1st marriage to Eunice Winkley on 13 Dec 1804 at Cincinnati, OH
2nd marriage to Mary Green on 07 Jan 1821
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
83-yrs.
Samuel Best was born in Ilminster, England, in 1776. His father, Thomas, and two brothers, Robert and Thomas, Jr., were also craftsmen who worked as silversmiths, jewelers, watchmakers, and clockmakers. The Best family left England for America in 1801. They arrived in Philadelphia and stayed there for a short time. Samuel, however, traveled to Kentucky where he worked in Bourbon (now part of Paris). When the Best family settled in Cincinnati around 1802, then part of the western frontier, Samuel joined them.
Samuel quickly became the most prosperous of the three Best sons, who had learned the family trade from their father. The same year Samuel arrived in Cincinnati he established a business in his home, a log cabin located at the corner of Front and Walnut Streets. Best assembled and repaired watches and clocks and made such items as silver tumblers, milk and soup ladles, teaspoons, sugar spoons, watch seals, and keys. By 1805, Best was regularly advertising his business in local papers, an indication of his success. The following year he published an advertisement, which read "a smart active lad of about twelve or fouteen years of age wanted as an apprentice to the clock and watch making and silversmith business. A boy from the country would be preferred." During this time Best expanded his business and began to mend seals, rings, and thimbles.
With the city's growth came a refinement of taste, and in general, Cincinnati residents became much more astute. In response to this, Best began offering French lessons in his home in 1814. The classes were held in the evenings for men, but women who wanted to learn the language were able to do so in the afternoon between two and four. During the same year, Best also played the violin at the Shellbark, Cincinnati's first formal theater. As his business continued to thrive, he involved himself in making engraving plates that were used to print money for the city's banks. Best also continued to offer a variety of silver forms, including specialized military equipment, as a result of the continuation of the War of 1812.
Best's whereabouts are unknown after around 1817, and he is not listed in the city's first directory, published in 1819. It is known that he moved to Rising Sun, Indiana, and lived there for a number of years towards the end of his life. Best died in 1859.
The Cincinnati Wing: The Story of Art in the Queen City
ARTIST PROFILE
RISE OF INDUSTRY: SAMUEL BEST
2nd marriage to Mary Green on 07 Jan 1821
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
83-yrs.
Samuel Best was born in Ilminster, England, in 1776. His father, Thomas, and two brothers, Robert and Thomas, Jr., were also craftsmen who worked as silversmiths, jewelers, watchmakers, and clockmakers. The Best family left England for America in 1801. They arrived in Philadelphia and stayed there for a short time. Samuel, however, traveled to Kentucky where he worked in Bourbon (now part of Paris). When the Best family settled in Cincinnati around 1802, then part of the western frontier, Samuel joined them.
Samuel quickly became the most prosperous of the three Best sons, who had learned the family trade from their father. The same year Samuel arrived in Cincinnati he established a business in his home, a log cabin located at the corner of Front and Walnut Streets. Best assembled and repaired watches and clocks and made such items as silver tumblers, milk and soup ladles, teaspoons, sugar spoons, watch seals, and keys. By 1805, Best was regularly advertising his business in local papers, an indication of his success. The following year he published an advertisement, which read "a smart active lad of about twelve or fouteen years of age wanted as an apprentice to the clock and watch making and silversmith business. A boy from the country would be preferred." During this time Best expanded his business and began to mend seals, rings, and thimbles.
With the city's growth came a refinement of taste, and in general, Cincinnati residents became much more astute. In response to this, Best began offering French lessons in his home in 1814. The classes were held in the evenings for men, but women who wanted to learn the language were able to do so in the afternoon between two and four. During the same year, Best also played the violin at the Shellbark, Cincinnati's first formal theater. As his business continued to thrive, he involved himself in making engraving plates that were used to print money for the city's banks. Best also continued to offer a variety of silver forms, including specialized military equipment, as a result of the continuation of the War of 1812.
Best's whereabouts are unknown after around 1817, and he is not listed in the city's first directory, published in 1819. It is known that he moved to Rising Sun, Indiana, and lived there for a number of years towards the end of his life. Best died in 1859.
