber ikntends to remove about 14 miles from the city."

File Number

Collection

Members

Citation

“Rakestraw, William,” Carpenters' Company Digital Archive & Museum, accessed April 26, 2024, https://archive.carpentershall.org/items/show/25848.