James McAlpin
{{short description|American businessman and merchant (1761–1847)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = James McAlpin
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1761|8|6}}
| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1847|7|20|1761|8|6}}
| occupation = Merchant
| known_for = Tailor to George Washington
| boards = Franklin Institute, Saint Andrew's Society, Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company
| spouse = Ann (d. 1821)
| children = Alexander
}}
James McAlpin (August 6, 1761 – July 20, 1847) was a Philadelphia businessman and merchant{{Cite book |last=Henriques |first=Peter R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4IbRDwAAQBAJ&dq=James+McAlpin+George+Washington&pg=PT250 |title=First and Always: A New Portrait of George Washington |date=2020-09-15 |publisher=University of Virginia Press |isbn=978-0-8139-4481-4 |language=en}} who served as George Washington's tailor during his presidency and in his later life.{{Cite web |title=Founders Online: From George Washington to James McAlpin, 7 May 1797 |url=http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-01-02-0103 |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=founders.archives.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Founders Online: From George Washington to James McAlpin, 3 July 1797 |url=http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-01-02-0188 |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=founders.archives.gov |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Horn |first=Jonathan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YI0TEAAAQBAJ&dq=James+McAlpin+George+Washington&pg=PA283 |title=Washington's End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle |date=2021-02-09 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-5011-5424-9 |language=en}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jj48AQAAMAAJ&dq=James+McAlpin+Philadelphia&pg=RA1-PA5 |title=Gas Logic |date=1917 |language=en}}
Early life and family
McAlpin was born on August 6, 1761, in Glasgow, Scotland, the seventh of nine children, and emigrated to British America with his family prior to the American Revolution. He moved to Philadelphia by the 1780s.{{Cite book |last=Russell |first=Doris McAlpin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSk3AAAAMAAJ&q=James+McAlpin+Philadelphia |title=McAlpin(e) Genealogies, 1730-1990: Alexander McAlpin of South Carolina and Georgia and His Descendants, Plus Other McAlpin(e) Families of North America |date=1990 |publisher=Gateway Press |language=en}}
Career
McAlpin and his wife Ann lived at 3 South Fourth Street in the district of Southwark, Philadelphia, in an area now known as Fabric Row. They had one son.{{Cite book |last=Ferling |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Q7-7HK5LBUC&dq=James+McAlpin+George+Washington&pg=PA422 |title=The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon |date=2010-05-16 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-60819-095-9 |language=en}}
He began serving as President Washington's personal tailor beginning in the 1790s.{{Cite web |title=Founders Online: From George Washington to James McAlpin, 10 February 1799 |url=http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-03-02-0263 |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=founders.archives.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Letter, to James McAlpin, 1799 February 10 {{!}} The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon ArchivesSpace |url=https://archives.mountvernon.org/repositories/3/archival_objects/5075 |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=archives.mountvernon.org}}{{Cite book |last=Manca |first=Joseph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TKeY1Rn1K60C&dq=James+McAlpin+George+Washington&pg=PA284 |title=George Washington's Eye: Landscape, Architecture, and Design at Mount Vernon |date=2012 |publisher=JHU Press |isbn=978-1-4214-0432-5 |language=en}} City directories list McAlpin as a merchant tailor until approximately 1817, and from 1818 onward he is listed as a gentleman.{{Cite web |date=2012-01-31 |title=Biblical References & Prayers |url=http://uncorked.winterthur.org/religion/biblical-references-prayers/ |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=Uncorked |language=en-US}}
McAplin had various business and philanthropic interests in Philadelphia.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gZgcAQAAMAAJ&dq=James+McAlpin+Philadelphia&pg=PA250 |title=Mrs. A. S. Colvin's Weekly Messenger |date=1827 |language=en}} He was a founding board member of the Franklin Institute in the 1820s, also serving on the committee overseeing the construction of the building.{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GKRfoVdK-YcC&dq=James+McAlpin+Philadelphia&pg=RA1-PA27 |title=Year Book - Franklin Institute, Philadelphia |date=1922 |publisher=Franklin Institute (Philadelphia) |language=en}} McAlpin was a trustee of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, established in February 1822. He was also a longtime member of the Saint Andrew's Society of Philadelphia (including serving as president from 1831 to 1838).{{Cite book |last=Philadelphia |first=St Andrew's Society of |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q9pS4mIGrjsC&dq=James+McAlpin+Philadelphia&pg=PA401 |title=An Historical Catalogue of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia with Biographical Sketches of Deceased Members, 1749-1913 |date=1907 |publisher=Society |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Philadelphia |first=St Andrew's Society of |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8r4OAQAAMAAJ&dq=James+McAlpin+Philadelphia&pg=PA93 |title=Historical Catalogue ... with Biographical Sketches of Deceased Members, 1749-1907 |date=1907 |publisher=society |language=en}}
Death and legacy
McAlpin died on July 20, 1847, aged 85. He is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery.Public Ledger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Friday, July 23, 1847, p. 2. His estate was settled in April 1849.{{Cite book |last=Wallace |first=Henry Edward |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HwQOAQAAMAAJ&dq=James+McAlpin+Philadelphia&pg=PA440 |title=Philadelphia Reports |date=1856 |publisher=J. M. P. Wallace |language=en}}
His business and personal correspondence with Washington is well-documented in the Papers of George Washington and the George Washington Presidential Library.{{Cite web |title=Founders Online: To George Washington from James McAlpin, 15 May 1797 |url=http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-01-02-0109 |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=founders.archives.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Founders Online: To George Washington from James McAlpin, 27 June 1799 |url=http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-04-02-0126 |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=founders.archives.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Founders Online: From George Washington to James McHenry, 7 June 1799 |url=http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-04-02-0087 |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=founders.archives.gov |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=C |first=Fitzpatrick, John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NoKyAwAAQBAJ&dq=James+McAlpin+George+Washington&pg=PR12 |title=The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745-1799 Volume 37 November 1, 1798-December 13, 1799 |date=1939-01-01 |publisher=Best Books on |isbn=978-1-62376-447-0 |language=en}}
Personal affects belonging to McAplin and his family are in the permanent collection of the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library.
References
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Category:18th-century American businesspeople
Category:Businesspeople from Philadelphia
Category:19th-century American artisans