Hersey, Benjamin
Birth
Death
First Name
Last Name
PersonID
Name in Index
Person Biography
Benjamin Hersey appears to have originally been from Maryland. He married Sally Jackson of Virginia in 1802 in Washington, D.C.
Hersey was likely a miller, since his appearance in the Mason family manuscript account book involves grinding “20 Barrels of flour.” He was engaged in a business venture with Ebenezer Eliason, a merchant based in Alexandria and “at the corner, in row with the Seven Buildings” in Washington, D.C. Eliason first posted several advertisements in 1801 advertising the sale of “Ladies’ fancy Kid, morocco, and fluff shoes with a few pair Gentleman’s boots, booties, and fine shoes.” In 1805, he advertised the sale of “superfine flour” and other similar items located in a warehouse on New Jersey Avenue near Barry’s wharf, in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is not known when Hersey first associated with Eliason, but they were in business together by at least 1810, when an article in the Independent American newspaper identified the location of their joint venture as being on Water Street in Georgetown. Reference was also made to a lost check issued by them regarding a “flour account” in 1811.
A notice of the dissolution of the business appeared in the Federal Republican in 1814, and they posted several legal notices the following year related to business complaints against Boaz Bell and John Gird. Hersey probably continued his own milling operation, since his appearance in the Mason family manuscript account book dates to August 1815.
by Dianne Tomasek
