Edward Burd Grubb Sr. (1810–1867) was a prominent fourth-generation member of the

Grubb Family Iron Dynasty The Grubb Family Iron Dynasty was a succession of iron manufacturing enterprises owned and operated by Grubb family members for more than 165 years. Collectively, they were Pennsylvania's leading iron manufacturer between 1840 and 1870. About 1737, ...

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

who in 1833, with his brother

Clement Brooke Grubb Clement or Clément may refer to: People * Clement (name), a given name and surname * Saint Clement (disambiguation)#People Places * Clément, French Guiana, a town * Clement, Missouri, U.S. * Clement Township, Michigan, U.S. Other uses * Ad ...

, assumed control of the family business after the death of their father

Henry Bates Grubb Henry Bates Grubb (February 6, 1774 – March 9, 1823) was a third-generation member of the Grubb Family Iron Dynasty, the founder of the family's enterprises headquartered at Mount Hope near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and perhaps the family's ...

. Operating out of Mount Hope, they proceeded to rebuild the old furnaces and expand the operation to become one of the largest Pennsylvania iron producers during the mid-19th century. After 1840 Edward became a leading citizen of

Burlington, New Jersey Burlington is a city in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,743. Burlington was first incorporated on October 24, 1693, and was r ...

and an ardent abolitionist; his estate there is said to have been a station on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

and he was an active supporter of the Civil War effort.

Business and professional life

Edward became involved in the family iron business about 1830, at the age of 20, when he was sent to Europe to study and learn the latest iron technology, such as the heating of blast for iron furnaces. In 1833 he and his brother

assumed control of the business under the name E. & C.B. They proceeded to rebuild the old furnaces and successfully expand the operation. Edward and Clement continued the partnership until about 1840, when Edward decided to leave active participation in the business, reportedly for health reasons, and moved with his bride to Burlington, New Jersey. Edward became one of the most prominent citizens of Burlington, a member of the Episcopal Church, a trustee of Burlington College (Burlington, 1864–1877), a member of the Philadelphia Club, the Union League, and the

Athenaeum of Philadelphia The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, located at 219 S. 6th Street between St. James Place and Locust Street in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a special collections library and museum founded in 1814 to collect materials ...

. He was an active supporter of the Civil War effort.

Abolitionism

The Burlington Grubbs were known to have been ardent

abolitionists Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The Britis ...

, and Edward's estate there, known today as the Grubb Estate or Delaware House, is said to have been a station on the

. The underground passageways between the house and the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

would have lent themselves to such use. The local lore is somewhat distorted, as it commonly relates the abolitionist activity to descendants of Henry Grubb who settled in Burlington around 1680. However, none of the Burlington Grubbs after 1771 were descended from Henry, although

John Grubb John Grubb (1652–1708) was a two-term member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and was one of the original settlers in a portion of Brandywine Hundred that became Claymont, Delaware. He founded a large tannery that continued in opera ...

was a common ancestor. Henry was not Edward's grandfather and was never involved with the Grubb Estate purchased by Henry in 1840. None of this is to deny Edward's abolitionist fervor, but is merely offered to clarify local lore.

Personal life

Edward Burd Grubb Sr. was born at Mount Hope, Pennsylvania, on December 17, 1810, to Henry Bates and Harriet (Buckley) Grubb. On November 9, 1837, he married Euphemia Brown Parker, the daughter of Isaac Brown Parker of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 1840, reportedly because of health problems, he decided to leave active involvement in the family iron business and move with his bride to Burlington, New Jersey. He purchased an estate there, known today as the Grubb Estate or Delaware House, where they raised their family and lived out their lives. They had four sons Edward Burd Jr., Isaac Parker, Henry Bates, and Charles Ross, and two daughters Maria (died young) and Emphenia Parker. Emphenia married Count Demetrius de Cerkez of Rumania and was the last family member to live in Delaware House, which is today owned by the Catholic Charities, Trenton Diocese. Edward died on August 27, 1867, at the age of 56, and his wife Euphemia in 1894 at the age of 79. They are interred at St. Mary's Episcopal Churchyard in Burlington.

Notable descendants (sons)

Edward Burd Grubb Jr. Edward Burd Grubb Jr. (known as E. Burd Grubb) (November 13, 1841 – July 7, 1913) was a Union Army Colonel (United States), colonel and regimental commander in the American Civil War. He served in three regiments and commanded two of them. ...

(1841–1913) was a Civil War General, a candidate for Governor, and later Ambassador to Spain. After the war, he joined the family iron business as President of the Lebanon Valley Furnace Company. *Henry Bates Grubb (1848–1919) was Vice President of the Conewago Iron Company that owned the Conewago Furnace. *

Charles Ross Grubb Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

(1851–1928 ) was a partner-owner of the Chickies iron furnaces, President of the Conewago Iron Company and President of the Cornwall Ore Bank Company.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grubb, Edward Burd Sr. 1810 births 1867 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople American people of Cornish descent Grubb family People from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Underground Railroad people