Individual Details

Joshua Humphreys

(17 Jun 1751 - 12 Jan 1808)

The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Vol u me V H Humphreys, Milton Wylie page 430 HUMPHREYS, Joshua, ship-builde r , was born in Haverford, Pa., June 17, 1751; son of Joshua and Sarah ( W illiams) Humphreys, and grandson of Daniel and Hannah (Wynn) Humphreys a n d of Edward and Eleanor Williams. Daniel Humphreys, son of Samuel Hump h reys, of Merionethshire,Wales, came to America in 1682, and settled ab o ut seven miles west of Philadelphia, Pa., in Haverford, Chester co u nty. There be purchased lands, erected two or three fulling and grist m i lls, and cultivated a farm. He also erected the second Quaker meeting h o use, on his land. Joshua was apprenticed to a ship-builder, and ar o se to the head of his profession in America. He built thefirst frigate R a ndolph and fitted out the first fleet under Commodore Hopkins that sai l ed under the United Colonies flag in 1774. He furnished the models for t h e construction of the six frigates [p.430] ordered by congress in 1794 , a nd when they were adopted, sent the moulds and drafts on to the port s w here they were to be built. These vessels were the Chesapeake, Const it ution, Congress, Constellation, Presideat and United States. He was a p pointed naval constructor with a salary of $2000 a year, June 28, 1794 , t o take effect from May 1, 1794, and held this office until Oct. 26, 1 8 06. He was presented with a cane made from a part of the frigate Const i tution by Josiah Barker, naval constructor at Boston, Mass., in 1837. H e w as married to Mary Davids, of Philadelphia. He died at Reading, P a ., Jan. 12, 1808

Events

Birth17 Jun 1751Haverford, Montgomery Co., PA
Marriage1776Mary Davids
Death12 Jan 1808Reading, Darby, PA.
Death1838
ResidenceUnited States

Families

SpouseMary Davids (1757 - 1805)
ChildLiving
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ChildSamuel Humphreys (1778 - 1846)
ChildClement Humphrey (1779 - 1803)
ChildSarah Humphreys (1785 - 1854)
ChildCharles Humphrey (1800 - 1873)
ChildMary Humphrey (1824 - )
ChildAnne Humphrey (1838 - )
FatherJoshua Humphreys (1710 - 1793)
MotherSarah Williams (1720 - 1720)
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SiblingClement Humphrey (1744 - 1823)
SiblingDaniel Humphrey (1754 - 1812)
SiblingEleanor Humphrey (1759 - )
SiblingSamuel Humphreys (1778 - 1846)
SiblingCharles Humphrey (1780 - 1814)

Endnotes

1. , Ancestry.com (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com O p erations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution M e mbership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Socie t y of the Sons of the American .

2. , Ancestry.com (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com O p erations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution M e mbership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Socie t y of the Sons of the American .

3. , Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, U S A: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999.Original data - Godfrey Memoria l L ibrary. American Genealogical-Biographical Index. Middletown, CT, US A: G odfrey Memorial Library.Or.

4. , Ancestry.com (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com O p erations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution M e mbership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Socie t y of the Sons of the American .

5. , Ancestry.com (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com O p erations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution M e mbership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Socie t y of the Sons of the American .

6. , Ancestry.com (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com O p erations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution M e mbership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Socie t y of the Sons of the American .

7. , Ancestry.com (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com O p erations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution M e mbership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Socie t y of the Sons of the American .