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| Paul Revere The Midnight Rider |
| Paul Revere (December 22, 1734 (OS) / January 1, 1735 (NS) – May 10, 1818) was a silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He was glorified after his death for his role as a messenger in the battles of Lexington and Concord, and Revere's name and his "midnight ride" are well-known in the United States as a patriotic symbol. Revere was a prosperous and prominent Boston craftsman in his lifetime, who helped organise a security and alert/alarm system to keep watch on the British military. |
Paul Revere (1735-1818), American patriot, silversmith, and engraver, is
remembered for his ride before the Revolutionary War to warn American
patriots of a planned British attack. His silverware was among the finest
produced in America in his day.
Paul Revere was born on Jan. 1, 1735, in Boston, Mass., the son of Apollos
De Revoire, a French Huguenot who had come to Boston at the age of 13
to apprentice in the shop of a silversmith. Once Revoire had established
his own business, he Anglicized his name. Paul, the third of 12 children,
learned silversmithing from his father. On Aug. 17, 1757, he married Sarah
Orne and eventually became the father of eight children.
As early as 1765, Revere began to experiment with engraving on copper
and produced several portraits and a songbook. He was popular as a
source for engraved seals, coats of arms, and bookplates, and he began
to execute engravings which were anti-British. In 1768 Revere undertook
dentistry and produced dental devices. The same year he made one of
the most famous pieces of American colonial silver--the bowl
commissioned by the Fifteen Sons of Liberty. It is engraved to honor the
"glorious Ninety-two Members of the Honorable House of Representatives
of the Massachusetts Bay, who, undaunted by the insolent Menores of
Villains in Power ... Voted not to rescind" a circular letter they had sent to
the other colonies protesting the Townshend Acts. Revere's virtuosity as a
craftsman extended to his carving picture frames for John Singleton
Copley, who painted the famous portrait of Revere in shirt sleeves holding
a silver teapot.
Paul Revere's Ride
Revere became a trusted messenger for the Massachusetts Committee of
Safety. He foresaw an attempt by the British troops against the military
stores which were centered in Concord, and he arranged a signal to warn
the patriots in Charlestown. During the late evening of April 18, 1775, the
chairman of the Committee of Safety told him that the British were going
to march to Concord. Revere signaled by hanging two lanterns in the
tower of the North Church (probably the present Christ Church). He
crossed the river, borrowed a horse in Charlestown, and started for
Concord. He arrived in Lexington at midnight and roused John Hancock
and Samuel Adams from sleep; the two fled to safety. Revere was
captured that night by the British, but he persuaded his captors that the
whole countryside was aroused to fight, and they freed him. He returned
to Lexington, where he saw the first shot fired on the green. It is this ride
and series of events which have been immortalized by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow in his poem "Paul Revere's Ride."
In the same year, 1775, the Massachusetts provincial congress sent
Revere to Philadelphia to study the only working powder mill in the
Colonies. Although he was only allowed to walk through the mill and not
to take any notes about it, he remembered enough to establish a mill in
Canton. During the Revolutionary War, he continued to play an active
role. He was eventually promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
After the war Revere became a pioneer in the process of copper plating,
and he made copper spikes for ships. In 1795, as grand master of the
Masonic fraternity, he laid the cornerstone of the new statehouse in
Boston. Throughout the remainder of his life, he continued to experiment
with metallurgy and to take a keen interest in contemporary events. He
died in Boston on May 10, 1818.
The Silversmith
Revere is also remembered today as a craftsman. His work in silver
spanned two major styles. His earliest work is in the rococo style, which is
characterized by the use of asymmetric floral and scroll motifs and
repoussé decoration; this was done before the Revolution. From this, he
evolved a neoclassic style after the Revolution. This style, developed in
England, was based on the straight lines and severe surfaces of Roman
design. In 1792 Revere produced one of the acknowledged American
masterpieces in this style--a complete tea set commissioned by John and
Mehitabel Templeman of Boston. The type of ornamentation employed in
this tea set was being used in Massachusetts architecture by Charles
Bulfinch and Samuel Mclntire.
Revere's silver is marked with the initials "P R" in a block. This was the usual
type of marking on American silver of the 18th century. Revere
commanded a very distinguished Boston clientele and was called on to
make a number of memorial and commemorative pieces. Like many
silversmiths of the period, he also worked in brass.
Master Engraver
Revere was also a master of engraving. An on-the-spot reporter, he
recorded the events leading up to and during the Revolution with great
accuracy. These engravings were advertised in Boston newspapers and
were eagerly purchased by the public. In 1770 the Boston Gazette
advertised for sale Revere's engraving A View of Part of the Town of
Boston in New England and British Ships of War Landing Their Troops, 1768.
