{"id":436,"date":"2025-09-19T17:51:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T17:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/librarycompany.org\/librarycompanypapersproject\/?p=436"},"modified":"2025-09-19T17:51:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T17:51:16","slug":"history-of-share-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/librarycompany.org\/librarycompanypapersproject\/2025\/09\/19\/history-of-share-18\/","title":{"rendered":"History of Share #18"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Library Company share #18 was first issued to John Nichols\/Nicholas <\/strong>on November 22, 1731.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Library Company\u2019s chronological register of shares and directors lists him as \u201cNichols,\u201d but the records of the share transactions list him as \u201cNicholas.\u201d John Nicholas (d. 1756) was a carpenter. He was the architect and master builder for James Logan (1674-1751) at Stenton<\/a>, and one of the carpenters hired to finish Christ Church<\/a> in Philadelphia.[i]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 1731, he was obviously acquainted with Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and his fellow Junto members, and he signed the \u201cArticles of Agreement\u201d drawn up by that group on July 1, 1731 to found a library. Nicholas was among the first group of shares issued four months later. These subscribers each invested forty shillings and \u201cpromised to pay ten shillings a year thereafter to buy books and maintain a shareholder\u2019s library.\u201d[ii]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Nicholas\u2019 death, his widow Jane Nicholas sold the share to John Biddle<\/strong>, innkeeper, on May 1, 1762. Though the Library Company did not yet list any women as shareholders, Jane\u2019s sale of her husband\u2019s share was \u201csealed and delivered\u201d in the presence of two other women: Elizabeth Bringhurst and Jane Roberts.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Image: The May 1, 1762 share transfer from Jane Nicholas to John Biddle is recorded in <\/em>Share Record Book A<\/a>, volume 171, Library Company of Philadelphia records (MSS00270).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The share next passed to another John Biddle on July 7, 1779. The Library Company\u2019s Share Record Book A notes that the transaction is from John Biddle to \u201cgrand son John Biddle, son of my son Owen Biddle,\u201d thereby identifying the next shareholder as John Biddle (1763-1815)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the 1794 and 1800 Philadelphia directories, this John Biddle was a druggist.The share remained in his name for the next fifty-three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After his death, his brother and executor Clement Biddle (1778-1856) sold the share to John\u2019s son, Edward C. Biddle (1808-1893)<\/strong>, on June 8, 1832.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward was a print and book publisher, according to the Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers<\/a>. At the time he acquired this Library Company share, his office was located at the southwest corner of Fifth and Minor (now known as Ludlow) Streets, which would have been very close to the Library Company\u2019s building on Fifth Street just below Chestnut Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He maintained the share for the rest of his life. The share next passed to Edward\u2019s daughter, Hetty F. Biddle (1833-1909)<\/strong>, on June 2, 1898.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After her death, the share passed to Edward B. Clay<\/strong> on November 2, 1911.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Share History:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n