BIOGRAPHY: Nathaniel Griswold; New York co., NY surname: Griswold, Gray, Greene, Haven submitted by Elizabeth Burns (burns at asu.edu) ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm Submitted Date: June 3,2005 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nyfiles/ File size: 7.4 Kb ************************************************ Author: Walter Barrett Nathaniel Griswold Page 158 Old Merchants, by Walter Barrett,Clerk, Knox and Sons, 1885 The firm of N. & G. Griswold exists today in 1861 and it existed in 1796 at 169 Front Street where the house at that time kept a flour store. George Griswold came to this city about two years previous to his brother Nathaniel. At that period many well-known houses of merchants did not find it necessary to put the number of the street in which they lived. Everybody of any consequence knew where such a heavy concern lived. It was so in 1803 when this house moved from their Front Street store to their new store, No. 86 South Street, near Burling Slip. I think they lieved in that spot a third of a century or more, when they moved to a new rough, granite double store, Nos. 71 and 72 South, north corner of DePeyster Street. Nathaniel and George Griswold were grand old fellows. A bold signature was that of the firm, as written by old Nathaniel. I have it now before me, as in 1804 he dashed off "Nath'l L. and Geo. Griswold" with a good old-fashioned flourish under it. These Griswolds too, sprang from a grand old race. They were Connecticut born and came here from old Lyme on the Connecticut River. Their ancestor, a six-footer too, named Edward Griswold came over from Kenilworth, England in 1635 and settled at Windsor. He had a son named Matthew, born in 1653 who went afterwards and settled at Lyme, where he was a great man, and represented that town many years. He died in 1699. He left behind him a son named George, who was born the 13th August 1692. That man was the ancestor of the two Griswold boys who, in 1794--102 years later-- left Lyme for a larger port at which they were destined in after years to become eminent merchants. I think it hardly necessary for me to say, that if the founders of the house were both living, George would be about eighty-five years old and Nathaniel about ninety. When George arrived in this city he was only just of age, and his brother Nathaniel a few years older. They were very stout, fine looking young men, six feet tall each and well proportioned. They were "six feet" men in all their business operations in after years, when they did an enormous business. They shipped flour heavily to the West Indies and in 1804 they became large importers of rum and sugar, receiving cargos of these articles. I do not know what year this house went into the "China trade." They did an immense business in it for years and made a specialty of it at last. I do not suppose that there is country store however, insignificant in the whole of the U.S. that has not seen a large or small package of tea marked "Ship Panama" and N.L. Y G Griswold upon it. In fact they owned a succession of ships named the Panama. The first was 465 tons. When he became nearly worn out, the firm of Griswold build a second ship of 650 tons and named her the Panama. When the No. 2 Panama got old, the Griswolds built a third ship of 1170 tons and named her the Panama. Many men who were afterwards prominent went out to Canton as supercargo of the Panama. One was a son named John N.A. Griswold, who resided out there some years. Another was John C. Greene, who afterwards became a partner in the great Canton house of Russell and Company. When he retired from business and returned to this country, he married a daughter of Mr. George Griswold. Another daughter married George Winthrop Gray, who has been identified with the house of N.L. & G. Griswold, as a partner over a quarter of a century and is well known to all New Yorkers. I believe Mr. Gray is from Salem or Boston, where the name of William Gray is as noted as Astor in New York. Both George and Nathaniel made a great deal more money outside of the business than in it. "Old Nat" got up a dredging machine. He went up to Albany and made a contract to clean out the Albany basin. He must have cleared over $100,000 by the contract. He also used it in New York at various slips. Then he built machines here and sent them South to work. Mr. Griswold would hire docks from the Corporation at so much a year. Nathaniel Griswold lived in Cliff Street many years afterwards at No. 3 Robinson. In 1819 old Nathaniel moved to 78 Chambers Street where he resided until he died in 1847. That year his widow and the family as well as Nathaniel moved up to No. 136 Tenth Street. Old Nathaniel had several sons and daughters. At the time of his father's death, Nathaniel L. Jr. was in business at 92 South under the firm of I.L. and N.L. Griswold" and had been for some years, I believe. I.L. is another son. Nathaniel L. Griswold still carries on business at 102 Broad Street. The oldest daughter of Nathaniel Griswold married Charles C. Havens. She has been dead many years. Another daughter married Peter Lorillard. Another married Alfred H.P. Edwards who was consul at Manila, in the East Indies, many years, and did a very heavy business out there. These young ladies were all very handsome. Mr. Griswold built the house in Chambers Street, No. 78. It stood near where the "shoe and Leather Bank" now stands, within twenty five feet of the rear of that splendid edifice that now graces the southwest corner of Broadway and Chambers Street. Old Nathaniel was very quiet and retiring. He cared nothing about being a band director, or having anything to do with any one's business but his own. He differed from George in that respect. As early as 1807 George was made a director in the Columbia Insurance Company. From that time until he died he was honored with being a director in almost every society. He was a man to be trusted, and he liked activity. George Griswold was of a very speculating turn of mind. He operates heavily in land speculations. He was in 1836 and 1837 extensively engaged in Brooklyn purchases. He was an enterprising man and a thorough merchant. He was in 1814 the direction in the Humane Society of which Matthew Clarkson was president. I do not know how long that lasted. George Griswold, too was connected with Swartwout's gold mine operation in 1836. Gold was to be coined in North Carolina faster than it was afterwards in California. That speculation also smashed up. He was greatly respected and the house of N & G Griswold has given wealth to the city. George Griswold died in 1859, at his house No. 9 Washington Square. He had a large and interesting family. Two of his sons succeeded him in the house that he established--John N. Alsop Griswold and George Jr. Two daughters married Gray and Greene, another married J.W. Haven, formerly of Haven and Company, 24 Broad Street, and twenty five years ago and of whom I have written. Another married Mr. Frelinghuysen of New Jersey. He was recently Attorney General of that State.