Lancaster, Moses

Lancaster, Moses

Born into a Quaker family in Bucks Co., PA, Moses Lancaster came to Philadelphia around 1802. He was elected to the Carpenters' Company in 1811 and served as warden and on the Managing Committee. In her groundbreaking study of early Philadelphia Builders, Donna Rilling uses Lancaster as an example of a successful carpenter/builder. Lancaster retired from active business in 1841 and returned to Bucks County.

Biography from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings, a project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Written by Sandra Tatman. 

255

Lancaster

Moses

11/14/1879

Charles

1/1/1811

Warden, 1834-46

Managing Committee, 1837-39

Old York Rd. north of Green (CD) (1830)

149 Noble St. house demolished 1969.

Dissertation by Donna J. Rilling, chapter 4, page 15; & speech to Carpenters' 4/1990 on ground rent system Some carpenters did even supplement as apprentice's common school education with training for their craft. In 1820 Moses Lancaster reimbursed his apprentice Charles Noble $58 for "Washing [and[ for drafting School Expenses." The drafting school, however, was less a formal instructional institution, than occasional classes offered by a few men who promoted themselves as architects. page 16 Few drafts of house plans survive from the antebellum period, and it tempting to conclude that house carpenters rarely drew designs. More likely, however, they sketched their ideas and clients' wishes informally, rather than in measured sketches, in the course of discussing building. . . Perhaps Harker and Thorn's "original plan" was no more than the sort of faint sketches contained in Moses Lancaster's receipt book -- sketches later covered by writing, whose uneven lines suggest extemporaneous responses to questions encountered at the building site or in discussion with a client. page 19 Painter and glazier William Haydock stipulated in his 1820 contract with Moses Lancaster that the house carpenter finish the house "with good Materials as [Lancaster] has Put in the Houses he is building on the Old York Road." John Croman agreed to paint ten houses "to be finished in the same way that those 4 houses were finished in Julian Street;" implicit in the reference was the number of coats and kind of tints that Croman would apply. James M. Jackson probably visited the same four houses and agreed to supply grates, ash pan, and dust flues "the Price to be Regulated by the Bill of Moses Lancasters Grates in Four Houses in Julian Street . . and the work to be done in the same manner and of the same kind of materials. . ." Plasterers Allen and Hollowbrush examined rooms adjoining and contracted to plaster the other 'Five rooms and Entry Corniced" in the same fashion." page 21 Master house carpenters subcontracted by stipulated price, day rates, piece work, and measurement agreements. In 1817 Robert Flinn offered to plaster Moses Lancaster's house for $325, and in 1827 another house "including bath house Privy and Rendering Cellars three rooms and Entry to be cornished" for $140. page 28 A critical purpose of the contract or subcontract was to clarify who "found" materials. Procuring one's own materials was considered part of the distinction of master craftsmanship, but the question was often who paid for them. . . When William Haydock consented to supply Moses Lancaster with "Painting and Glazing and the Materials" for one of his houses under construction in 1819, Haydock agreed that "the glass in the front and back parlour . . . be of good english glass all the other back windows to be of good common glass." page 32 Many lumber businesses survived beyond the activity or life span of the partners. The firm trading as (John) Britton & (Samuel) West in the last decade of the18th century became (Jonathan) Conard & West in the early 1800's, and Conard & (John) Lancaster after another decade. In 1823 Moses Lancaster paid Conard for his partnership interest in the "Lumber yard Strips Horse and Carts Good will of the Lease etc." stable, and counting house, and the "stock of lumber including the Shingles." Cousins John and Moses Lancaster continued to trade under the name J. & M. Lancaster until 1826, when John retired. For the next few years, Moses Lancaster & Co. functioned with Jacob Bachman, formerly a journeyman house carpenter and then an employee of the yard, as Lancaster's close assistant, if not his actual partner. page 37 Patronizing diverse suppliers was not a strategy limited to failing builders. In 1818 alone, Moses Lancaster used 11 sources for lumber, averaging $223 in expenditures per merchant. Even when Lancaster ran his own board yard, he bought lumber from other merchants in several instances. page 42 Info here on