The Cincinnati Wing: The Story of Art in the Queen City
ARTIST PROFILE
RISE OF INDUSTRY: SAMUEL BEST
1st marriage to Eunice Winkley on 13 Dec 1804 at Cincinnati, OH
2nd marriage to Mary Green on 07 Jan 1821
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
83-yrs.
Samuel Best was born in Ilminster, England, in 1776. His father, Thomas, and two brothers, Robert and Thomas, Jr., were also craftsmen who worked as silversmiths, jewelers, watchmakers, and clockmakers. The Best family left England for America in 1801. They arrived in Philadelphia and stayed there for a short time. Samuel, however, traveled to Kentucky where he worked in Bourbon (now part of Paris). When the Best family settled in Cincinnati around 1802, then part of the western frontier, Samuel joined them.
Samuel quickly became the most prosperous of the three Best sons, who had learned the family trade from their father. The same year Samuel arrived in Cincinnati he established a business in his home, a log cabin located at the corner of Front and Walnut Streets. Best assembled and repaired watches and clocks and made such items as silver tumblers, milk and soup ladles, teaspoons, sugar spoons, watch seals, and keys. By 1805, Best was regularly advertising his business in local papers, an indication of his success. The following year he published an advertisement, which read "a smart active lad of about twelve or fouteen years of age wanted as an apprentice to the clock and watch making and silversmith business. A boy from the country would be preferred." During this time Best expanded his business and began to mend seals, rings, and thimbles.
With the city's growth came a refinement of taste, and in general, Cincinnati residents became much more astute. In response to this, Best began offering French lessons in his home in 1814. The classes were held in the evenings for men, but women who wanted to learn the language were able to do so in the afternoon between two and four. During the same year, Best also played the violin at the Shellbark, Cincinnati's first formal theater. As his business continued to thrive, he involved himself in making engraving plates that were used to print money for the city's banks. Best also continued to offer a variety of silver forms, including specialized military equipment, as a result of the continuation of the War of 1812.
Best's whereabouts are unknown after around 1817, and he is not listed in the city's first directory, published in 1819. It is known that he moved to Rising Sun, Indiana, and lived there for a number of years towards the end of his life. Best died in 1859.
The Cincinnati Wing: The Story of Art in the Queen City
ARTIST PROFILE
RISE OF INDUSTRY: SAMUEL BEST
2nd marriage to Mary Green on 07 Jan 1821
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
83-yrs.
Samuel Best was born in Ilminster, England, in 1776. His father, Thomas, and two brothers, Robert and Thomas, Jr., were also craftsmen who worked as silversmiths, jewelers, watchmakers, and clockmakers. The Best family left England for America in 1801. They arrived in Philadelphia and stayed there for a short time. Samuel, however, traveled to Kentucky where he worked in Bourbon (now part of Paris). When the Best family settled in Cincinnati around 1802, then part of the western frontier, Samuel joined them.
Samuel quickly became the most prosperous of the three Best sons, who had learned the family trade from their father. The same year Samuel arrived in Cincinnati he established a business in his home, a log cabin located at the corner of Front and Walnut Streets. Best assembled and repaired watches and clocks and made such items as silver tumblers, milk and soup ladles, teaspoons, sugar spoons, watch seals, and keys. By 1805, Best was regularly advertising his business in local papers, an indication of his success. The following year he published an advertisement, which read "a smart active lad of about twelve or fouteen years of age wanted as an apprentice to the clock and watch making and silversmith business. A boy from the country would be preferred." During this time Best expanded his business and began to mend seals, rings, and thimbles.
With the city's growth came a refinement of taste, and in general, Cincinnati residents became much more astute. In response to this, Best began offering French lessons in his home in 1814. The classes were held in the evenings for men, but women who wanted to learn the language were able to do so in the afternoon between two and four. During the same year, Best also played the violin at the Shellbark, Cincinnati's first formal theater. As his business continued to thrive, he involved himself in making engraving plates that were used to print money for the city's banks. Best also continued to offer a variety of silver forms, including specialized military equipment, as a result of the continuation of the War of 1812.
Best's whereabouts are unknown after around 1817, and he is not listed in the city's first directory, published in 1819. It is known that he moved to Rising Sun, Indiana, and lived there for a number of years towards the end of his life. Best died in 1859.
The Cincinnati Wing: The Story of Art in the Queen City
ARTIST PROFILE
RISE OF INDUSTRY: SAMUEL BEST
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