Henry Ingle was a cabinetmaker who supplied Thomas Jefferson with both cabinetwork and tools, such as plane blades, sand paper, chisels, and screws. All of the earliest entries concerning Ingle in Jefferson's memorandum books indicated that payment was for cabinetwork, while all later entries were for bills received from Ingle for building supplies and tools. The early entries were made while Ingle was in Philadelphia, while the later invoices and bills were received after Ingle had moved to Washington, D.C.
In 1788, Ingle advertised a house for rent in Richmond, Virginia, which he presently occupied with a Mr. Speakman.[1] A year later Ingle advertised that he was leaving Richmond and needed to settle his accounts.[2] In 1791, the Biddle Directory of Philadelphia listed joiners Henry and Joseph "Inglis" as living at 273 High Street. The relationship between these two Ingle gentlemen was not mentioned although it is likely they were brothers.[3]
Ingle first appeared in Jefferson's memorandum books after the move to Philadelphia. From 1791 through 1793, Jefferson made Ingle several payments totaling $551.02 and one payment of £4, for which the dollar equivalent was not given. All of these bills were for cabinetwork.[4] George Washington was another Ingle customer during the 1790s. An audit of Washington's estate listed two payments to Henry Ingle, per his account. One was on May 14, 1800, and the second on March 10, 1801.[5]
By 1800, Henry Ingle was residing in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. In June of that year, he advertised that he would be moving from his place in Alexandria, Virginia, and was interested in renting it out.[6] Over the next six years, Ingle advertised in a local newspaper three times after receiving shipments from England. These shipments included ironmongery, cutlery, tools, housewares, and other goods.[7] In 1805 and 1806, he advertised for an apprentice to learn the cabinetmaker trade, suggesting that he continued to practice that trade while selling merchandise.[8] Twice, in 1808 and 1811, Ingle advertised that he was getting out of the hardware business and wished to sell his entire stock.[9]
During his years in Washington, D.C., Ingle's invoices to Jefferson all concerned hardware shipments. Between July 17, 1803, and February 27, 1809, Jefferson paid Ingle $181.54 for tools, supplies, writing instruments, and a writing box. Not long afterwards, Ingle was mentioned in Benjamin Latrobe's papers in reference to work at the U.S. Capitol. He was paid for cabinetwork in a number of years.[10]
Ingle appears to have served on the board of the New Protestant Episcopal Church in Washington. He wrote a letter to Jefferson offering a pew to the Presidency. Jefferson accepted for the Presidency but declined personally as the distance to travel was too great.[11] Ingle was also in charge of auctioning off pews and was responsible for the election of vestrymen and wardens for the Washington Parish in 1809.[12]
Nothing is known of Henry Ingle's death.
1791 January 20. "Ingles for cabinetwork in full £4."[13]
1791 April 8. "Pd. Henry & Joseph Ingle cash 50 Gave them order on the bank for 87.07 = 137.04 D. in full for acct. on Cabinet work."[14]
1791 September 2. "Pd. Ingles his acct. £5-17-3 = 15.63."[15]
1792 January 11. "Gave the following orders on the bank...Ingles. cabinet work 10-8 27.73."[16]
1792 July 11. "Gave order on the bank viz...H & J. Ingles in full 63.25."[17]
1793 January 7. "Henry Ingle, Cabinet work 9-15-2 = 26.02."[18]
1793 July 3. "Ingles Henry. Cabinetmaker 22.5."[19]
1793 November 23. "Pd. Ingles in full by ord. on bank 67.03."[20]
1794 April 30. "The money recd. by Crosby to be applied as follows...Henry Ingles 23."[21]
1794 October 1. "...Sampson Crosby 21.04 to pay the following debts...Henry Ingles 1.87..."[22]
1801 May 27. (Ingle to Jefferson). "The table to be altered appears very good and as the alteration will exceed my expectation as to cost, I shall forbear cuting it untill I hear further from you. It is a duty I owe to my employer to state aparent objections after which I shall strictly follow directions. The making 3 single tables out of this dining table will be about 21 or 22 dolls. two new single leaf tables will afford the necessary charge cost 32 doll and the dining table may be added if occasion should require it."[23]
1801 July 10. "Gave Henry Ingles ord. on J. Barnes for 32.40 for ironmongery."[24]
1801 July 28. "Gave Henry Ingle ord. on J. Barnes for 5.62."[25]
1802 April 17. "Gave Henry Ingle ord. on J. Barnes for 10.80 for writing box & wire."[26]
1802 June 28. (Ingle to Jefferson). "Agreeable to instructions from the House of Robt Sutcliff & Co of Sheffield, England; I have the pleasure of handing for your acceptance, A Small Mahy case contaning a Hand brace and bitts & a few other tools. I am sorry to find them a little damaged although they were very carefully put up."[27]
1803 July 7. "Gave Henry Ingle ord. on J. Barnes for 19.625 for tools &c."[28]
1804 July 11. "Pd. Ingles for tools & ironmongery 6.625."[29]
1805 March 11. "Gave Joseph to pay...Ingle 8.105 screws."[30]
1806 October 14. (Ingle to Jefferson). "Herewith you will receive a box containing 6 Doz 2½ butt hinges, 6 Doz back lap hinges, & 39½ Groce Screws—"[31]
1807 April 6. "Drew on bk. US. in favr. Henry Ingle for himself 54.835..."[32]
1807 October 6. (Ingle to Jefferson). "At a meeting of the Vestry of Washington Parish on Thursday Augt. 20 1807 it was—Resolved that the Pew No. 42 in the New Protestant Episcopal Church near the Navy Yard be appropriated & kept for the President of the United States—"[33]
1807 November 6. (Jefferson to Ingle). "The very great pressure of business for some time before and after the meeting of Congress, obliging me to suspend nearly all correspondence, I have not till this day been able to reach your letter notifying me of the obliging offer of the use of a pew in the new Protestant Episcopal church near the Navy yard on the part of the vestry of Washington parish. I pray you to convey to them my thanks for this mark of attention, and to assure them that it would have been extremely pleasing to me to have continued a member of their congregation & to have availed myself of their kind offer, had the distance of the new building permitted it. this single circumstance obliging me to decline it, I take the liberty of mentioning it to you, that the pew may not remain unoccupied."[34]
1808 July 19. "Gave Joseph Dougherty ord...for...Henry Ingle 15. for ironmongery."[35]
1809 February 6. "... Henry Ingle. cabinet work 16.11."[36]
1809 February 27. "Pd. Henry Ingle for wire 4.50."[37]
1809 March 10. "Drew on bank US. ... in favr. of ... Joseph Dougherty for Ingle for Pechin 7.92 newspapers."[38]
- Richard Hawkins, 1/91