his purchase of bricks for construction; page 43 on stone; 46 on lime-making; 49 on raising frame of house. -------------------- Donna Rilling's speech to Carpenters' Company Refers to Lancaster as one of Company's successful house builders. -------------------- E-mail in file from descendant tells of son who moved to Wilkinson County, Mississippi. -------------------- City Directory - 1814 - Moses, carpenter, 11 Wood St., Northern Liberties 1820, 24 - Moses, carpenter, 180 N. 4th 1826 - Moses, lumber merchant, N. 4th near Tammany; dwelling 180 N. 4th City Directory - 1830, 35 - Moses Lancaster, house carpenter, Old York Road near Green St. 1840 - Moses, oilcloth factory, 329 N. 2nd; house 270 N. 4th. (Same man, or son?) -------------------- Carpenters' Co. Minutes-1858-17 Moses Lancaster placed on list for quarterly allowance. -------------------- City Records D.S.B. book # 336; filed June 7, 1814; satisfied January 19, 1818 John & Moses Lancaster vs. Jacob Perkins. Claim for $500 against a three-story brick house situate on the south side of Filbert street next to the corner of 11th street in the city of Philadelphia, for work and labour done. -------------------- City Records D.S.B. book #338; filed August 19, 1817; satisfied Feb. 7, 1818 John Evans and David R. Evans (possibly members or closely related) vs. Moses Lancaster. Claim for $276.21 against two certain three story brick buildings situate on the south side of Mulberry street between 10th and 11th streets bounded eastward by property belonging to William Stull, westward by James Large, for lumber. -------------------- City Records D.S.B. book #339; filed June 8, 1821; satisfied October 11, 1821 Christopher Hicks vs. Moses Lancaster. Claim $287.35 against a three story brick house erected on a lot of ground situate on the east side of the Old York Road between Willow & Callowhill streets in the Northern Liberties 28 feet front about 45 feet deep, for marble work done. ----------------------- City Records D.S.B. book#344; filed April 30, 1830; satisfaction not noted Moses Lancaster, Lloyd Chamberlain & David E. Hause trading under the firm of Moses Lancaster & Co. vs. Patrick Murphy. Claim for $1,000 against a certain two story brick dwelling house, situate on the north side of Coats' street near the west side of Third street in the Northern Liberties for carpenters work and material furnished. -------------------- City Records D.S.B. book #347; filed July 29, 1834; satisfied May8, 1835 Moses Lancaster vs. Charles Alexander. Claim for $292.37 against a certain 2 1/2 story brick building on north 3rd street near Green in the Northern Liberties known by the name of the Northern Exchange, 40 feet front by 100 feet deep more or less, for carpenters work done. ------------------------ City Records D.S.B. book #344, filed October 28, 1830; two claims, both satisfied January 24, 1831 Joseph Gorgas & Peter K. Gorgas trading under the name of Joseph Gorgas & Sons vs. Moses Lanscaster, David Hauce & Lloyd Chamberlain. Two claims: one for $225 against a two storied brick messuage 14 feet front by 30 feet deep erected on a lot of ground situate on the south side of George street between 6th and 7th streets from Schuylkill, said house being the seventh house west of 7th street, for lumber furnished and delivered. A second claim: for $225 against a certain two storied brick messuage 14 feet front by 30 feet deep erected on a lot of ground situate on the south side of George street 28 feet west ofSchuylkill 7th street , said house being the 3rd in the row west of 7th street, for lumber furnished and delivered. ----------------------- Managing Committee Minutes-1811-9-212 Moses Lancaster elected. ----------------------- "Philadelphia Preserved" Page 328. 149-55 Noble St. Houses built after 1807; No. 149 by Moses Lancaster, house carpenter. Demolished 1969. Barbara Edwards kittaten@gmail.com 610-241-6893 324 Buckeye Lane West Chester NC(?) 19382 ancestor_info: Moses Lancaster is my 1st cousin 7 generations removed. His father (Moses) and my 6th great grandfather (Benjamin) were brothers. Moses was the son of Moses & Rachel Lancaster. He was born Jan 2, 1783, and died Nov 14, 1879, being almost 97 yrs. of age at the time of death, which was the greatest age attained by any member of the family. (My 7th great grandmother, Phebe Lancaster, was 96 yrs. old when she died). Early in life he learned the carpenter trade. Our Lancaster family were Quakers, and Moses promoted the Underground Railroad. He was a member of the Carpenter's Society. He married Susan Jordan, Aug. 23, 1806. They had 12 children. message: I have further information if you would like. (wrote back and didn

Also listings for Margaret Lancaster.

Lost three properties in 1831