Stephen Carmick (1718 - 1774)

Born 31 Jan 1718 in Ireland [uncertain]

Husband of Anna Christina (Kock) Carmick — married 10 Apr 1755 in Trinity Church, New York

Descendants

Died 26 Jun 1774 at age 56 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Biography

His original family name was Carmichael, according to some sources.

Stephen Carmick was born around 1718. Accounts differ as to his birthplace. Some say he was born in Ireland and left the country for religious reasons. He was a Protestant. Other says he was born in Salem County, New Jersey. It may be that his family left Ireland for religious reasons and settled in New Jersey whilst Stephen was still young.

Little is known of Carmick’s early life. He was born to Peter Carmick (or Carmichael) (?-1759) and Sarah Hall (1689-1748), and had at least three siblings. Carmick’s father appears to have been a successful merchant who owned, amongst other assets, a tract of land spanning over 3900 acres in Cumberland County called “Buckshutem.” Carmick likely inherited a portion of this property as he was paying taxes for 300 or so acres in that very county late into his life.

Sometime after moving to Philadelphia, Carmick established himself as merchant and importer of dry goods, pewter, cutlery, and brass articles from England. In 1751, his store was located under that of Captain William Spafford’s on Market Street near the wharf. By 1760, his store and residence were located on the east side of Water Street, at the “third door above Market Street,” on a lot that extended to the Delaware River. Carmick eventually purchased additional lots throughout the city and, a few years before his death, he acquired Andrew Bankson’s plantation in Southwark.

He married Anna Christina Kock at Trinity Church in New York in 1755. He and his wife are known to have had fourteen children. How many survived to adulthood is unknown, but his obituary stated that at the time of his death there were “ten small children” who survived him.

Carmick was an active parishioner at Christ Church and, on one occasion, he organized an assistance program for the poor at the school house. He was also a member of the Common Council of Philadelphia, where he was summoned for inquests on a number of criminal cases.

Carmick died unexpectedly from either an epileptic fit or "apoplexy" (commonly understood as stroke) at age 54 and was buried in the Christ Church burial grounds. The Bankson plantation may have been his largest land purchase and whatever plans he may have had for developing that land went with him to the grave. His children eventually sold the plantation, along with some of Carmick’s other holdings, to a wine merchant named Paul LaBrousse who operated a vineyard on the land.

Known children:

Sources

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11324750
• A Genealogical History of the Reed, White and Watmough Families, p. 11