William Appleton was born in North Brookfleld, Mass., in 1786 and died in 1862. He began his career at the age of fifteen as clerk in the country store of Artemas Wheeler in Temple, N.H., being made a partner four years later. He soon moved to Boston, as he expressed it, “with a small bundle in his hand, and a few cents in pocket” and entered into business with N. Giddings, who brought and sold. West India goods and crockery. In 1809 he had made sufficient money to buy the “Triumphant” and went with her on a voyage to Fayal. She was later captured by a French privateer, but fortunately was recaptured and brought to Plymouth, England. After the war, Appleton built the “Telegraph,” “Courier” and "Minerva" and for six years was in business with the firm of Paige & Chase. From 1826 to 1841, he was in business alone, with his counting-house on State Street, and at the end of this time he took into partnership Samuel Hooper and his son, James A. Appleton, under the firm name of William Appleton & Company. About ten years later F. G. Dexter and John H. Reed also entered the counting-house, which had now attained a very high position in shipping throughout the world, tradition chiefly with China. Some of the vessels owned by the firm were “Milton,” “Eben Preble,” “Charlotte,” “Delhi,” “Loo Choo,” "Coronado,” “Barnstable,” “Mary Ellen,” Admittance,” "Oxnard," “Hamlet,” “Tasso,” “Cygnet,” “Joshua Bates,” “Horsburg," "Courser," "Living Age," "Nabob," "Orion," Edith Rose," "Egeria," and "Magenta"

Appleton resigned from the firm in 1857, Samuel Hooper and F. G. Dexter Continuing in business together under thc name of Samuel Hooper & Company.  Captain William Cole was referred to a "Commodore" of William  Appleton & Company's ships, and was one of the firm's most successful masters.  William Appleton was elected to Congress in 1851, and for the next three terms, and at the age of seventy-four was again chosen a Congressman.  Being in very feeble health he should not have accepted the position and he died soon afterwards.

Mr. Appleton suffered all his life from dyspepsia, but in spite of his ill-health, he persevered and built up a most successful business. He had many fine qualities; he was impressive, sympathetic, genial, kind, dignified, conservative, truthful, and possessed of great sagacity and courage.  Rev. Chandler Robbins, who wrote a memoir of him, said, “We have no misgivings in holding up such a life before the young men of New England as worthy of honor and emulation.”

After his death, as the funeral procession was about to start for Mount Auburn, the Mayor gave orders for the bells to be rung and salutes to be fired in celebration of recent victories.  All rejoicings were, however, postponed one hour in consideration of the funeral.

Samuel and Nathan Appleton, cousins of William, were partners and importers of British dry goods. It is said that the former began his career with a single fourpence half-penny, which was paid to him by a drover with a herd of cattle who asked the boy for assistance in driving his cattle, as he was passing the Appleton house. He later went to Maine, where he worked as a labourer. The Appletons are descended from Samuel Appleton, who was one of the first settlers in Ipswich in 1635. Some of the family later moved to New Ipswich in New Hampshire.

Dr. Greenwood once spoke of his congregation as being composed of “merchants like Samuel Appleton, Patrick T. Jackson, Thomas Motley; lawyers like Judge Wilde, Charles Jackson, Benjamin R. Curtis, Franklin Dexter; the banker, Charles Sprague; the beloved physician, Dr. James Jackson.”

Source:  Other Merchants and Sea Captains of Old Boston, State Street Trust Company, Boston, Mass., 1919

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