Abraham Redwood
by Samuel King, 1817
Oil on canvas, 42 1/4 " x 33 1/2"
Redwood Library Painting
Collection
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Abraham Redwood
b. Island of Antigua, April
15, 1709
d. Newport, RI, March 8, 1788
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Ship owner, merchant, philanthropist, slave owner and plantation owner.
Extremely wealthy Quaker, fortune derived from plantation interests in
Antigua. The founder of the library which bears his name. He
donated £ 500 sterling for the purchase of "a collection of useful
Books suitable for a Publick Library."
One of the richest men in this colony, wealth attributed to his father,
Abraham, the senior, who married the daughter of a planter in Antigua.
Through this connection, sugar plantation and large population of slaves
comes into his possession. Abraham, the senior arrived in America
in 1712. It is uncertain where the family settled first - either
Newport, Salem, MA or between the two.
Abraham, the younger, lived in Newport, as a boy and is believed to have
been educated in Philadelphia. Inherited the plantation in Antigua
following the death of his father and older siblings. Name of plantation:
"Cassada Garden."
On February 28, 1727, he married Martha Coggeshall of Newport. Soon
after marriage, town house built on Thames Street. The whole estate,
including gardens, was enclosed by brick walls fitted with ornamental wrought
iron gates imported from London in 1731. His private wharf was located
behind house.
The Abraham Redwood House (demolished) once stood on the west side of Thames
Street, across from Fair Street. The present location of Salas' Restaurant.
His wharf is now called Perry Mill Wharf Area.
His wharf was a distribution point for sugar obtained from his plantation.
While in Newport, Redwood had competent overseers managing the family property
in Antigua.
A leading figure in Newport’s "Golden Age" (prior to Revolution) it appeared
to be a status symbol to own a town house and country home. A 140+
acre estate is purchased in Portsmouth from his father-in-law, Daniel Coggeshall.
Summer house built in 1743. He develops one of the first pretentious
botanical gardens in America and introduced all kinds of tropical fruits
and flowers.
The house and property once stood on West Main Road across from Union Street
in Portsmouth. The property extended to Narragansett Bay. Eventually
developed into housing. In addition, a Redwood house stands at #69
Spring Street. (Not to be confused with house bearing plaque "Redwood
House" at #74 Spring Street).
In the latter stages of his life, Redwood came into conflict with members
of the Quaker faith due to the use of humans in slavery. Redwood’s
and his son’s livelihood depended upon slaves to maintain operation of
the plantation.
He would leave Newport during the Revolution, and for a short period live
in North Providence, before purchasing a farm in Mendon, MA. Redwood
is buried in the Coggeshall family plot on Coggeshall Avenue, next door
to the Preservation Society’s stables.
In his will, he left 500 pounds to establish a Friends’ School and the
same amount to be given to the founding of a college in Rhode Island, provided
it would be in Newport.
In 1872 the ornamental iron gates from his town house on Thames Street
were presented to the library and now can be seen at the side entrance.
In 1917 the small summer house (c. 1766) from his country estate was moved
to the library where it sits on the grounds’ southeast corner. When
John Russell Pope designed the present garden in the mid 1930’s he incorporated
these two important 18th century elements.
The library has in its possession two portraits of Abraham Redwood - one
done during his lifetime by Samuel King and 19th century copy by Charles
Bird King.
Concerning Mr. Redwood, Benjamin Waterhouse [q.v.] would state, "He was
the greatest public and private benefactor of any man I ever knew on Rhode
Island; and his style of living, & appearance was the best."
Bibliography
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