Joseph l. Bates
Fancy Good Dealer
Joseph L. Bates was born somewhere between 1806-1807 in Massachusetts. He first appears in the Boston City Directory in 1828. To the right, you can see his advertisement from that year stating that he is an "IMPORTER AND MANUFACTURER OF/ MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, Umbrellas and Parasols, Turner of Ivory and Wood/ NO. 44 MARKET STEET, - BOSTON."
The next year, 1829, he moved to 6 Court St. where he remained until 1851. During this period, his business is referred to as "musical instruments." In 1837, he took on a business partner, George S. Tolman, but continued at the 6 Court Street address. The partnership lasted four years and ended in 1841. Bates is listed on his own from 1842 - 1847 at 6 Court Street, and then in 1848 partners with Alexander Jordan.
At this time, the business moves to 129 Washington, but the partnership will be short-lived and by 1851, Joseph L. Bates is on his own again continuing at 129 Washington. He will remain in business there until 1872.
16" diameter by 14 1/2" tall.
The solid maple shell is secured by widely spaced iron nails and decorated only around the vent with four brass tacks and a brass number "1."
I added new skin heads, seven strand hemp rope, and leather ears to this drum making it playable again without detracting from its original look.
The red painted counter hoops were in good shape and secured with iron nails as seen in this image. The hoop mounted thumb-screw strainer was placed in the front of the drum, which looked odd, but holes were already drilled in another position that made more sense. I am unsure why they were moved in the first place.
Unique to this particular drum is the printed maker's label which reads, "JOSEPH . BATES,/ IMPORTER OF/ FANCY GOODS,/ 129 WASHINGTON ST,/ BOSTON."
Perpendicular to the printed label is a hand-written label that reads, "Joseph L. Bates/ No. 129 Washington St./ Boston"
Written in pencil to right can be seen the inscription, "Andrew P Wendell/ Portsmouth/ NH." Andrew Wendell was born in 1834 and died in 1926. He was the son of Abram Wendell.
Another signature on the inside of the shell reads, "Abram Q Wendell/ Portsmouth/ NH." Abraham Quincy Wendell was born in 1814 and died in 1882.
The third and final signature is for "Henry F. Wendell." Henry was born in 1818 and died in 1899.
Wendell Hardware store
The Wendell Hardware store in Market Square was opened in 1834 by Wendell brothers, Abraham and Daniel. Abraham’s son, Andrew Peterson Wendell, who was born in Portsmouth in 1844, graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1859 and then began working in his father and uncle’s hardware store fulltime. After Daniel left the business, he became partners with his father and his younger brother, Henry Wendell, in 1864.
From:
http://walkportsmouth.blogspot.com/2012/08/peirce-block-wendell-hardware.htm
Andrew Wendell married Ruth Ann Osgood in 1865 or 1867, and they had four children. Sadly, little Nellie only lived for about three weeks in 1878. A scrupulous man, Wendell kept annual diaries in which he recorded each day’s weather, often including the temperature and amount of snowfall. Like his father, who retired in 1874 and died in 1882, A.P. Wendell served as an Alderman of Portsmouth.
In the 1887 Leading Manufacturers and Merchants of New Hampshire, A.P. Wendell & Co. was listed as “Dealers in Hardware and Cutlery, Paints, Oils and Varnishes, Oars, Rowlocks, and Boat Fittings; Guns and Ammunition.”
