Samuel Lord
Samuel Lord (1803-1889) was a British-born American retail millionaire who founded Lord & Taylor today the oldest luxury department store in the United States.
Early life
Lord was born in Saddleworth, Lancashire, the youngest of five children and was left an orphan while young.[1]
Career
He served an apprenticeship in the trade of iron moulder, rising to be master of the craft.[2] He worked in James Taylor's iron-foundry and in 1824 married Taylor's daughter[3] and emigrated to America shortly thereafter. He borrowed $1,000 from his wife's uncle[4] and in 1826 established a "dry goods" store at 47 Catherine Street, Manhattan, New York. In 1826 he was joined by his young wife and child, whom he had left in England. His wife's cousin, George Washington Taylor, entered the business in partnership with him in 1834 under the firm name of Lord Taylor, but withdrew in 1845, and was succeeded by James S. Taylor, Mrs. Lord's brother.[5] In 1854 the store moved to the corner of Grand and Chrystie streets, and in 1860 they established a second store on Broadway at the corner of Grand Street, later removing to the corner of Broadway and 20th street, where the store was located in 1895.[6]
Retirement in England
Having retired in 1862[7] from managing his retail business, which he handed over to his two sons, in 1866 he returned to England and resided at Oakleigh, on The Avenue in Ashton upon Mersey, where he pursued his recreation of horticulture.[8]
Marriage & progeny
He married Sarah Anne Taylor[9] and left progeny as follows:
- George Washington Taylor Lord (1837-1903),[10] who with his brother succeeded his father in the business;[11]
- Samuel Lord Jr. (d.1895),[12] who with his brother succeeded his father in the business;[13]
- Kate Lord, who married her father's near-neighbour Ernest Soares (1864-1926), then a solicitor in Manchester residing at Woodheys,[14][15] on Washway Road, in Ashton upon Mersey (today Sale), later a Liberal Member of Parliament for Barnstaple, Devon.
Death & burial
He died on 23 May 1889 and was buried in Brooklands Cemetery. Following an approach by local historian Michael Riley, the Lord & Taylor company refurbished at their sole cost Lord's impressive monument in the cemetery.[16] Lord left nine million dollars (£1.848 million[17]) at his death.[18]
Further reading
References
- ↑ America's Successful Men of Affairs: An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography
- ↑ America's Successful Men of Affairs: An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography
- ↑ The Companion Guide to New York By Michael Leapman, p.134
- ↑ Leapman
- ↑ America's Successful Men of Affairs: An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography
- ↑ America's Successful Men of Affairs: An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography
- ↑ America's Successful Men of Affairs: An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography
- ↑ Charlie Hulme and Lis Nicolson
- ↑ Name on his monument
- ↑ Dates per father's monument
- ↑ America's Successful Men of Affairs: An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography
- ↑ Obituary, New York Times, Nov. 9, 1895 (page 2, column 2)
- ↑ America's Successful Men of Affairs: An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography
- ↑ Website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme and Lis Nicolson, with the assistance of the John Cassidy Committee, Slane History & Archaeology Society.
- ↑ Now "Woodheys Social Club"
- ↑ Charlie Hulme and Lis Nicolson; see image
- ↑ Lawrence H. Officer, "Dollar-Pound Exchange Rate From 1791," MeasuringWorth, 2017
- ↑ Website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme and Lis Nicolson, with the assistance of the John Cassidy Committee, Slane History & Archaeology Society.