Levi Hollingsworth (278)

Levi Hollingsworth (29 November 1739–1824) was a merchant and a member of the American Philosophical Society via his 1768 election to the American Society. Born in Cecil County, Maryland, Levi followed his father’s path into flour manufacturing and trade. Hollingsworth proved a credit to his family and by the age of nineteen was running his own sloop to deliver flour to Philadelphia. The business opportunities in the city soon proved irresistible and after he relocated there, he never looked back. Over the next decade, Hollingsworth formed and reformed various partnerships in the mercantile business and sold items that always had a customer base including wine, tobacco, and sugar. Now an established merchant, Hollingsworth could start a family. He married Hannah Paschall (daughter of APS Member Stepehn Pascahall) in 1768 and together they had eight children, five of whom lived past infancy. Though ready to retire, the American Revolution quickly ended that discussion and Hollingsworth enlisted in the war efforts instead. He was among the first to join the City Troop and, with his experience, was a logical fit as the company’s quartermaster. Authorities clearly trusted him as he often was tasked with moving money to troops or civilian authorities in other states during the conflict. While later in life his political enemies painted him as “an Old Tory,” he never had problems producing testaments that extolled his service to Pennsylvania during the war. Following the conflict, he returned to his export-import business and soon revived his financial health—no small achievement in the early republic’s volatile market. Throughout his life Hollingsworth dedicated time and money to supporting and improving his home city. He gave generously to Pennsylvania Hospital and was a contributor to the Philadelphia Dispensary. His active involvement in the APS reflected his keen interest in new technology and commercial ventures. Among other committee work, Hollingsworth subscribed to the Silk Society and proved a valued patron to James Rumsey’s work with steam engines and broilers in the late 1780s. Hollingsworth died in his house on Dock Street, the place he had called home for over six decades. His family laid him to rest at the Friends burial ground in Haverford. (PI)