Revere added to the print a description of the troops, who paraded
"Drums beating, Fifes playing ... Each Soldier having received 16 rounds of
Powder and Ball." Today, all his silver and engravings are eagerly sought by
collectors.
remembered for his ride before the Revolutionary War to warn American
patriots of a planned British attack. His silverware was among the finest
produced in America in his day.
Paul Revere was born on Jan. 1, 1735, in Boston, Mass., the son of Apollos
De Revoire, a French Huguenot who had come to Boston at the age of 13
to apprentice in the shop of a silversmith. Once Revoire had established
his own business, he Anglicized his name. Paul, the third of 12 children,
learned silversmithing from his father. On Aug. 17, 1757, he married Sarah
Orne and eventually became the father of eight children.
As early as 1765, Revere began to experiment with engraving on copper
and produced several portraits and a songbook. He was popular as a
source for engraved seals, coats of arms, and bookplates, and he began
to execute engravings which were anti-British. In 1768 Revere undertook
dentistry and produced dental devices. The same year he made one of
the most famous pieces of American colonial silver--the bowl
commissioned by the Fifteen Sons of Liberty. It is engraved to honor the
"glorious Ninety-two Members of the Honorable House of Representatives
of the Massachusetts Bay, who, undaunted by the insolent Menores of
Villains in Power ... Voted not to rescind" a circular letter they had sent to
the other colonies protesting the Townshend Acts. Revere's virtuosity as a
craftsman extended to his carving picture frames for John Singleton
Copley, who painted the famous portrait of Revere in shirt sleeves holding
a silver teapot.
Paul Revere's Ride
Revere became a trusted messenger for the Massachusetts Committee of
Safety. He foresaw an attempt by the British troops against the military
stores which were centered in Concord, and he arranged a signal to warn
the patriots in Charlestown. During the late evening of April 18, 1775, the
chairman of the Committee of Safety told him that the British were going
to march to Concord. Revere signaled by hanging two lanterns in the
tower of the North Church (probably the present Christ Church). He
crossed the river, borrowed a horse in Charlestown, and started for
Concord. He arrived in Lexington at midnight and roused John Hancock
and Samuel Adams from sleep; the two fled to safety. Revere was
captured that night by the British, but he persuaded his captors that the
whole countryside was aroused to fight, and they freed him. He returned
to Lexington, where he saw the first shot fired on the green. It is this ride
and series of events which have been immortalized by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow in his poem "Paul Revere's Ride."
In the same year, 1775, the Massachusetts provincial congress sent
Revere to Philadelphia to study the only working powder mill in the
Colonies. Although he was only allowed to walk through the mill and not
to take any notes about it, he remembered enough to establish a mill in
Canton. During the Revolutionary War, he continued to play an active
role. He was eventually promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
After the war Revere became a pioneer in the process of copper plating,
and he made copper spikes for ships. In 1795, as grand master of the
Masonic fraternity, he laid the cornerstone of the new statehouse in
Boston. Throughout the remainder of his life, he continued to experiment
with metallurgy and to take a keen interest in contemporary events. He
died in Boston on May 10, 1818.
The Silversmith
Revere is also remembered today as a craftsman. His work in silver
spanned two major styles. His earliest work is in the rococo style, which is
characterized by the use of asymmetric floral and scroll motifs and
repoussé decoration; this was done before the Revolution. From this, he
evolved a neoclassic style after the Revolution. This style, developed in
England, was based on the straight lines and severe surfaces of Roman
design. In 1792 Revere produced one of the acknowledged American
masterpieces in this style--a complete tea set commissioned by John and
Mehitabel Templeman of Boston. The type of ornamentation employed in
this tea set was being used in Massachusetts architecture by Charles
Bulfinch and Samuel Mclntire.
Revere's silver is marked with the initials "P R" in a block. This was the usual
type of marking on American silver of the 18th century. Revere
commanded a very distinguished Boston clientele and was called on to
make a number of memorial and commemorative pieces. Like many
silversmiths of the period, he also worked in brass.
Master Engraver
Revere was also a master of engraving. An on-the-spot reporter, he
recorded the events leading up to and during the Revolution with great
accuracy. These engravings were advertised in Boston newspapers and
were eagerly purchased by the public. In 1770 the Boston Gazette
advertised for sale Revere's engraving A View of Part of the Town of
Boston in New England and British Ships of War Landing Their Troops, 1768.
Revere added to the print a description of the troops, who paraded
"Drums beating, Fifes playing ... Each Soldier having received 16 rounds of
Powder and Ball." Today, all his silver and engravings are eagerly sought by
collectors.
| Information I Images courtesy of www.wikipedia.org paul_revere.totallyexplained.com Paul Revere Bio Summary |
Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c.1768–70