Joshua Humphrey

• General Notes
  • The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans:
    Volume V
    H
    Humphreys, Milton Wylie
    page 430
    HUMPHREYS, Joshua, ship-builder, was born in Haverford, Pa., June 17,
    1751; son of Joshua and Sarah (Williams) Humphreys, and grandson of
    Daniel and Hannah (Wynn) Humphreys and of Edward and Eleanor Williams.
    Daniel Humphreys, son of Samuel Humphreys, of Merionethshire,Wales, came
    to America in 1682, and settled about seven miles west of Philadelphia,
    
    
    
    
    Pa., in Haverford, Chester county. There be purchased lands, erected two
    or three fulling and grist mills, and cultivated a farm. He also erected
    the second Quaker meeting house, on his land. Joshua was apprenticed to a
    
    
    
    
    ship-builder, and arose to the head of his profession in America. He
    built thefirst frigate Randolph and fitted out the first fleet under
    Commodore Hopkins that sailed under the United Colonies flag in 1774. He
    furnished the models for the construction of the six frigates [p.430]
    ordered by congress in 1794, and when they were adopted, sent the moulds
    and drafts on to the ports where they were to be built. These vessels
    were the Chesapeake, Constitution, Congress, Constellation, Presideat and
    United States. He was appointed naval constructor with a salary of $2000
    a year, June 28, 1794, to take effect from May 1, 1794, and held this
    office until Oct. 26, 1806. He was presented with a cane made from a part
    of the frigate Constitution by Josiah Barker, naval constructor at
    Boston, Mass., in 1837. He was married to Mary Davids, of Philadelphia.
    
    
    
    
    
    He died at Reading, Pa., Jan. 12, 1808