BIOGRAPHY: Ebenezer Irving; New York co., NY surname: Irving 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 1,2005 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nyfiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb ************************************************ Author: Walter Barrett Ebenezer Irving Page 75 Old Merchants, Walter Barrett, Thomas R. Knox, 1885 The firm of Paulding and Irving was a very old one. Ebenezer Irving was of the firm and lived many years at No. 41 Ann Street--the lower part of Ann Street, approaching Gold. Ryder Street and Gold between John and Fulton are at this day fair samples of the streets of old New York, and even of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, after which they were modeled. He was a son of William Irving who was a merchant at No. 75 William and did business as early as 1786; and he continued there until 1795 when he moved to NO. 128 William Street. I remember the modest two-story wood and brick house as well as possible. Old William lived there as late as 1803. In later years, this house was occupied as a milliner shop, 1826 and when it was torn down; a splendid building was erected there, now occupied by the Tiemann and Company as a paint warehouse. There were Washington, Peter and William Irving; Ebenezer and John T, of the young children. Peter Irving was educated as a physician and kept a drug store at No. 208 Broadway; he had with him young William. This was as early as 1795. The two kept there until 1803, when the old William and William Jr. founded the firm of Irving and Smith. They kept in Pearl for twenty odd years, first at No. 162 and afterwards at No. 145, as late as 1820. Old William must have died sometime in 1807 at No. 157 William Street, to which he has removed from No. 128. Ebenezer Irving, the son, who was a partner of Nathaniel Paulding, lived at No. 157 until a year previous to the old gentleman's death, when Peter, Washington and Ebenezer all lived at No. 294 Greenwich Street. Peter kept at No. 67 Water Street. The firm of Paulding and Irving was extensively engaged in the wine trade. >From 1801 the firm did business at No. 162 Front Street. Neil McKinnon was a clerk with them for many years. They did a wholesale as well as retail business and kept the choicest stock of wines, porter, brown stout and imported liquors and ales that could be found. Both wrote a bold old- fashioned handwriting. I have accounts before me made out by both partners. Ebenezer continued with Mr. Nathaniel Paulding until about 1811 when they dissolved. Mr. Paulding kept in the same store, No. 162 Front Street until 1819 when he moved to No. 168. There he kept his splendid stock of wines until 1835, when he, with thousands of others, was burned out in the great fire. That event broke the old gentleman's heart. How well I remember his remarkable appearance and his honest countenance. After the fire, Mr. Paulding started business at No. 35 Vesey Street. He gathered there a fine lot of wines, but there was none that he prized as he did those in his old store. In Vesey Street, Mr. Paulding kept as late as 1847; he seemed to be alone. He boarded at No. 81 Murray Street and I think he died about that time. He was an aged man, and much respected. In 1811 when the firm of Paulding and Irving was dissolved, Ebenezer and Peter went into business together at No. 135 Pearl Street, under the firm of P. & J. Irving and Company. Peter was the doctor and I think the company was Washington Irving. The last with Peter and John T., kept at No. 3 Wall for the three previous years. The widow kept house for them at No. 108 Liberty until she moved to No. 41 Ann, where she lived as late as 1817. In 1808 when he and Peter were at No. 3 Wall, when he was "Attorney-at-law," Washington planned the "Knickerbockers History of New York." In a preface dated, "Sunnyside 1848" to the author's revised edition published by G.P. Putnam for the proprietors in 1859 he says," The following work, in which at the outset nothing was contemplated than a temporary jeu-d'esprit, was commenced in company with my brother, the late Peter Irving. Our idea was to parody a small hand-book which had recently appeared entitled "A Picture of New York." Like that, our work was to begin with an historical sketch, to be followed by notices of the customs, manners and institutions of the city; written in a serio-comic vein and treating local errors, follies and abuses with good humored satire." To return to the business firm of the Irving Brothers, they continued in business until 1816, when they separated their auction from their commission business, keeping the former firm at No. 142 Pearl Street until 1818 when it took in Robert Hyslop and it was Irving, Smith and Hyslop. The auction business was carried on at No. 133 Pearl Street by Irving, Smith and Holly. They all closed up previous to 1825. Even the house of Peter and Ebenezer Irving and Company was dissolved about 1820. It was kept about ten years at 123 Pearl Street. Ebenezer lived at No. 3 Bridge Street and kept store at 127 Water Street. He was burnt out in the great fire of 1835 but he did business as late as 1841. William Irving, a son of the old William Irving, was the firm of Irving and Smith. I think he died about thirty five years ago. John T. Irving died a judge. He lived in Chambers Street. At one time he went into partnership at No. 10 Pine Street, in a "loan office" with John Nitchie. The firm was Irving and Nitchie. They had an office at 60 all Street. Mr. John Nitchie was public administrator and his house was in Broad, just below Exchange Street.