Escambia-Monroe County FlArchives Biographies.....Welles, Thomas Everett 1855 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 4, 2008, 2:18 pm Author: B. F. Johnson Thomas Everett Welles Among the wealth of opportunities to be met with in a prosperous and developing community, there are of course, those of an exceptional nature which lead into channels of almost limitless breadth, and among the most able and enterprising men there are occasionally to be met with those who have the capacity for developing opportunity to its greatest capacity. When one of these exceptional opportunities is seized upon by a man who is gifted with the enterprise and ability of bringing it to its fullest fruition then the result is that which has been achieved by Thomas Everett Welles of Pensacola. Coming to Florida as a young man without other capital than that with which nature had endowed him, he secured employment in an industry then almost in its incipiency. He is no longer an employee, but is now at the head of the industry with which he first secured employment, and it is the greatest of its kind in the State, giving employment to nearly one thousand men and catching and shipping more fish than possibly all the other shippers in the State combined. In addition to this his great surplus of enterprise and energy has enabled him to profitably employ his talent and capital in other directions and he has organized and guided to success numerous other commercial and industrial enterprises and is one of the wealthiest, most progressive and enterprising men in West Florida. He is a natural leader and takes a prominent part in whatever interests him. He has been of inestimable value to the city as its mayor and has held high office in the numerous fraternal organizations of which he is a member. He stands high in the councils of the Democratic party, and as a man and a citizen is esteemed and beloved. Captain Welles is a native of Connecticut and of English descent, tracing his ancestry back to early Colonial days on both sides of the house. His grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and his mother a was direct descendant of Priscilla and John Alden. The history of the Welles family is one of great interest. It can be traced back to the year 794, when it was located in the district of Vaux in Normandy, France, with a branch in Provence. The family was then known as Baux or Vaux, Bayeux, and de Vallibus, all the variations meaning at that time the same thing. Harold de Vaux, who was a relative of William the Conqueror, followed him to England, and left three sons, the Barons Hubert, Ranulph and Robert, who all used the surname of de Vallibus. Hubert became Baron of Gillesland, in Cumberland. Ranulph was known as Lord Tryermayne and had his seat in Cumberland. Robert became Baron of Dalston, in Norfolk. William de Vallibus, second son of Hubert, moved into Essex, occupied Rayne Manor, and was known as William de Rayne. His son, Robert, went back to the name, but dropped both the French and Roman styles, anglicized the name and called himself Robert de Welles, of Rayne Hall. One of his brothers, Gernon, took the name of Gernon de Virley (from the name of his manor) and two other brothers adhered to the name of de Rayne. Without following the family in detail, it is sufficient to state that the various branches steadily grew in influence and position. Thus, in 1191, Simon de Welles was a crusader and a bishop; in 1205, Joscelyn de Welles was bishop of Bath and Wells (Welles); and in 1215 Bishop Hugo de Welles, of Lincoln, was one of the strong men who forced King John to sign "Magna Charta," and his name appears as one of the attesting witnesses. The coats-of-arms of each of these old bishops is preserved and well known in English Heraldry. In the documents issued by King John at that time, their names and titles are given as Jocelin (de Welles) of Bath and Glastondury; Hugh (de Welles) of Lincoln. In 1299, Adam de Welles, of Lincoln, became the first Baron de Welles and from him descended a long line of barons and knights. In 1469, during the wars of the Roses, Edward IV put to death Richard, Lord Welles, and his son Sir Robert Welles, and as the son was without issue this terminated the male line of the elder branch. This left John, son of Leo, as the principal man of the family. In 1483 he had to fly to France on account of his adherence to the Earl of Richmond, and when that nobleman became King Henry VII. John de Welles was rewarded with official position, and the hand of Cecilie Plantagenet, daughter of King Edward IV. He died in 1498, leaving a daughter, and the titles of the family thus lapsed. Between 1066 and 1630 the family furnished a large number of noblemen, soldiers, bishops, and public officials to the English Kingdom. No less than twenty coats-of-arms were first and last granted to various branches of the family. The arms of Adam de Welles, the first baron, granted in 1299, consisted of a lion rampant, sable, tail forked—with a crest consisting of a demi-lion, rampant, sable and the motto (on a scroll beneath the shield) of "Semper paratus;" of which a literal rendering would be "Ever ready." In the seventeenth century not less than ten members of the Welles family came from England to New England. The most prominent of these was Thomas, Governor of Connecticut in 1637, and for the next twenty-two years the foremost man of that colony. He had eight children who have numerous descendants. Between 1707 and 1868 Yale and Harvard graduated twenty-two of the old governor's descendants. Hugh, Joseph, Nathaniel, George, Thomas, and Richard Welles, all of Essex county, England, came in the first half of the seventeenth century. Then there was William, who came from Norfolkshire, about 1635, Thomas, who came from Worcester in 1712, and John, who came from Ireland about 1740. This makes up the ten immigrants of whom we have record. It is noteworthy that of all these spelled the names Welles, thus indicating a common origin. Some of their descendants in America have dropped the final "e" and spell the name Wells. The father of Thomas E. Welles, was Russel, born 1822. The history of the Welles family states that he was a son of Edward born 1768, who was son of Wait, born 1724, who was son of Thomas born 1687, who was son of Joseph, grandson of Nathaniel, who was first of the family to come to America, as he landed in 1629. In America the family has furnished several State Governors, Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, of Connecticut, and David A. Welles, one of the greatest economists and statisticians the country has produced. Thomas E. Welles was born at Mystic, Conn., November 24, 1855, his parents being Russel and Fannie A. (Peabody) Welles. His father owned a splendid farm which he conducted along with a granite quarry and also successfully engaged in the practice of law. Mr. Welles received his education in the public schools of Connecticut. When about twenty years of age, he