__NOTOC__ John Rowe (1715–1787) was a property developer and merchant in 18th century

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

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. As a merchant, John Rowe's most famous cargo was the tea that played a starring role in the

Boston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell t ...

. As a developer, his name is remembered to this day in the name of

Rowes Wharf The current incarnation of Rowes Wharf (built 1987) is a modern development in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is best known for the Boston Harbor Hotel's multi-story arch over the wide public plaza between Atlantic Avenue and the Boston Harb ...

, a modern development in downtown Boston on the site of his original wharf.

Biography

Rowe was born in Exeter, in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

county of

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, but immigrated to Boston with his brothers at an early age. He married Hannah Speakman in 1743 and lived in Boston for the rest of his life. His diaries are kept by the Massachusetts Historical Society and include many valuable observations about people, events, and daily life in Boston. He held various posts in Boston, including serving on the Boston Board of Selectmen. Rowe was evidently a very active

smuggler Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. There are various ...

, avoiding British trade regulations by trading with forbidden ports.John W. Tyler. "Rowe, John"; '' American National Biography Online'', Feb. 2000. He was also an active slave dealer, shown by his advertisement in the 28 July 1746 edition of the Boston Evening Post. In the ad, Rowe listed goods for auction at his wharf, such as cocoa and rum. After the list of goods, he offered to purchase, "Some Negroes that can work at the Carpenter's Trade", and promised to "give a handsom Price if he likes them."Matthew Kaminski. "Freemason Grand Master John Rowe: The Force of Power"; self-published, 2014. He joined protests against tightening restrictions of colonial trade, and helped incite the anti- Stamp Act riot in 1765 that destroyed Chief Justice Thomas Hutchinson's home. Carl Becker mostly ignored John Rowe in ''The Eve of Revolution'' (1918), but he did include a letter written by Thomas Hutchinson. In the letter, Hutchinson claimed that Rowe, Otis and Molineux and Davies provoked the protesters who destroyed Hutchinson's house on 26 August 1765: "When there is occasion to burn or hang effigies or pull down houses, these abbleare employed; but since government has been brought to a system, they are somewhat controlled by a superior set consisting of the mastermasons, and carpenters, &c., of the town of Boston. When anything of more importance is to be determined, as opening the custom-house on any matter of trade, these are under the direction of a committee of the merchants, Mr. Rowe at their head, then Molyneaux, Solomon Davies, et&,…this is proper for a general meeting of the inhabitants of Boston, where Otis, with his mob-high of eloquence, prevails in every motion… and it would be a very extraordinary resolve indeed that is not carried into execution". During the era of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, Rowe avoided commitment to either side, and instead looked out after his business interests. Rowe was the owner of one of the tea ships, the ''Eleanor'', involved in the Boston Tea Party. According to some accounts, at the

Old South Meeting House The Old South Meeting House is a historic Congregational church building located at the corner of Milk and Washington Streets in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston, Massachusetts, built in 1729. It gained fame as the organizing point for th ...

before the Tea Party, he uttered the famous words, "perhaps salt water and tea will mix tonight," but according to his own journal, he was unwell and was not present during the meeting or the Tea Party. Because several sources placed Rowe at the meeting, it's possible to theorise that the journal entry may have been an attempt to conceal his participation in the events leading to the Tea Party. Rowe is most know for not having kids; however, he was a grandfather.Luke Rowe Rowe had a brother by the name of Jacob Rowe who was also a Merchant by trade.

References

Archives and records

John Rowe letter book
at Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard Business School. {{DEFAULTSORT:Rowe, John 1715 births 1787 deaths Colonial American merchants Colonial American smugglers American businesspeople in shipping Businesspeople from Boston 18th-century American businesspeople People of Massachusetts in the American Revolution 18th century in Boston British emigrants to the United States Members of the colonial Massachusetts House of Representatives

Biography

See also

References

Further reading

Archives and records