The old merchants of New York City / by Walter Barrett.

22

2THE OLD M.ERCHAAJ'S

Jonn Adams (of C. & A. ) received a plain English
education, combined with religious training, and when of
proper age was apprenticed to the mercantile business in
the town of Strabane. By his energy and industry, ht
very soon gained the entire confidence of his employer,
and was promoted to be his principal clerk.
After some time, John Adams, having connections
in the city of Philadelphia, decided to emigrate there
He arrived there in June, 1794, and remaining but one
year, then came on to New York. He brought
with him letters of recommendation to Clendining &
McLaren, the Irish importing house. They concluded
to employ him as a clerk, and he was with them for
three years in that capacity, or until he became a
partner, in 1798. He continued on the even tenor of
his way, living on the corner of Broadway and Cedar
streets, until 1806. For some time he had been courting
Miss Ann, a beautiful daughter of John G. Glover, one
of the most celebrated merchants in the town. Mr.
Glover died towards the close of the last century, at the
house he had built at 174 Broadway. His widow lived
in that house for many years, and it was there on
Tuesday evening July 1, 1806, that Mr. Adams was
married by the Rev. Doctor Miller. The young
couple went to housekeeping soon after at No. 10 Vesey
street, opposite St. Paul's churchyard, then a fashionable
part of the town. Clendining & Adams did an immense
business until 1812, at 209 Pearl street, when the partnership was dissolved. The son of Mr. Clendining
kept'at the old stand, No. 209, for many years after,
under his own name, until 1819, when he took in Mr.
Buckley, and the firm was Clendining & Buckley. All
this time young John Clendining had lived over his
store, as was the custom of the old time merchants.