came to Florida, at first making his home at Key West, where for two years he was engaged in various capacities. In 1878, however, he removed to Pensacola, where he has since made his home and the headquarters of the numerous prosperous interests with which he is connected. It can safely be said that no man in the city has had a more important part in the development of the financial, commercial and industrial interests of the city. When he first came here he was without capital and secured employment with the Pensacola Fish Company, and for several years served in the capacity of a salaried man. His first experience was on a small fishing vessel, one of the few then engaged in what was then an unimportant industry. He was full of initiative, however, and his ideas and suggestions aided materially in developing the business of his employer. His rare capabilities became known to Capt. E. E. Saunders, who gave him the desired opportunity by forming a partnership in 1883, under the firm name of E. E. Saunders and Company. From the start he has practically had the management of the affairs of this firm and the result is shown in the fact that it now owns and operates nearly two score of fishing vessels and employs nearly one thousand men. These vessels make trips which consume from ten days to four weeks, owing to their success. The fish are cleaned and packed in ice as caught, and upon arrival at Pensacola are placed in refrigerator cars, or held in cold storage until started on their journey to northern markets. The business of this one firm aggregates many hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and is not only the greatest of its kind in the State, but probably does more business than all other similar firms combined. Captain Welles has been prominently identified with the inception of numerous successful interests that have all contributed to the development of Pensacola. The first one of these was the Pensacola Livery and Sales Stables, which he organized in 1882. He helped to organize the Citizens National Bank early in the nineties, and was its Vice-President for fourteen years. For three years he has been Director in the Peoples National Bank. He is managing partner in the firm in which he made his greatest success, E. E. Saunders and Company, and is also largely interested in the Pensacola Fish Company, and the Gulf Fish Company. He is President of the Gulf of Mexico Marine Railway Company, President of the Gulf City Coffee Company, and organizer of the Welles-Kahn Co., the largest wholesale grocery in West Florida. In addition to other interests in which he has investments he has large property interests both in Georgia and Alabama. He has always had a participating interest in every public movement, having for its object the improvement of conditions or promotion of the best interests of Pensacola. He served for several years as the President of the Young Men's Business League, and also as President of the Good Government League. He also served for a number of years as chairman of the board of public safety of Pensacola. He has been an active working Democrat, and in politics as well as in business has been a leader, having a power and an influence for good that is widely felt. He has served for a number of terms as a member of the State Democratic executive committee and no member of that body ranks higher in the councils of the party. He was elected Mayor of Pensacola in 1903, and served with marked distinction until 1905 giving the city a high toned business administration which brought about general public improvement in the city's affairs. He is a member of a number of fraternal organizations in which he has held high rank. He is past grand Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, and was representative to the Supreme Lodge at Boston in 1908. He is also past supreme representative of the Knights of Honor, and past Sachem of the Improved Order of Red Men. He is also a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, and of the Woodmen of the World. While not a member of any church his preference is for the Presbyterian faith. He is a student of history, from which he has derived much inspiration, and help. He and his atrractive family spend a portion of each year at Athens, Ala., where he has extensive plantations and one of the most magnificent summer homes in the South. He has the happy faculty of always accomplishing that which he undertakes, and being a man of tremendous energy and rare ability he has attained a prominence in the commercial world that should prove an incentive and an inspiration to every man who is ambitious to succeed. Captain Welles was married June 24, 1883, to Carrie B. Cobb, a daughter of James and Caroline Burton Cobb, of Pensacola, Fla. They have two children, Frank E. and Ruth Allen Welles. Capt. Welles' passion for fine horses is great enough to entitle him to naturalization papers in Kentucky without residence. Among his earlier interests in Pensacola as far back as 1882 was his assisting in the establishment of the Pensacola Livery and Sales Stable, and this was doubtless the result of his fondness for horses. Of late years, with increased means and the ability consequent thereupon to cultivate his taste, he has put in the most commodious and best arranged private stable in Florida, where he keeps a string of fine horses, from which he has derived immense pleasure and probably some profit, as his horses have been winners of big stakes on some of the famous courses of the country. One of his horses, John A., had to his credit nearly eight thousand dollars for one season, and a record of 2:03 1/4. It seems to be a part of the law of compensation which runs through life that many of these busy men who accomplish such large things shall have some taste which, though of itself calling for both physical and mental activity, yet serves them as the necessary relaxation from what they consider the ordinary business of life. This law of compensation has given Capt. Welles this fondness for good horse flesh, and this combined with the pleasures of country life which he indulges freely during the summer season, gives him the necessary relief from his more serious cares, and enables him to go back to his labors with renewed energy year after year. Additional Comments: Extracted from: FLORIDA EDITION MAKERS OF AMERICA AN HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WORK BY AN ABLE CORPS OF WRITERS VOL. III. Published under the patronage of The Florida Historical Society, Jacksonville, Florida ADVISORY BOARD: HON. W. D. BLOXHAM COL. FRANK HARRIS HON. R. W. DAVIS SEN. H. H. McCREARY HON. F. P. FLEMING W. F. STOVALL C. A. CHOATE, SECRETARY 1909 A. B. CALDWELL ATLANTA, GA. COPYRIGHT 1909 B. F. JOHNSON Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/escambia/photos/bios/welles47gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/escambia/bios/welles47gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/flfiles/ File size: 14.3 Kb