From the Distaff Side: Some Female Entrepreneurs

Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc., The, Sep 2004 by Bopp, Carl

By 1791, he had moved to Relief Alley, which was just off second Street.15 He remained on this alley (sometimes called Relief Street) making planes, except for a short time he spent in Wilinington, Delaware, around 1794 and 1795. His name is missing from the Philadelphia directories in 1795 and 1796, which is logical since the information for the directories was probably collected in the prior years when he was in Wilinington.16

In the 1791 directory Napier appears with an additional occupation, as "Napier Thomas, plane maker, and manufacturer of Fisher's Pills, Relief alley." He had advertised the pill business in a newspaper as early as 1784.17 Sometimes he called them Fisher's and other times, Napier's pills. He continued to be listed with both the plane anil the pill businesses from 1797 to 1811.18 Thomas died in either October or November of 1812.19

No directory was published in 1812, hut the 1813 directory contains the listing, "Napier widow of Thomas, proprietor of Fisher's or Napier pills Relief." No mention is made of planes.20 Margaret is listed this same way in 1814 and in the same directory is a listing for "Hazlet Hugh, planemaker Relief-street."21 Hazlet may have been working for Thomas Napier before Thomas died and perhaps had then made some arrangement with Thomas's widow to run the planemaking side of the business. Although no directory was published in 1815, these same two listings are found in the 1816 directory and the two directories that were published in 1817.22 After that date, however, there is no longer a listing for Hugh Hazlet.

Margaret Napier continued to he listed as, "Napier widow of Thomas" and as proprietor of Napier pills in the 1818, 1820, 1821, and 1822 editions of the directory.23 According to Alan Bates, author of Thomas Napier, the Scottish Connection, Margaret died in October 1820, and Hugh Hazlet was administrator of her estate and signed papers relating to the estate on October 19, 1820.24 Why then would her name appear in directories after her death? Margaret's listing in the 1821 directory may be explained by the fact that the information was compiled before she died. By 1822, however, it should have been up to date, so that listing remains a puzzle.

And inventory taken for Margaret's estate lists "Medicine boxes and pills $58.38." The inventory also lists lumber, old planes, four benches, and a sundry list of other tools and equipment from the planemaking side of the business.25 The inventory strongly suggests that she retained ownership of the planemaking equipment. Perhaps Hugh Hazlet rented the equipment or ran the planemaking business for her, while she worked on the pill enterprise. In either case, she was able to carry on her husband's establishment for eight years following his death.

Mary Duke

Mary Duke was the wife of T. Duke, who is listed in the directories as having a tool store. There is some conflicting information regarding Duke's first name. One directory gives his first name as Tristrim and another renders it Tristran. A Guide ti the Makers of American Wooden Planes gives a third spelling, Tristam.26 His name stamp on his planes as well as the only advertisement that I have found that includes his name refers only to T. Duke, so these two sources are of no help. Consequently, I will refer to Duke only by his first initial.