William Peace (abt. 1811 - 1870)

Born about 1811 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 1 Mar 1870 at about age 59 in Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Russell Philip [send private message]

Biography

William was born in about 1811. He passed away in 1870. ^[1]

"Harvey W. Peace was born in Sheffield, England on Aug 10, 1831. The Peace family of Sheffield was involved for centuries in the saw, file, and cutlery trades. Tracing the lineage of the Peace family in Sheffield is difficult because of the sheer number of Peaces and the fact that many shared the same [sic] surnames, especially Charles and William. From census records it is known that Harvey's father was William Peace, born 1811, and his mother was Hannah Peace, also born 1811. Harvey was the oldest of eight children, five sons and three daughters. In 1844, at the age of 13, Harvey began to work in his father's and grandfather's saw manufactory. By 1849, at the age of 18, Harvey was an experienced saw grinder, a profession requiring a high degree of skill ... Peace's Vulcan Saw Works was established in 1863, at the intersection of Tenth and Ainslie Streets. Tenth Street was eventually renamed "Keap Street," which was the source of some confusion that there might have been two separate factories. Peace's Saw Works was built on the site of at least one former saw business. The Joseph A Rhodes factory was established ca. 1850 in this same location. Rhodes was another of the skilled workmen brought to America by R. Hoe, he died in 1860, succeeded by Boyd and Renton. During Peace's 30 years at the Vulcan Saw Works, the buildings would burn at least twice, in 1870 and 1871. The 1871 fire destroyed virtually the entire saw factory requiring it to be completely rebuilt. Fire was a common occurrence at this time and Peace, fortunately, carried fire insurance. The Vulcan Saw Works grew, along with Peace's business, eventually encompassing almost an entire city block." ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WJQ-2WJ
2. ↑ The Tool Shed, 2011, No. 166. See https://craftsofnj.org/images/sitemedia/toolshed/Tool-Shed-No166%20-%20Dec%202011.pdf

• United States Census, 1850: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCYR-R5L