John Needles (1786–1878) was an active Quaker and noted Maryland

abolitionist 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 British ...

. He was also a master craftsman of fine furniture.

Early life

John Needles was born on October 4, 1786 to Edward and Mary (Lamb) Needles. They lived on a farm in the small community of High Banks that borders the Choptank River and is located about eight miles east of Easton, Talbot County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. After his father died in 1798, John Needles lived with Pearce Lamb, his maternal grandfather, at ''Lamb's Meadows'', a farm that is located near Kennedyville, Kent County, Maryland. In 1803, John Needles, at the age of 16, moved to Easton where he began a five-year apprenticeship with cabinetmaker James Neall.

Eliza Matthews

After completing his apprenticeship in 1808, John Needles removed for six months to ''Wakefield'', a 133-acre farm belonging to his friend Joseph Bartlett. ''Wakefield'' is located between Easton and St. Michaels on Dixon Creek. In his autobiography, John Needles reveals the events that culminate in his marriage. Joseph Bartlett informed him that his future wife, Rhoda Matthews, has a younger sister, Eliza, who is unmarried and, in Joseph's opinion, is "worth one thousand Pounds". On June 22, 1809, John Needles attends the wedding of Joseph Bartlett and Rhoda Matthews but Eliza is not present because she had entered

Westtown School Westtown School is a Quaker, coeducational, college preparatory day and boarding school for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States, 20 miles west of Philadelphia. Founded in 1799 b ...

, a Quaker boarding school. John Needles continues, "I had a desire to see her and in the course of time I did see her and was not disappointed in what I had been told." On May 29, 1811, John Needles and Eliza Matthews (1793-1840), daughter of Mordecai and Ruth (Hussey) Matthews, were married by Quaker ceremony in Gunpowder Meetinghouse, Beaver Dam Road,

Cockeysville Cockeysville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,776 at the 2010 census. History Cockeysville was named after the Cockey family who helped establish the town. Thomas Cockey (1676� ...

, Baltimore County, Maryland.

Baltimore City

In October 1808, John Needles removed to

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

where he was employed by Edward Priestley, a renowned cabinetmaker. Later, John Needles was employed by William Camp until March 1810 when he removed to 10 Hanover Street where his residence and first shop were located. By 1812, John and Eliza Needles had removed to 54 Hanover Street where their new residence and shop were located.Jones, p. 160

Notes

Bibliography

*Earle, Swepson (editor). ''Maryland's colonial Eastern Shore''. New York: Weathervane Books, pp. 19–20 *Byrd, Dana E. (2005).
The paradox of good intentions: John Needles, cabinetmaker in antebellum Baltimore
'' University of Delaware, 200 pages *Jones, Christopher H. (2007). "'Many Were Set at Liberty': John Needles, Abolitionist and Artisan", ''Maryland Historical Magazine'', 102 (3): 156–75 *Kirtley, Alexandra Alevizatos (2001). "A New Suspect: Baltimore Cabinetmaker Edward Priestley". ''American Furniture 2000'', Milwaukee: Chipstone Foundation, pp. 100–51 *Leonard, R. Bernice (1984). ''Twig and turf II: Bartlett and allied families, 1693-1984''. St. Michaels, Maryland: R. B. Leonard, 330 pages *Needles, Samuel Hambleton (1876). ''Record of the Man, Needles (Nedels) and Hambleton families;'' . . . Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Edmund Deacon *Smedley, Susanna (1945). ''Catalog of Westtown through the years, officers, students, and others''. Philadelphia: Lyon & Armor * Still, William (1872). ''Earnest in the cause; John Needles''. Philadelphia: Porter & Coates *Wright, Edward Needles (editor) (1969).
John Needles (1786-1878): An Autobiography"
''Quaker History, The Bulletin of Friends Historical Association'', 58 (1): 3–21. Retrieved 8 February 2017.

Early life

Eliza Matthews

Baltimore City

Notes

Bibliography

External links