Author Topic: Benjamin Dudley, Dr John Harvey Pierce, William Sprague to America c. 1780  (Read 206 times)

Offline LotsofCoppers

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Hello - I am an American researcher and I am looking for information on Benjamin Dudley who came to America possibly from London c. 1780.  From what I can piece together about him he was an experienced mechanic, metal assayer, clock & watchmaker, optician and scientific instruments maker.  He was a part of America's very first coinage mint in Philadelphia.   He was active in those fields in America from about 1781-1786.  I can find no trace of him prior to 1781 or past 1786.  I estimate he was born about 1730-1740 based him stating he was past the median of life in 1786. 

I know he came to American with Dr John Harvey Pierce - I have seen some posts about this John Harvey Pierce on this board.  It does not appear that Dr Pierce stayed in America very long.  But there are mentions that Pierce helped Dudley to leave England as I think because of Dudley's mechanical skills and the politics of the time (war with America) there was an effort to keep Dudley in England.  Dudley, Pierce and William Sprague (who I believe to be an Axminster carpet merchant who ended up in Philadelphia) went first to France where they stayed for a few months before they were able to arrive in America.

Can anyone help me pin down any information at all about this Benjamin Dudley?   He does mention that he has a wife (no mention of children) and he was able to bring her to America as well - maybe about 1784 or so.

After 1786 I can find no mentions of them in America and it is possible they returned to England.