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William Gregg

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William Gregg

Vincennes, Indiana circa 1823

William Gregg was born in Monongahela County, Virginia (now West Virginia) on February 2, 1800. He was the youngest of several children of William and Elizabeth (Webb) Gregg. In 1804 Elizabeth died and sometime later the young William went to live with his uncle, Jacob Gregg, a watchmaker and silversmith of Alexandria, Virginia. Shortly thereafter, Jacob and William moved to Georgia where Jacob established one of the first cotton factories in the War of 1812, the factory survived for a time, but failed shortly after the war due to the importation of cheaper English goods. Because pf of financial reverses, Jacob Gregg sent his nephew to serve an apprenticeship with Asa Blanchard, a silversmith in Lexington, Kentucky, and the region’s most outstanding craftsman of the period. There William served seven years, learning his skills from one of the of the masters of the craft of silversmithing, clock making and trades. All previous sources suggest that after serving his apprenticeship, William went to Petersburg, Virginia, and that could well be true. However, William Gregg was advertising in the Western Sun (Vincennes) on June 21, 1823, that he was moving to the East. Apparently Gregg had been in Vincennes for some time, and perhaps he had come to Vincennes directly from serving his apprenticeship with Asa Blanchard. Likely he worked for another firm in Vincennes for part of his stay there, hence no advertisements appeared fo him until the notice on June 18, 1823. It may have been in July of 1823 when Gregg moved to Petersburg, Virginia but soon after, moved to Columbia, South Carolina. His shop in Columbia was successful and in several years William had become a prosperous member of the community. In 1829 he married Marina Jones of Edgefield District, S.C. However two years later he suffered severe health problems and retired. By 1838, he had recovered and removed to S.C., where he engaged in the jewelry business and Three firs in that city included his name: Gregg & Co. (1838-42), Gregg & Hayden, and Gregg, Hayden & Co. (1846-52). In the mid 1850's, William Gregg left the jewelry business and established himself as a cotton manufacturer. During the period of the Confederacy, Gregg's mill supplied the South with much needed goods. After War however, financial setbacks ruined his business. William Gregg died on September 13, 1867, better known as an industrialist than a silversmith.

1823

Vincennes, Indiana

COMPOSITION: COIN SILVER
(1) Tablespoon, 9.125 inches, engraved: H.P.

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