August, 19 2 3 
45 
in the Seventeenth Century there were Sav- 
erys in the Massachusetts Colony and else¬ 
where, and a family of Saverys had like¬ 
wise .established itself in Barbadoes some¬ 
what later. Whether William Savery of 
Philadelphia was born in the Colonies, Bar¬ 
badoes or in England, we do not know. It 
is possible that he found his way from New 
England to New York and there served an 
apprenticeship to one of the many cabinet¬ 
makers plying their trade in that city before 
finally locating in Pennsylvania. It seems 
to me quite as likely that he went from 
Pennsylvania to New York, and returned to 
Philadelphia. We do know that Savery was 
a Quaker, that he was born in 1722, mar¬ 
ried Reese Peters April 19, 1746, and died 
in 1787. The year of his birth is derived 
from the entry of his death which states 
that this occurred in his sixty-fifth year. 
Further records, brought to light by Mr. 
Halsey and Mr. Prime show that William 
Savery was an assessor in one of the Phila¬ 
delphia old city wards during 1754, and 
that some thirteen years later he was agent 
and collector of taxes for the guardians of 
the poor. Like many other thrifty members 
of the Society of Friends, Savery appears to 
have prospered exceedingly well. 
He became a property owner 
early in his career for at twenty- 
four he was receiving an annual 
rental of £52 for a house on 
Third Street, some twelve years 
later his tax bill was no less 
than £37 and by 1780 he was 
being taxed on some $46,000 
worth of property. William Sav¬ 
ery appears to have been a God¬ 
fearing, public spirited, indus¬ 
trious and provident citizen. As 
a craftsman his work shows a 
surprising degree of excellence; 
it is comparable with the finest 
English work of the period. 
Considering the fact that the 
few records we have of his life 
{Continued on page 104) 
(Right) A high 
chest of drawers 
or highboy by 
William Savery. 
Courtesy of the 
Rosenbach C o. 
Detail of the leg of a dress¬ 
ing table by Savery. From 
the Anderson Galleries 
(Below) Detail of a pier table of mahogayiy with 
marble top, showing an elaborately carved aproti and 
cabriole leg in the well known Chippendale manner 
This pier table, from the Metropolitan! Museum of 
Art, shows in its style of carving the influence of the 
French and of Chippendale, which came to early 
American cabinet-makers through the publications of 
Chippendale, Ince, Mayhew and Decker of London. 
