E Pattison Tinsmith
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The Pattison family, from County Tyrone, emigrated to Connecticut about 1740. According to family tradition Edward Pattison’s father had wanted to move his family to America but became ill and died.
Their mother had presumably died earlier for she is not mentioned in any family document.
Edward Pattison appears to have emigrated first in the 1730’s and then returned to Ireland about 1740 to bring the rest of his family to America, including his brother William and sister Anna (click image to enlarge).
It is likely that Edward had some training in Ireland or England, perhaps as a pewterer’s apprentice.He established a small business in tin manufacture in Berlin, Connecticut. At first, the Pattisons travelled throughout the countryside selling their tinware as peddlers.
Edward Pattison died in 1787 and the business was taken over by his sons Edward Junior and Shubael. Edward Junior died in 1809 and Shubael continued in the business until his death in 1828.
Tin was imported from England and South Wales in the early years. In fact very little tinplate was produced in America until the early 1900’s.
Pattisons contains an exhibition showing examples of tinware from the museum’s collection and a display of tinsmithing equipment.
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